Interview Summary: Bernard Seeto – From  Architect to Business LeaderGuest: Bernard Seeto https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-seeto/
Host: Ben Yu https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybbest/ Career Journey & Influence

• Ben opens by acknowledging Bernard’s pivotal influence on his own career path, especially a memorable meeting where SharePoint development was declared “dead,” prompting Ben to pivot toward architecture.
• Bernard reflects on that moment and shares his own journey, starting as a developer working with 3GL, VB, and client-server systems, eventually transitioning into architecture through consulting and business engagement.

 Why Architecture?

• Bernard was drawn to architecture due to his interest in design correctness, foresight, and creating long-term value.
• He emphasizes that architecture is about making big technology decisions and acting as an insurance policy for organizations navigating rapid tech evolution.

 Key Philosophies

• Context is king: Bernard stresses the importance of understanding how a business operates and makes money—something he encouraged Ben to consider early in his enterprise architecture role.
• Architects must bridge technical capability with business strategy, enabling scalable and executable solutions.

 Upskilling & Staying Relevant

• Bernard shares his approach to staying current:
  • Read McKinsey articles to track technologies moving from emerging to adopted.
  • Use Gartner’s hype cycle to understand tech maturity.
  • Follow platforms like InfoQ for practical insights.
  • Leverage tools like ChatGPT to explore and learn faster.
• He’s not interested in tech for tech’s sake—he values applied technology that solves real problems.

 Self-Awareness & Team Enablement

• Bernard humbly admits he wasn’t the best developer, but his strength lay in providing context and clarity to help others make better decisions.
• He views architecture as a way to codify ambition and scale, enabling teams to execute effectively.

  Staying Current & Validating Information

• Bernard emphasizes that keeping up with technology trends is a team effort, not a solo task. Architects must collaborate with engineers and peers to stay informed.
• He warns against “tech for tech’s sake,” sharing an example where AI was added to a project without clear business value—echoing research showing many AI pilots fail due to lack of purpose.
• On validating information, Bernard advises:
  • Don’t blindly trust any source—including McKinsey, Gartner, or AI tools like ChatGPT.
  • Use multiple sources and triangulate insights.
  • Run technical spikes to test hypotheses and assess real-world applicability.
  • Understand the long-term implications of adopting new tech, especially regarding technical debt and risk acceptance.

 Advice for Developers Breaking into Architecture

• Bernard acknowledges the challenge: transitioning from individual contributor to someone who thinks broadly across business and technology.
• Key advice:
  • Learn how the business operates and how it makes money.
  • Understand the role of technology in enabling business models.
  • Avoid the “ivory tower” trap—stay grounded and collaborate with those executing the architecture.
  • Appreciate both strategic foresight and execution detail.

 What’s Next for Experienced Architects?

• Bernard outlines three emerging directions for seasoned architects:
  1. Citizen Development & Generative AI
     • Business users are becoming developers via tools like ChatGPT.
     • Architects must adapt to English as the new coding language and production-level experimentation by non-technical staff.
     • The scope of architecture is expanding rapidly.
  2. Business Model Evolution
     • Architects must understand how business models evolve—e.g., FinTech vs. traditional banking.
     • Technology is accelerating business transformation, requiring architects to stay ahead.
  3. Ecosystem Architecture
     • Beyond enterprise architecture, organizations must understand their role in broader ecosystems.
     • Architects should design for interoperability, value exchange, and resilience across partners and platforms.

 Impact of AI on Enterprise Architecture

• Bernard sees AI as a transformative force:
  • It democratizes development and expands the architectural landscape.
  • Architects must guide responsible adoption, ensuring governance, security, and business alignment.
  • The challenge is balancing innovation with structure, especially as AI tools become embedded in everyday workflows.

 AI’s Expanding Role in the Stack

• Bernard highlights that AI now permeates every layer of the technology stack, from infrastructure to business processes.
• Architects must understand agentic AI and its role in automation, especially in designing systems where human involvement is minimized or strategically balanced.
• The concept of a Digital Autonomous Organisation (DAO) is becoming more plausible—routine tasks handled by AI, freeing humans for creative and strategic work.

 Architecture in the Age of AI

• The scope of architecture is evolving:
  • Architects must now design across people, process, and technology, with AI increasingly influencing all three.
  • Understanding business capabilities becomes critical, as AI can now simulate or replace parts of human and process layers.
• Ben reflects on the leadership challenge: guiding organizations through this transformation as AI moves from pilot to production.

 Final Thoughts from Bernard

• Bernard leaves the audience with a humorous metaphor:

“Architects know 100 ways to make love, but no one to make love to.”

• The message: judgment and navigation are the architect’s true value—helping organizations find the right long-term partnerships between business and technology.
• Architecture is about creating lasting value, not chasing every shiny new tool.

 Closing Message

• Ben thanks Bernard for sharing his journey and insights.
• He invites other architects—solution or enterprise—to share their stories by messaging him on LinkedIn.