Summary

The discussion with Allard Buijze from AxonIQ covers event sourcing’s merits, Axon’s ecosystem, and hurdles in adoption, implementation, and compliance. It highlights design-to-code gaps, resistance to change, and backend importance over UI alone.

1. Event Sourcing: Use Cases and Misconceptions

• Unexpected Value: A German customer’s use of event sourcing showed its strength in tracking changes over results, defying initial doubts.
• Hidden Complexity: Simple process views mask deeper needs where event sourcing shines.
• Rare Exception: It’s less suited to basic, outcome-only processes, though these are uncommon.

2. Importance of Historical Data

• Undervalued Asset: Lack of past data diminished its perceived importance, yet it’s key for modern software.
• Future Vision: Event sourcing fits auditable, lasting applications, not throwaways.

3. Axon’s Role and Products

• Education and Tools: Axon teaches event-driven design and provides simplifying infrastructure.
• Offerings:
  • Axon Framework: Separates tech from logic, aids event handling (16 years old).
  • Axon Server: Event store and messaging, beats database limits, zero-config.
  • Axon Console: Monitors flows, suggests scaling.
  • Data Protection: Encrypts and deletes keys for GDPR compliance.

4. Event-Driven Challenges

• Scalability: Tools like Axon Console address backlogs and overloads.
• GDPR: Key deletion helps, but backups complicate full removal.

5. Design to Implementation

• Prototyping Woes: Design sprints yield mockups, not MVPs clients need.
• Event Modeling: Clarifies systems for all, unlike unstructured event storming.

6. Tech Adoption Barriers

• Human Nature: Familiar problems trump unknown risks, like sticking to a flawed commute.

7. Security and Future

• Encryption: Quantum risks exist, but key deletion ensures compliance now.
• Pragmatism: Focuses on today’s fixes, with options to purge data later.

8. Axon’s Future

• Gap: Defining what to build lags; event modeling helps but needs code tools.
• Plan: Partner with modeling experts, not build internally.

9. Reflections

• Beyond UI: Backend behavior matters more than UI-database models.
• Focus Analogy: Motorcycle slalom shows avoiding fear drives success.