The debate on monoliths vs. microservices as architectural patterns for modern software systems usually focuses on technological aspects, missing crucial details around organizational strategy and team dynamics. The false dichotomy between monoliths and microservices helps no one. Instead, switched-on organizations start with the team cognitive load required to build and run a part of the software system. If a team is not able to understand the details of a service or subsystem fully, there is little chance of the team being able to own and support it. The resulting team-sized services are by definition suitable in size and complexity for a single team to own, develop, and run. No longer do we care how many lines of code there are in a single service or whether it is a “monolith”: what we care about is that a team can own and run the software effectively.
Using team cognitive load as the guiding principle, this free ebook based on the 2019 DevOps Enterprise Summit presentation by Team Topologies coauthors Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais shows organizations how they can optimize for sustainable ownership and evolution of software systems. This talk draws on research and case studies from the book together with first-hand consulting experience from the authors with organizations around the world.
Pages
16
Topics
Software Delivery & Architecture
Formats
epub · pdf
License
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
About the authors
2 authors
Matthew SkeltonCo-author, Team Topologies▼▲
Matthew Skelton is co-author of the ground-breaking book Team Topologies , and Founder & Principal at Conflux . The Team Topologies book was rated one of the ‘Best product management books of all time’ by Book Authority and is widely used by organizations worldwide to transform the way they deliver value. Matthew is one of the foremost leaders in modern organizational dynamics for fast flow, drawing on Team Topologies and related practices to support organizations with transformation towards a sustainable fast flow of value and true business agility. A Chartered Engineer (CEng), Matthew brings together principles and practices from multiple disciplines for a holistic approach to digitally-enriched operating models. He combines his experience as a leader and software architect in multiple contexts (GOV.UK, ecommerce, financial services, telecoms, pharma, retail, robotics, etc.) with a strong interest in the human side of organizations for a compassionate and humanistic approach to organizational effectiveness.
Manuel Pais is on a mission to both make work more humane and businesses more valuable to customers. Manuel delivers motivational keynotes and practical masterclasses on the principles and practices for fast flow that resonate across the organization, from C-level executives to the teams on the ground. He has also helped several Fortune 500 companies pave the path for accelerated value delivery via strategic & organizational assessments. On the product side, Manuel has led the creation and evolution of the Team Topologies Academy providing online, worldwide access to the latest insights around fast flow, and Teamperature, the industry leading model for assessing and managing team cognitive load. Learn more at manuelpais.com .
