Cheat sheetFND-02

Architectural Thinking

Foundations / Architectural Thinking

The architect's mindset: replace the hunt for right answers with disciplined trade-off analysis, favour breadth over depth, and stay in collaboration with developers.

tradeoffs
Trade-offsNo context-free 'best'. Every choice buys something and costs something; output a trade-off tied to a driver.
breadth
Breadth over depthValue comes from knowing which options exist and which questions to ask, not deep mastery of a few tools.
collab
CollaborationArchitecture and design are continuous. Don't throw a design over the wall; mentor and adjust as reality pushes back.
drivers
Business driversTranslate business goals into the characteristics the architecture must satisfy.
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When asked 'which is better?', refuse the framing. Answer 'better for which driver, at what cost?' and document the trade-off.

Reframe'Queues or topics?' becomes 'do we need loose-coupled broadcast (topics) or point-to-point control (queues)?'
ElevatorHohpe: the architect rides between the business penthouse and the technical engine room, translating both ways.
There are no right answers, only trade-offs
Architect breadth > depth (know what exists)
Answer 'better for which driver, at what cost?'
mindsettrade-offsbreadthcollaborationelevator
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