I am the Architect. I created the Matrix. I’ve been waiting for you.

Monday, January 25th, 2010 | Keith Morgan's Blog, teh internets | No Comments

As cloud computing become more & more popular, mom & pop development shops are beefing up staff to go enterprise. With it comes the glamorous role of Software Architect and Product Manager. These are much needed roles, crucial to any company looking to compete for a market share. But all to often, the occupants of these roles tank companies…

…so what the !@#$ is that supposed to mean?

Its not their fault.  Its the job of the software architect to create great software.  All to often, product vision is dumped on their shoulders, which most take way too far.  Clean code doesn’t win the race and as one of my former managers once said to me, “No one cares how the sausage is made”.  Brilliant code doesn’t translate into market dominance. Do you get where I’m going here? Using the hottest language may not even be a viable solution (Flex vs AJAX)

Now, you could argue that its the job of the Product Manager to make sure the product can compete in the marketplace, But most companies hire project managers for this role, when clearly someone with trends analysis skills is needed. Again, its not the Product Managers fault, but its their job.

So the missing link in this situation is what I like to call the rare “Constructus Productis”, aka the Product Architect. This would be the person guiding the product based on market conditions and trends.  I’m not really sure why this position goes unwanted in growing companies since this position usually exists in the form of the entrepreneurial CEO, who’s heavy handed overseeing of initial product offerings goes thankless. But I appreciate you Mr Start up CEO.  Someone has to have the vision.

Tags: Architect, Software, trends