Whatever I work on, I see my daily job as that of a cartographer.

Whether navigating well-known technical shipping routes focusing on improving the journey or exploring new areas to assess and gauge the relevance and shape of potential new routes, the goal remains the same: equipping downstream navigators and crews with methods and tools that enable them to reach their destinations safely and efficiently, while listening to their experiences and adventures to refine upstream processes and experimentations.

As you may infer, I didn’t choose this metaphor arbitrarily - just as cartographers rely on maps, compass and sextant, so do I. I believe architects also need methods and tools. For years, I’ve advocated for software mental models, architecture decision records, and spikes as first-class citizens in R&D. All are now broadly acknowledged to effectively support and strengthen decision-making processes. Moving back and forth between high-level diagramming and low-level implementation is also a good way to avoid the twin pitfalls of the ivory tower and the technical lead trap.

The way I see it, the role of modern architecture can be summed up with a simple mantra: “Hands-on & Hand over.” That’s why I believe writing things down and sharing them benefits the entire ecosystem. People often think these activities are about prominence, but I find pragmatism to be a far more accurate description. If every journey starts from the same home port, they’re destined to end at the same distance. It’s not just about moving forward and covering ground - it’s about being able to shape the future.

That’s why we need outposts. That’s why we need scouting. And that’s why, ultimately, we need architects.