So, what do software architects really do anyway? It sounds like a question that should have an easy answer, but put five of us in a room and ask us about the types of work we do on a regular basis, I can almost guarantee that you'll get five different answers:

Q: Do we design software applications and systems?
A: Yes.

Q: Are we thought leaders in our respective organizations?
A: Definitely (or at least we try to be).

Q: Do we mentor and help other developers and architects get better at what they do?
A: Sure.

Q: Do we advise senior management in areas of corporate IT strategy, technology adoption, software standards and governance?
A: More than I like, but certainly.

Few other roles in the professional world have such a wide and varied set of potential responsibilities. In fact, it can be argued that software architects are what their organizations need them to be, truly geeky embodiments of the phrase, "Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Last June, I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion at TechEd Developer 2008 in Orlando, Florida with four of my colleagues: Joe Shirey (moderator), Michael Stiefel, Miha Kralj, and Patrick Weikle. The topic of discussion for that session was the role of the architect and, as you can clearly see from this panel of "experts" on the subject, there was some consensus, but quite a bit of disagreement as well.

I've had some people tell me that they think this conversation is frivolous and a distraction from doing the "real work" that needs to be done in the world of software. To a certain degree, I understand where this point of view comes from. However, the role of the architect in software is very new, tracing its roots back only thirty years or so. When you stop and consider the amount of time the role of the architect in the structural engineering and construction world has been around, it's no surprise that there is considerably more clarity around what they do. I believe that only through having this discussion with a wide variety of architects from all manners of corporations, educational institutions and government organizations from around the world will we ever be able to get closer to understanding the real value that the architect can bring to IT.

This panel discussion was posted on ARCast.tv yesterday on Channel 9. Please take a few minutes to watch the video and join in on the conversation, either here on my blog or on Channel 9.