Chapter 1Become a Software Architect

I’m not exactly sure when I became a software architect. I do remember the first time someone else called me one. We were at an important client meeting and someone asked a tough technical question. The project manager chimed in: “Michael is the architect on this project. He’ll dig in and send you an update by the end of the week.”

Just like that, I was a software architect. The rush of power. The anticipation of career advancement. I am an architect! Soon a slight feeling of dread set in. I am an architect. Now what do I do? How is being a software architect different from being a software engineer?

Software architects have a number of responsibilities in addition to programming. They define the problem ...

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