On Fundamentals
The Master said: "Architecture begins not with drawing diagrams but with asking questions. The quality of your architecture is determined by the depth of your understanding of the problem domain."
The Master said: "A good architecture makes the common case simple and the complex case possible. A poor architecture makes the simple case complex and the complex case impossible."
The Master said: "The three greatest enemies of good architecture are premature optimization, premature abstraction, and solving problems you don't yet have."
The Master said: "An architecture is not a destination but a map for a journey. It should guide decisions without dictating every step."
The Master said: "Systems evolve in the direction of their constraints. Choose constraints wisely, for they will shape your system's future more than your intentions will."
On Complexity
The Master said: "Simple systems have fewer modes of failure. Complex systems fail in complex ways."
The Master said: "Before adding a layer of abstraction, ask: 'Does this simplify more than it complicates? Does it clarify more than it obscures?'"
The Master said: "A sign of architectural wisdom is knowing when to embrace complexity and when to resist it. Complexity that serves essential requirements is justified; complexity that serves merely technical elegance is vanity."
The Master said: "In the face of changing requirements, flexibility preserved through simplicity outlasts flexibility created through abstraction."
The Master said: "The most dangerous complexity is that which is hidden. Make the cost of complexity visible so that conscious decisions about its value can be made."
On Communication
The Master said: "A great architecture is as much a tool for communication as it is for computation. It should make the system's intent clear to those who must maintain it."
The Master said: "If you cannot explain your architecture in a ten-minute conversation, it is either too complex or you do not understand it well enough."
The Master said: "Architecture diagrams that cannot be drawn on a whiteboard from memory are too complicated to be effectively shared and maintained by a team."
The Master said: "Name things for what they are, not what they do. Nouns endure longer than verbs in the evolution of systems."
The Master said: "The value of documentation lies not merely in what it says but in the shared understanding it creates. Write not just to record decisions but to build consensus."
On Evolution
The Master said: "Plan for change in direction, not just in scale. Systems more often evolve in kind than in size."
The Master said: "The true test of an architecture is not how it performs when first deployed but how it adapts over years of changing requirements and technologies."
The Master said: "Build in seams for future change. The architecture that cannot be partially replaced without total rewriting will eventually require total rewriting."
The Master said: "The ability to migrate gradually from one architecture to another is itself an architectural property, and one of the most valuable."
The Master said: "All architectures become legacy architectures. Design not just for the glory of creation but for the dignity of maintenance and the grace of eventual replacement."
On Decision Making
The Master said: "Make reversible decisions reversibly and irreversible decisions carefully. Know which is which."
The Master said: "Delay architectural decisions until the last responsible moment, not the first available moment. Wisdom lies in knowing the difference."
The Master said: "Architecture is the set of decisions that, if made incorrectly, will be the hardest to change later. Focus your deepest thinking there, not on matters easily altered."
The Master said: "When in doubt between two architectural approaches, choose the one that leaves more options open. Optionality itself has value in an uncertain world."
The Master said: "The best architectures are discovered, not invented. They emerge from deep engagement with the problem domain coupled with relentless simplification."
On Balance
The Master said: "Balance the needs of today's users with those who will maintain the system tomorrow. Both deserve your advocacy."
The Master said: "Neither overarchitect nor underarchitect. Excess structure stifles innovation; insufficient structure invites chaos. The middle path requires constant vigilance."
The Master said: "The perfect architecture does not exist. There are only architectures well-suited or poorly-suited to particular contexts, teams, and purposes."
The Master said: "Uniformity and diversity both have their place in architecture. Standardize what is common to reduce cognitive load; differentiate what is unique to honor distinct needs."
The Master said: "The wise architect knows when to lead with vision and when to follow the wisdom of the team. Architecture is ultimately a collaborative act, not a solitary one."