Org Structure, Software Architecture, and Cross-functional Teams
Some 46 years ago, Melvin Conway wrote, "Any organization that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization’s communication structure." This idea is known as “Conway’s Law,” and the converse is known as “Reverse Conway’s Law.” It’s as true today as it was a half century ago. The basic idea is this: Your organizational structure drives a particular software architecture. And your software architecture drives a particular organizational structure. People who work closely together and communicate frequently will create software that reflects this and vice versa. This dynamic leads to one of the major points of friction for established organizations trying to become agile: Read More