Agile and Architecture: a meeting of the undead - Einar Høst - NDC Oslo 2024

Both Agile and Architecture are important but shouldn’t be seen as opposing forces - they address different aspects of software development

Architecture decisions should be team-oriented and owned by the development teams rather than isolated architects. Architecture is too important to be left to architects alone

Changes come from multiple sources (technology, business requirements, team composition) and systems need built-in capacity to handle necessary changes while minimizing exposure to accidental changes

Knowledge transfer should be continuous through practices like pair/mob programming rather than relying on documentation or single experts

Teams need true autonomy (including budget control) to be effective - protective “terrariums” that isolate teams are counterproductive long-term

Direct communication with stakeholders and users is critical - feedback through intermediaries weakens the feedback loop

Simplicity should be prioritized - avoid unnecessary dependencies, frameworks and sophistication that don’t directly solve the core problem

Architecture should be:

• Fit for purpose
• Understandable from the inside
• Observable from the outside
• Aligned with team concerns and capabilities

Building sustainable “cyborg” systems requires both technical excellence and human factors - code alone is not sufficient

Focus on necessary vs accidental changes - protect capacity for handling essential changes by minimizing exposure to accidental ones through careful dependency management

Consider decommissioning costs upfront - plan for how systems can be replaced or removed