Note: This book has evolved into The Software Architect Elevator, which contains 5 new chapters and many edits. It's available from Amazon and the O'Reilly Learning Platform.

The Changing Role of IT

Many large enterprises are feeling pressure from the rapid digitalization of the world: digital disruptors attack unexpectedly with brand-new business models; the "FaceBook generation" has dramatically different user expectations; and a whole slew of new technologies has become available to everyone with a credit card. This is tough stuff for enterprises that have been, and still are, very successful, but are built around traditional technology and organizational structures. "Turning the tanker", as the need to transform is often described, has become a board room-level topic in many traditional enterprises. Not as easily done as said.

The Changing Role of Architects

Chief IT Architects and CTOs play a key role in such a digital transformation endeavor. They combine the technical, communication, and organizational skill to understand how a tech stack refresh can actually benefit the business, what "being agile" and "DevOps" really mean, and what technology infrastructure is needed to assure quality while moving faster. Their job is not an easy one, though: they must maneuver in an organization where IT is often still seen as a cost center, where operations means "run" as opposed to "change", and where middle-aged middle-management has become cozy neither understanding the business strategy nor the underlying technology. It's no surprise then that IT architects have become some of the most sought-after IT professionals around the globe.

What You Will Learn

This book supports IT architects with the skills necessary to become effective not just in systems architecture, but also in shaping and driving the necessary transformation of large-scale IT departments. In today’s world, technical and organizational transformation have become inseparable. Organized into 37 episodes, this book explains:

• The role and qualities of an architect in a large enterprise
• Architecture at enterprise scale
• Communicating to a variety of stakeholders
• Understanding organizational structures and systems
• Transforming traditional organizations

A book for Tech Leads, from Tech Leads.

This book is for you if you're leading software teams, or just about to start leading software teams. Inside you will read stories from people who have been in this position, and the lessons they have learned along the way.

The book is split into two main sections:

• Novices – Developers, like yourself, who just transitioned into the role of a Technical Leader
• Practitioners – Seasoned Technical Leaders who have lead a team for a long time, or have lead many different software teams

Each group gives you a different insight into what it means to be a Tech Lead.

Hard copies now available

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