Author: Rob Shearer

Like a warrior charging bare chested into battle, 

We face the world with the strength of knowing that we do not need to hide our weakness. 

I am not afraid.  

My weaknesses have been bared for the world to see.  

They are clearly exposed so that the world will need to attack them head on if they want to exploit them. 

They are not hidden out of my sight, for me to forget, and my enemy to slyly target. 

Bring it world! My soft underbelly is exposed and I am not afraid! 

We all have events that make us who we are, but they don’t have to be life and death experiences. It’s what we take from them that lets us grow.

When my daughter was very young, she came home from school with a picture she had drawn.
She told me that the assignment was to draw their favorite thing to do.
Excited; I asked her what she drew.
She looked at me with the sweetest little eyes and told me that her favorite thing to do was to spend time with Dad.
At this point, my eyes began to sweat just a little.
I asked her if I could see the picture.
As soon as I saw it, my heart was ripped from my chest, and everything I thought I was as a father was crushed in a moment.
The world swooned and I had to sit down.
In the picture was an adorable small red headed girl sitting on the couch, watching TV; while her dad sat next to her on the couch – with his laptop.

There is nothing like truth from a child to slap you awake. I trend towards over working. Far too much to be a good father. I did not know how to separate the different parts of my life, but I made a change that day.

Whenever I drift too far towards my obsession with work for too long. I remember that picture and I sit down and give those that I love my undivided attention in the moment.

When I was in high school cross country I had a nagging stress fracture in my right foot. During a home school race one afternoon we had a ravine just 200 meters into the race. I leapt from one side and landed on the other side with my right foot and felt the bone snap like a dry twig. Pain shot up my leg and my vision flashed white for a moment. The adrenaline that course through a young man’s veins at the beginning of a competition is amazing. As humans, we have evolved to fight, to survive, to continue at all costs and deal with small problems later. My memoentum carying me forward, there was no stopping. By the time my other foot hit the ground, the endorphines had kicked in and begun to numb the pain. I ran on. These were 5k races, and I had most of the race ahead of me. I had been raised to never quit. The pain of quiting the race would have hurt more that thepain in my foot. In time, I settled into a gait that allowed me to run with minor sharp pain. IT was only those downhill, sharp right turns, where I had to pivot on my broken foot that made me grimace in pain. As I felt the bones grinding together in my foot, I know it was a bad idea to keep moving. But I did not know how to stop. I finished the race in a much lower position than my normal race, and one of my teammates made a snide comment so I flipped him off. My coach tore into me for my bad sportsmanship and I looked him in the eye and told him my foot was broken. His face went white, and he sent me to see if the school physical therapists where still there. As I drove home that night, learning how to drive with a broken foot, the pain of knowing that I was out for the season throbbed more than my foot. Pain is easily controlled. How we deal and adapt defines how we deal with the world around us. In an instant, things change, and we move on. Stopping is not an option. The world keeps spinning, and the race continues. We may be slowed down, but with the right attitude we can come back stronger than we started and learn something about ourselves. Once we know that we can continue through anything, we have the confidence to start down paths that feel perilous.  

Inspired by “A Pattern Language” by … and Principles by Ray Dalio 

There are patterns at lead to all Architecture.  

Architecture in nature, and by man.  

When we build homes and cities, there are patterns that we follow to lead to comfortable flow states for people in those environments.  

There are very similar pattern rules that apply in computer Architecture 

Spaces are not defined in the same ways, but flows of electrons are very similar to humans.  

We all need access and freedom. 

Allow open direct communications when possible.  

• Point to point streaming when no one else needs the data, and when it does not need to be stored long term 
• Secure the connection, not the transaction 
• Notify the receiver only when you have sent enough information for them to act 

Focus on your task at hand 

• Fine grain task swapping only when the grains are large 
• Build dedicated task blocks whenever you can.  
  • This is more often than you will first think 
  • But not all the time 
  • Make them small and efficient, but worth sending data to 
   

Know your neighbors 

• If you are not often communicating with a neighbor, you should not physically be close to them 
• Plan for the flow of information through the system 

Speak the same language 

• Define a programming model and stick with it 
• Discipline here will save your SW team and yourself time later  

Avoid Technical Debt 

• Putting off decisions or short sighted Architecture leads to Technical Debt where things will cost more later than they will cost now. 

Don’t be afraid to move forward 

• Mistakes are natural and we will learn from them all  
• If you are unsure, and the cost function of being wrong will delay the program more than the resource cost of dual path, then build both paths. Do the analysis.  
• Have a decision process, stick to it, document it, then move on. 
• Do not re-open old decisions unless there is new information, new opinions and new people do not count. 
• You don’t have to wait for a decision to move forward, if there is not enough information yet, then identify the work that needs to be done and track it. 

Know your stakeholders 

• They may be different for each part of the Architecture 
• Involve them in the process 
• Get their signoff at each stage review 

Chaos and uncertainty is our world. Embrace it and thrive in it, or find a more suitable role. 

• Not everyone is happy in this world, and that is ok, we need all people contributing where they fit. 
• An Architect adds energy to the system to reduce Entropy, she does not fight the way of things. 

Invent solutions based on other disciplines.  

• One day, the Matryoshka doll will be your inspiration, another it will be the tides.  
• Architects are learning all the time to expand their breadth 

Engage the other disciplines 

• Architects are the hub of the wheel, and must reach out and engage all disciplines 
• Architects Talk, and talk a lot, to everyone.  
• Communicate through spoken and written word.  

Never first accept the old way 

• Make a conscious choice every time, for everything.  
• It may be quick and informed, but never complacent.  
• Every new problem needs to be addressed in it’s own way. 

Plan the town 

• A town needs variety, but it needs agreed upon rules 
• Each IP must have constraints, but be given freedom to perform it’s job. 
• Compromises will be made, it is the higher level Architect’s job to understand and make constraints that guide these compromises.  
• Do not leave this to the designer, they have too much on their plate already. 

Architects build constraints that bring shape to the world, Designers work within constraints to build beautiful final results.  

My favorite Christmas ornament.  

Its shine is from old candy wrappers, glued to notebook paper. It’s hook is a bent paperclip.  

It was 1995; our first year together as husband and wife.  

I was working three jobs and going to school full time. We were broke, but we had a roof overhead, food on our table, and young love in our hearts. 

While I was at work one evening, Laura set about to make our ridiculously small apartment feel festive.  

We had a little two foot tall hand me down imitation Christmas tree, but no money for ornaments.  

I clearly remember coming home late at night and finding her finishing up making the last ornament. I can still clearly see the smile on her face and the light in her eyes. The tree was beautiful; with home made ornaments, and a colorful paper chain. 

For 22 years I have hung this ornament, and then carefully stored it in January.  

This piece of candy wrappers mean more to me than any other Christmas item we own. 

Life has changes a lot in that time, but this always helps me remember where we came from. 

Tonight, in the still air of a peaceful room, while Laura and the girls were singing Christmas carols, it twisted back and forth one time, winking at me. My soul smiled. 

Have we forgotten how to love each other? 

Have we forgotten how to feel? 

Maybe technology is not the problem, maybe technology is the solution. 

Maybe the industrial revolution was the problem. 

Maybe the religious crusades were the problem. 

Maybe Agriculture was the problem. 

Humans adapted and learned how to thrive in its environment. 

Humans have always fought to stay alive and to thrive.  

Perhaps some of us actually learned how to live. 

What if technology frees us? 

Enables us to connect to each other at a level we have rarely found.  

Enables us to take the time to connect to something deeper.  

Something that we have sensed all along, but never figured out how to touch. 

The older I get, the more I understand.  

The older we all get, the more we learn as a people. 

When we stop learning, we die inside.  

What if we never have to die, can we continue to learn forever? 

I do not fear technology.  

I look forward to using technology to improve lives.  

I do not fear AI.  

I will not live in fear.  

If I can have hope that people are good after all that they do. 

Why would I assume that machines are any less so? 

There are plenty of people worried about the evils of General AI. 

If there are actions to be taken to avoid it, then those actions are going to be taken. 

I chose to take actions to develop the positive and not fight the negative. 

As it develops, it will help us be better. 

When it surpasses us, we will work together.  

Richard Branson … You are the Host of the party, be the first to jump in the pool  

I will often kick off a meeting by vision casting, and then I later wonder if I did the right thing.  

Did I just plant a seed in peoples mind instead of nurturing the seed they already have? 

Did I set an expectation that this is the path we are following and I am not interested in other views? 

Did I create an environment where people are comfortable sharing opposing ideas? 

I tend to be the one in the room that is the most comfortable with change and ambiguity. 

I tend to push harder than anyone else.  

After pontificating, I like to step down and work through the room to get people’s feedback. 

I am human, I love it when they agree and confirm. It makes me feel good.  

It also makes me proud when they disagree.  

I am proud of them for clearly articulating their disagreement and concerns. 

I am proud of the team for coming together and collaborating instead of mailing it in.  

I am also proud that I have created an environment where people feel safe to disagree. 

Sometimes I am wrong. 

I am comfortable with that. 

I am happy about that.  

That is how I learn 

That is how I find out that our team has checks and balances that work 

So you want to be an engineer?  

Why? 

Do you want to build things? 

Do you want to change the world/ 

It is an amazing feeling 

Inventing, creating, building, launching, seeing how it is used. 

Using the powers of the universe 

Tapping into math and physics and chemistry to manipulate the fabric of the physical world into a product that serves people or nature 

Do you want to feel like a god? 

Do you want to turn an idea in to a physical object 

You can will an item into being, simply by dreaming it up, designing it, and building it 

This is an amazing amount of power. 

We harness the elements and we understand how they interact with each other.  

We study and manipulate the electromagnetic forces around us. 

We get to ask questions, and get the freedom to test out our ideas. 

We build tools to make ourselves more effective 

We have infinite strength as we scale beyond human capability with technology. 

Do you believe that anything is possible? You just haven’t figured out how to do it yet? 

It does take a certain kind of person. 

We are wrong a lot. 

We screw up a lot. 

We look crazy a lot. 

We keep driving. 

The vision in our mind consumes us. 

It takes stubbornness 

It takes creativity 

It takes a little bit of dysfunction 

I never listen to naysayers. Except to drive me further and harder. 

Go ahead, tell me something can’t be done. 

It makes me smile. 

Let me show you how it can be done. 

If I can make an impact, I will. 

And then.  

Sometimes we are wrong. 

Eventually. 

After you have pushed miles beyond where everyone else told you to quit.  

Sometimes, Eventually, we do have to abandon a path.  

Most of the time it is because we just don’t have one ingredient that you need. 

You have tapped every person on the planet and discovered that we are 5,10, or 100 years away from the key enabling technology that you needed. 

This is where we choose to either redirect and invest in that technology. 

Or wait. 

A lot of Engineering is also patience.  

Acceptance. 

And moving on to the next big thing.  

When you pull your head up. 

After months or years of driving towards that one goal. 

You will look around.  

And see 100 other things that need to get built or fixed. 

And you will move on. 

This is the life of an Engineer.  

The world needs you. 

Don’t let them down by giving up. 

What you get out of your labor is up to you. 

Do you want glory or riches? 

Do you want freedom or fame? 

You get to choose the rewards.  

The engineering is the same. 

Do the work. 

Build the world.  

Then sell it, promote it, give it away, or hide it. 

Just do the work. 

I had a mentor very early in my career who set the course for my future in Engineering. 

This man was respected Engineer and Architect.  

I was young, and slightly intimidated. 

I had never had a mentor before. 

I had no idea how this relationship was supposed to work. 

I actually only met with him once as a specific “Mentoring meeting” 

I clearly remember sitting in his office.  

I remember the layout of his furniture and the wood grain on his table. 

But I only remember one thing that he said to me.  

He told me that I have a choice to make.  

I could be tall and narrow, or short and wide.  

Both paths would bring me success, but I had to choose early. 

I could become a subject matter expert and know more than anyone else. 

Be the guy that everyone goes to for that one thing. 

Or I could be the jack of all trades. 

Learn everything I can about everything I come in contact with. 

I left the office thinking yeah, that’s a good point. 

There are things that I am very good at. 

I would love to be “The Master” 

I would love to garner the respect that I see the subject matter experts get. 

I knew specific people at IBM who were the best in the World, and everyone knew it. 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that was not me.  

Later that evening, I realized that was not who I am. 

I am the person who needs to know the stack from top to bottom. 

I have to see the big picture. 

At that moment my entire future career unfolded before my eyes. 

I would take all of the disciplines and bring them together. 

That is where invention lives. 

That is where solutions come from. 

At that moment, an Architect was born. 

You are in a hurry. 

I get it. 

You don’t want to waste your life away as a slave to someone else. 

You have Big Ideas. 

You have Big Plans. 

You have Ambition. 

Are you making progress every day towards those plans? 

What did you do today to move the ball forward? 

If you are making progress, keep at it.  

Keep pushing, keep driving. 

If you are stuck. 

If you are hitting roadblocks.  

If you don’t know where to start.  

It may be time to ask yourself a hard questions.  

Do you have the tools to start building your dream? 

Is it still just a dream and not a plan? 

Have you put in the time to learn? 

Impatience is a great thing when it drives you to act. 

Impatience will destroy you if it prevents you from preparing. 

There is always more to learn. 

There will always me more time. 

We have a long time on this planet. 

Sometimes we have to put in the time. 

Learning from other people who have gone before. 

Learning how things are done elsewhere. 

Learning how NOT to do things. 

Don’t be afraid of the shit jobs. 

Don’t be afraid of having a boss. 

Don’t be afraid of getting trapped there. 

If you are here reading this, then you do not have that personality. 

Some people get comfortable in those roles.  

That is not you. 

You can get in, learn, then get out. 

Maybe you will stay longer than you think because you can do more there than you thought. 

Or maybe it will be a great place to identify all the traps that you don’t want to fall into. 

You are a learner. 

You are determined. 

You are preparing. 

Experience and Knowledge are never a waste of time. 

It’s ok to take that shit job. 

It is actually recommended. 

Beat up former athlete… Don’t come here for an ego boost, come learn something you can use the rest of your life. 

We see it a lot. 

The former football/soccer/basketball player.  

Ten years ago they were a star.  

Ten years of beer and hamburgers and watching football games on TV have changed things a bit. 

Their wives are still hot. 

They have noticed they are getting a little soft. 

Ego is a powerful master. 

They finally look deep inside and realize that it is time to make a change.  

This is a huge step. 

An important step. 

An agonizingly difficult step. 

To come in and tell us that they need our help. 

Then something happens.  

It was actually pretty easy.  

Opening our front door and coming in to chat was not like running the gauntlet.  

It was more like coming home. 

Their heart started to race a little at the excitement to feel young and strong and virile again.  

These men are ready for a change. 

Ready to take back their lives. 

Driven. 

Ego is a powerful master. 

We have to have the strength to stand up to that master.  

Or it will destroy you before you even get started. 

The maturity to not listen when the cocky SOB in the back of our head says 

“You got this, Bro!” 

That 10 years took a toll on our bodies, it will take time to get it back. 

Those men that have learned to be patient … 

Listen to their coach and their body 

Know the power of compounding interest – even on their body. 

Those men find a new beast inside. 

They find the power getting stronger than they ever were. 

They find the power of mental discipline that comes from internal sources. 

They find the pleasure of success.  

They find the comfort of confidence again.