Vintage - Architecture On Demand

Why do you think so many consultancies struggle to scale architecture practices? 📉 This is not a criticism by the way. I will face similar challenges myself when scaling our own contract division. I have my own theories and experiences around why some consultancies plateau. I’ll likely create an infographic around this topic, but I think it is equally important to hear from architects and consultancy leaders who have experienced the reality of scaling practices; both the successes and the failures. ✍ Keen to hear your thoughts on this one. 🎙️ ⤵️ #Architecture #Consultancy #TheArchitectureExchange #Scale

Some fantastic discussions this week with VP of EA's around contract recruitment in the USA and what Q3 looks like. ✍ *These are classified more as leads rather than live roles at the minute but I would be interested in speaking with architects who match the following titles and are based in the USA ⤵️ 💲Business Architect, (Financial Services) 💲Business Architect (Healthcare) 💲Senior Enterprise Architect (Healthcare) 💲Enterprise Architect (SaaS) 💲Enterprise Architect (AI) (Healthcare) 💲AI Architect (SaaS) 💲Solution Architect (Azure/AI) 💲Payments Architect Reach out to me at david@vintageglobal.net Contract rate card is below for US Architecture Roles 🔽 #Architecture #Contract #USA #EnterpriseArchitect #BusinessArchitect

I have created an infographic which portrays the AI Architecture market at the minute. ✍ I am often parachuted in to support on architecture hiring when processes have gone wrong and need expertise to steer it back. As the AI Architect is relatively new to the market, there is lots of misinformation out there about how to recruit for this hire. A lot believe Solution Architect is fine but it lacks a number of areas required for the role. Most AI Architect interviews hit a roadblock down to 3 main factors from the candidates side: 1️⃣ Lack of hands of software engineering skills. 2️⃣ Too focused on technical solutions rather than business outcomes 3️⃣ Lack of experience influencing stakeholders or execs And on the opposite side, you have the client factors that impact searches 1️⃣ Unsure on job spec/requirement. Expectations usually high 2️⃣ Weak feedback loops = slow process and interview feedback 3️⃣ Delayed decision making leading to long hiring cycles. The solution is the Principal Architect role which is the closest match to the unicorn profile most companies desire. 🏆 Enterprise Architecture + Software Architecture + AI Engineering 🏆 Well done to the companies that have adopted that profile so far. 🎖️ You are one step ahead of the market! #AIArchitect #AIArchitecture #EnterpriseArchitect #SoftwareArchitect #AIEngineer

✍ Lead Data Architect 📍 San Diego, CA 💼 Full Time 💰 $200,000 base + benefits 💬 Crucial role for the business that is responsible for defining the enterprise data strategy; working closely with engineering and product teams. Target Profile ⤵️ 🎖️10 years + experience as a Data Architect 🎖️3 years experience leading data engineering teams 🎖️Experience working with Snowflake 🎖️Background working for product based organisations (not consultancy) If you are interested in this role, please email me david@vintageglobal.net Please note: ❌ No visa sponsorship is available for this role ❌ No candidates outside of California #DataArchitect #Snowflake #LeadArchitect #USA #SanDiego

A Head of EA once told me the biggest threat to EA was the CFO The CIO understood Enterprise Architecture. The CTO knew its value and pushed for it. Delivery teams were engaged with it daily. But the CFO just saw expensive people in architecture roles while budgets were under pressure. Then the business started cutting costs. The question quickly became: “Why do we have Enterprise Architects and Solution Architects?” Within months, parts of the EA team were pushed closer into delivery to “prove value”. That’s how EA dilution starts in a lot of companies. This infographic I created gives more context around stakeholder mapping and the different stakeholder profiles Enterprise Architecture teams need to think about. #EnterpriseArchitecture #EnterpriseArchitect #StakeholderMapping

✍ Software Architect 📍 Brussels, Belgium (3 days onsite, 2 days remote) 💼 Full Time 💰 €100,000 base + benefits 💬 This is an ideal fit for an established Software Architect who has extensive background within Java 💬Hiring manager has explained so far they are not seeing candidates with enough Kafka experience, so this is a mandatory requirement. Target Profile ⤵️ 🎖️5 years experience as a Software Architect (Java) 🎖️Experience with Real Time Data Streams (Kafka) 🎖️ Good understanding of Enterprise Architecture If you are interested in this role, please email me david@vintageglobal.net Please note: ❌ No visa sponsorship is available for this role ❌ No candidates outside of Belgium #SoftwareArchitect #Java #Belgium #Brussels #Kafka #Data #Europe

Building operating and governance models for Agentic AI is quickly becoming one of the biggest enterprise challenges hiding underneath the AI hype cycle. There’s been a huge amount of discussion recently around AI transformation, governance and operating models, including a poll run yesterday asking hiring managers which contract architecture hire would add the most value to AI programmes right now. The results were interesting: ⤵️ ✍ 51% Business Architect ✍ 27% AI Architect ✍ 20% Data Architect That probably reflects what many enterprises are now discovering internally. The problem is not simply deploying AI models. It’s that many organisations are trying to introduce autonomous systems into operating models that were never designed for them in the first place. Agentic AI will expose weaknesses very quickly. The reason Business Architects ranked highest IMO is because AI transformation is increasingly becoming an operating model problem rather than just a technology problem. I created this vintage infographic (no pun intended on our company name) highlighting the roles of the Business Architect, Data Architect and AI Architect. If hired correctly, the AI Architect becomes a Principal Architect profile with a strong blend of technical and strategic capability, able to operate as an Enterprise Architect while working closely with the Business Architect. #AIArchitecture #AIArchitect #EnterpriseArchitect #EnterpriseArchitecture #BusinessArchitect #DataArchitect #Strategy #AgenticAI #OperatingModel

Inspired by Gregor Hohpe The Software Architect Elevator book, I often discuss during calls with Enterprise Architect leaders about the impact EA dilution can have on Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture. ✍ Too often EAs sit in delivery and it’s often challenged by EAs that it’s ok to do that and they are right, but within moderation. The 80/20 split I’ve discussed before still remains one of the clearest ways to frame it, but the elevator analogy has always been my personal favourite. The strongest Enterprise Architecture teams seem able to move between floors: delivery, governance, operating models, strategy and executive influence. The weakest get trapped on one level, usually firefighting delivery problems while losing visibility of the wider enterprise. More often it’s operating models over individual performance. 📊 But the elevator analogy, in my mind, makes the problem far simpler to understand and points towards a solution that organisations can actually fix. #EnterpriseArchitecture #EnterpriseArchitect #Strategy #Delivery

Over the last few weeks I have been speaking to a number of leaders within AI, Enterprise Architecture and transformation functions and there’s a recurring pattern emerging. 🎙️ ✍ Most large organisations are still in the “early momentum” phase of AI. Pilots are launching. Vendors are everywhere. 📈 Business units are experimenting independently. Leadership teams are pushing for speed after seeing quick visible wins. But beneath the surface, many enterprises are approaching a scaling decision point. The challenge is no longer “can we use AI?” but whether organisations can operationalise it without creating fragmentation, duplicated tooling, governance gaps and tactical firefighting. The businesses most likely to scale AI long term appear to have one thing in common: stronger alignment between architecture, governance and operating models. Not because governance magically solves AI, but because enterprise complexity compounds quickly once experimentation turns into adoption at scale. It feels like the next 12–24 months will separate organisations building sustainable AI capability from those stuck managing disconnected pilots indefinitely. #AIArchitecture #AI #Transformation #Strategy #Success #Challenges

Why do so many Enterprise Architecture functions quietly drift into Solution Architecture? From what I see it rarely happens overnight. It usually starts with: ⤵️ “Can EA just support delivery for a few months?” “Can architects help unblock programmes?” “Can they sit inside squads temporarily?” Then slowly: ⬇️ Target state ownership disappears ⬇️Stakeholder access reduces ⬇️Governance becomes reactive ⬇️Strategy time collapses ⬇️EAs become delivery architects Eventually the function is measured on sprint support rather than enterprise outcomes. I created the infographic below of EA dilution because this pattern appears repeatedly across the market, especially during large transformation programmes. 🖇️ In 2019, CIO.com warned that many Enterprise Architects were becoming focused on “solution architecture definition documents” and disconnected from strategic planning. 🖇️ In 2024, CIO.com again highlighted that many EA functions struggle to demonstrate strategic value because architects are absorbed into transformation delivery models. This is why operating model design matters. Without protected decision rights, stakeholder access and clear EA/SA boundaries, Enterprise Architecture slowly gets consumed by delivery. It can be fixed and with many companies looking to adopt AI, its a perfect time to reset the operating model. Good Morning ☕ #EnterpriseArchitecture #EnterpriseArchitect #Strategy #OperatingModel