Satisfying Software

João Rosa joins Gien Verschatse to unpack what it really means for teams to deliver value, covering the three dimensions of value most companies collapse into one, why "autonomy" is often just a recruitment story, and why satisfying software should ultimately be invisible. Full transcript and notes at https://aardling.eu/en/insights/the-learning-organisation-with-joao-rosa

Gien Verschatse sits down with Andrea Magnorsky, an independent consultant and creator of Bytesize Architecture Sessions. In their conversation they touch upon:- Why companies struggle to make good decisions- How to document decisions and make them useful- Involving the right people, not necessarily the most senior- The Decision "KP" mapAnd of course, Andrea answers what Satisfying Software means to her.A transcript can be found on the Aardling website https://aardling.eu/en/insights/how-to-fix-your-decision-making-processes-with-andrea-magnorsky

Gien Verschatse sits down with Hannes Lowette, a software consultant and head of learning and development at Axxes. They discuss how software engineers can make the most of their L&D budget and share practical tips for organisations looking to upskill their teams in the age of AI.

Visit aardling.eu for the full transcript and more notes.

This time on Satisfying Software, Gien Verschatse talks with Kenny Baas-Schwegler, co-author of Collaborative Software Design and Software Architecture Enabler at DHL.

In this conversation, Gien and Kenny get into the nuts and bolts of designing software systems which solve business problems. They cover:

• The difference between domains, subdomains, and bounded contexts
• Why subdomains and bounded contexts don't need a one-to-one relationship
• How organisational structure and software design interact — and where they conflict
• Why interaction between bounded contexts matters more than the contexts themselves
• How to name bounded contexts in a way that keeps teams focused on problems, not solutions
• The common frustrations Kenny sees when teams practice DDD
• What truly satisfying software looks and feels like in practice

⠀Shownotes:

• Collaborative Software Design book
• Kenny’s session at DDD Europe, Interactively designing distributed systems integration with collaborative modelling
• Follow Kenny on LinkedIn
• A transcript can be found on our website

Susanne Kaiser is a software consultant and author of “Architecture for Flow” which details an approach which meshes together Domain-Driven Design, Wardley Mapping, and Team Topologies.

In this conversation, Gien Verschatse and Susanne Kaiser explore why so many teams build technically impressive systems that still don't deliver real business value.

They dig into:

• Why developers jump into solution space before truly understanding the problem
• How Wardley Mapping helps you anchor architecture decisions to actual user needs (and why Susanne prefers it over other strategic tools)
• The important links between team structure, Conway's Law, and system design
• What climatic patterns are and how companies like Nokia and Blockbuster ignored them.
• Why AI amplifies existing processes (good and bad) and what that means for your architecture right now.

Shownotes:

Susanne’s book: https://architectureforflow.com/

Wardly Mapping: https://www.wardleymaps.com/

Architecture for Flow workshop at DDD Europe: https://2026.dddeurope.com/program/architecture-for-flow/

Today’s episode of Satisfying Software is with Diana Montalion, author of Learning Systems Thinking.

Diana has a wealth of experience of helping software teams navigate complex software systems at places like The Economist and The Wikimedia Project.

If you’re a software designer, architect, or developer interested in non-linear thinking, this conversation will introduce you to new ways to improve your craft.

The conversation covers:

• How to build trust and lead effectively when you’re not certain about the right direction
• Why being right is always temporary
• How to express intuition and uncertainty in decision-making conversations

Shownotes:

• Buy Diana's book - Learning System Thinking - https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/learning-systems-thinking/9781098151324/

• Take Diana's course -https://ddd.academy/learning-systems-thinking/
• Join us in Antwerp on June 4-6 for Domain-Driven Design Europe, EventCentric and Data Mesh Live - https://dddeurope.com/
• Join Gien's class "Leadership in Software Design" on June 2-3 in Antwerp - https://2025.dddeurope.com/program/leadership-in-software-design/

Satisfying Software is hosted by Gien Verschatse and produced by Aardling, a software designing and modelling consultancy. https://aardling.eu/

Andrew Harmel-Law is the author of "Facilitating Software Architecture: Empowering Teams to Make Architectural Decisions", a new book published by O'Reilly.

In this episode, Andrew and Gien Verschatse discuss the various decision-making models available to teams and their book's take on the most effective approach.

Listen to this conversation if you're in a software team making hard tradeoffs and looking for a framework which can help you make and be accountable for decisions.

Shownotes:

Buy Andrew's book. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/facilitating-software-architecture/9781098151850/

Andrew will be on stage at Domain-Driven Design Europe 2025 in Antwerp on June 4-6. https://2025.dddeurope.com/program/

Gien Verschatse is running a new workshop on "Leadership in Software Design" on June 2-3. https://2025.dddeurope.com/program/leadership-in-software-design/

Jacqui Read is the author of "Communication Patterns: A Guide for Developers and Architects."

She is a well-known speaker and gave one of the most well-received talks at Domain-Driven Design Europe in 2024.

During this episode, Jacqui sits down with Gien Verschatse, senior consultant at Aardling to discuss the ideas within her book and dishes out some practical advice for engineers and architects to use in communicating with colleagues and clients.

Shownotes:

• Jacqui will be speaking at Domain-Driven Design Europe 2025 in Antwerp -

• Jacqui's website
• The book - Communication Patterns 
• ACED model 
• LinkedIn
• Bluesky 
• Mastodon
  

Satisfying Software is powered by Aardling, a software consultancy specialising in software modelling and strategy (https://aardling.eu/)

Today’s guest is Laïla Bougriâ, a well-known expert and speaker on event-driven and distributed systems. She works as a software engineer and solutions architect at Particular Software.

In this discussion with Gien Verschatse, they cover:

• Heuristics for designing an event-driven system
• When designing an event-driven system is worth while
• The subtle differences between “event-driven” and “messaging”
• Commands in disguise: Beware of the passive-aggressive events
• Tips for getting more time with business stakeholders as an engineer
• How to encourage collaborative problem solving between business and IT
• What does satisfying software mean to Laila
• 
  

Shownotes

• Laïla Bougriâ is delivering two talks at EventCentric. Take a look at the program for full details - https://eventcentric.eu/program

Satisfying Software is powered by Aardling, a software consultancy specialising in software modelling and strategy. (https://aardling.eu/)

Thomas Coopman has taught hundreds of organisations to adopt Domain-Driven Design practices.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Which language/s work best with tactical patterns
• Functional programming and DDD

• How to make time for refactoring
• Whether overmodelling a solution is a problem
• How to express your model in code
• Why it's all about solving customer problems.

Shownotes:

• Join Thomas for his in-person workshop, Implementing Tactical Patterns, on June 2-3 in Antwerp before DDD Europe. https://ddd.academy/implementing-tactical-patterns/
• Gien and Thomas' guide to video series on modelling - https://youtu.be/K2Z3yHn5KQk

Satisfying Software is powered by Aardling, a software consultancy specialising in software modelling and strategy. (https://aardling.eu/)