What’s the Software Architect role?
Every system has its own architecture. But not always there is someone with the official role of Software Architect.
By the way, having a person with the role of Software Architect helps to make the correct choices.
So, what are Software Architects?
They are Technical leaders. They provide technical guidance to devs, managers, and stakeholders. So they must have experience in both technical and non-technical stuff, to communicate effectively with all the stakeholders.
They define the architecture. Not only the design but also the documentation. This architecture must reflect the customer’s needs and must solve business problems.
They are tech experts. They are experts in a particular technology/framework and are ready to help devs overcoming their issues. Also, they are experts in designing architectures, architecture patterns, best practices, business domain.
They are “actively” curious. Their knowledge does not stop with the technologies their companies use but are always learning new things and new trends. In this way, they can get to know new stuff that may be helpful for future projects.
They are team players. Good architects get their hands dirty with the development: only in this way they can understand if they’re doing the right thing, if their dev team is fine with their choices, and foresee future impediments. They must be in touch with all the stakeholders, and get feedback from them to see if the architecture is going in the right direction.
To wrap up, Software Architects are
- leaders
- tech experts
- domain experts
- team players
- curious