Comments on: more on architects and titles http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/2009/08/19/more-on-architects-and-titles/ Development, with chickens. Because chickens are cool. (aka Nic Wise's blog) Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:02:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Tim Macfarlane http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/2009/08/19/more-on-architects-and-titles/comment-page-1/#comment-663 Tim Macfarlane Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:13:09 +0000 http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/?p=681#comment-663 As a title I think "architect" is quite useful. I get invited to things that with a title of "developer" I wouldn't. Sure most of the time I'd rather be hacking code, but often those highlevel meetings give me a view of the project that I just wouldn't get if I kept my head down. These hokey pokey meetings are, strangely enough, an excellent input into the design process, answering questions like "who's using it?", "what are they really trying to do?", and "what about the other stake holders?" So while "architect" is a good external persona for these reasons, internally I _try_ (it's not always easy) to be an "apprentice". When I check in code, I want somebody to tell me what I did wrong. When I'm pairing I want to ask stupid questions. When I make big architecture decisions I want people to tell me if it's working or not. More to the point perhaps, I don't want to make big architecture decisions, _everybody_ on the team should make big architectural decisions, but as apprentices, you know, learning off each other, asking stupid questions, etc. No matter what your title is, don't let it big up your ego! The ego is the biggest obstacle to learning, and where would the ego be without learning? As a title I think “architect” is quite useful. I get invited to things that with a title of “developer” I wouldn’t. Sure most of the time I’d rather be hacking code, but often those highlevel meetings give me a view of the project that I just wouldn’t get if I kept my head down. These hokey pokey meetings are, strangely enough, an excellent input into the design process, answering questions like “who’s using it?”, “what are they really trying to do?”, and “what about the other stake holders?”

So while “architect” is a good external persona for these reasons, internally I _try_ (it’s not always easy) to be an “apprentice”. When I check in code, I want somebody to tell me what I did wrong. When I’m pairing I want to ask stupid questions. When I make big architecture decisions I want people to tell me if it’s working or not. More to the point perhaps, I don’t want to make big architecture decisions, _everybody_ on the team should make big architectural decisions, but as apprentices, you know, learning off each other, asking stupid questions, etc.

No matter what your title is, don’t let it big up your ego! The ego is the biggest obstacle to learning, and where would the ego be without learning?

]]> By: Nic Wise http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/2009/08/19/more-on-architects-and-titles/comment-page-1/#comment-662 Nic Wise Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:44:55 +0000 http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/?p=681#comment-662 My spelling is always optional :) My spelling is always optional :)

]]> By: SM http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/2009/08/19/more-on-architects-and-titles/comment-page-1/#comment-660 SM Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:46:54 +0000 http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/?p=681#comment-660 spelling optional!!! :-) spelling optional!!! :-)

]]> By: SM http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/2009/08/19/more-on-architects-and-titles/comment-page-1/#comment-659 SM Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:45:14 +0000 http://www.fastchicken.co.nz/?p=681#comment-659 Okay... my job 'label/title' is Infrasturcture Architect - has been on the last few projects. What my *real* job title is/should be?... probably a combination of Infrastructure Consultant (ewww... I hate that word) or Infrastructure Engineering Specialist Okay… my job ‘label/title’ is Infrasturcture Architect – has been on the last few projects. What my *real* job title is/should be?… probably a combination of Infrastructure Consultant (ewww… I hate that word) or Infrastructure Engineering Specialist

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