So, you wanna be an architect. But, what does that actually mean? As an individual contributor, it can be hard to tell what it takes to cross the bridge from implementing concrete decisions to making them yourself. How do you ensure that what you’re building today doesn’t become tomorrow’s technical debt? And who decides when you’re ready to make these decisions?

Well, someone thought I was. In this talk, we’ll explore this transition through the lens of API design and system architecture. APIs sit at the heart of modern systems — and how you structure, evolve, and govern them says a lot about your architectural mindset. The strategies of good architects — such as balancing their level of control over a team, explaining and negotiating the trade-offs of a particular path, and being able to see just enough into the future to avoid over-engineering — are likely already present in the thought patterns you possess from being an individual contributor.

Whether you aim to grow into an architect role or want to make better choices as you develop and design APIs, this talk will give you the tools to bridge the gap between writing software and shaping systems. Are you up to the task? Join me, and you’ll find out.