Comment by maigret

Many people here seem to misunderstand the role of an architect. This is actually one of the most demanding in IT, and it usually has a tremendous impact on the team and on the business. A bad architecture will make engineers stressed for deadlines and will put the support under pressure, and ultimately the business will be impacted. A great architect is, while mostly not directly involved in the daily team process or code, not only able to draw diagrams but also to produce demos and working examples of their ideas. Also, they are good communicator, resolving conflicts when needed and choosing their battles wisely. They are rare, but I’ve seen a few great architect at work, and their ability to make hard things happen was very impressive. Complex projects often involve many teams and many stakeholders, and getting all aligned on a common goal is not easy, but the great ones master that.