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Characteristics of a software architect

March 15th, 2006

Peter Eeles (Senior IT Architect, IBM) today published an article in developerWorks Architecture on the characteristics of a software architect. The article is an interesting read on the role of an architect in software development projects.

As I see it Peter Eeles is describing the T-shape of skills that the software architect must have - horisontal breadth combined with vertical depth (broad experience and deep specific knowledge). Philip Hartman has heard this described as a Pi-shape.

I am not quite there yet - but I am working on it 🙂

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One Response to “Characteristics of a software architect”

  1. Philip Hartman Says:
    March 16th, 2006 at 03:43

    "Pi-Shaped" implies that an architect must have two areas where he can take a "deep dive". I would advocate that one area of depth should be techie (eg. portals or database) and another should in a business requirements domain (customer service or automotive industry).

    Douglas McDavid espoused the ideal of an "I-shaped" architect becoming a business transformation architect. See my post at http://artsciita.blogspot.com/2005/11/role-of-business-transformation.html