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.

Ben Yu's post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7364600519278985216-TzB2
Event Storming Workshop : https://www.meetup.com/tech-leaders-collective/events/310777782/
Andrea Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnorsky/
Welcome to The Solution Architect Show! In this episode, host Ben Yu welcomes the show’s first guest, Andrea Magnorsky, a seasoned software architect with experience across startups, large enterprises, and her own company. Together, they explore the diverse realities of architecture roles across industries and share insights into how architecture integrates with engineering, decision-making, and business strategy.🔍 Key Topics Covered:

• Defining Architecture Through Decisions
  Andrea shares how architecture is essentially a layered record of decisions that shape systems over time. Her journey into architecture began organically through engineering, eventually being recognized by peers as an architect.
• Software vs. Corporate Architecture Roles
  Ben and Andrea compare their experiences—Andrea from software-centric companies and Ben from corporate environments like local government. They highlight how architecture roles vary drastically depending on whether software is the core product or a supporting tool.
• Feedback Loops & Collaboration
  Andrea discusses the importance of tight feedback loops between architects and engineering teams, contrasting it with the “ivory tower” model where architects work in isolation. Ben reflects on how corporate architects often focus on governance, compliance, and vendor management rather than code-level decisions.
• Understanding Context & Expectations
  Ben emphasizes the need to clarify expectations tied to architectural titles, even after years in the profession. He shares how networking and internal conversations help define the value architects bring to their organizations.
• Building Community & Sharing Experiences
  The lack of dedicated communities for architects inspired Ben to start this podcast. Andrea announces a free Event Storming Workshop in New Zealand on September 17 and invites listeners to join the Virtual Domain-Driven Design community.
• Advice for Aspiring Architects
  Andrea encourages newcomers to make their architectural thinking explicit—document decisions, understand trade-offs, and engage with adjacent teams. Ben adds that understanding what architecture means in a specific company context is crucial, as titles and responsibilities vary widely.
• AI’s Impact on Architecture
  Andrea shares her observations on how AI is reshaping development processes. She advises architects to experiment cautiously, stay informed, and evaluate AI tools through the lens of governance, compliance, and business alignment.

🎧 Final ThoughtsBen wraps up the episode by inviting solution and software architects to join the show and share their journeys. The goal: build a stronger community and help others understand the evolving nature of architecture roles.

Ben Yu at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybbest/
💡 Technology Changes Fast. Leadership Changes Lives.I just wrapped up the NZ CIO Conference and Emerging Leadership Forum, and one quote from a mentor really stuck with me:"Technology changes fast. Leadership changes lives."This is exactly why I believe technical professionals should consider the path of Solution Architecture. It’s not just about coding—it's about technical leadership.You can’t build a career on shifting sands. While tech skills evolve daily, leadership, communication, and trust-building are timeless. These are the foundations of a sustainable career.If you're planning your personal development this year, don’t just chase the next AI protocol—invest in leadership courses, seek roles that let you influence without authority, and consider Solution Architecture as your next step. It’s the perfect blend of tech depth and strategic impact.🎙️ I’ll be diving deeper into this on the Solution Architect Show. Let’s talk about how to grow beyond code.🔗 Solution Architect Show Podcast#SolutionArchitecture #TechnicalLeadership #DigitalTransformation #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #SoftSkillsMatter #TechLeadership #NZTech #CIOConference #SolutionArchitectShow #ArchitectureMatters #LeadWithImpact

I’ll be sharing my career journey — from developer to technical architect, then to solution architect, and ultimately to enterprise architect. Having experienced it all, I’ll talk about the key skills that shaped my growth, the challenges along the way, and how I’ve managed to stay ahead in the constantly evolving tech landscape.

Ben Yu at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybbest/
Alex at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-liu-0444b5267/

[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybbest/

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