Why Software Architecture is Mostly Communication

Three experienced software architects - Ian Cooper, David Whitney and Hannes Lowette, - discuss the evolution of software architecture from traditional "ivory tower" approaches to modern, collaborative practices. The conversation explores the tension between emergent and designed architecture, the importance of sustainable versus "slash-and-burn" development approaches, and how architectural decisions scale with organizational growth. Key themes include the critical role of communication and coaching in architecture, the dangers of pattern cargo-culting, and the fundamental reality that all architectural challenges are ultimately people problems requiring empathy, shared language, and cultural change.