Advance praise for Beyond Software Architecture

Luke Hohmann is that rare software technologist who views software development from the viewpoint of the end user . He passionately believes that one hour spent with an end user is worth many hours making software architectural choices or days documenting perceived user requirements. Most of what is written about software development focuses on methods used to design and develop robust software. Luke's latest effort, Beyond Software Architecture , illuminates the more mundane aspects of creating true business solutions by supporting the user throughout the lifecycle of the software product. By concerning himself with creating business value, Luke tightens the connection between a software application and the business function it performs .

Bruce Bourbon General Partner, Telos Venture Partners

There are two kinds of people that read the Dilbert comic strip: folks that take a moment to marvel at how accurately it reflects life at their company before moving on to the next comic strip, and folks that think Dilbert is an amusing reminder that high tech companies can and should be better than Dilbert's world. Anyone in the first group should stick to reading comics. This book is for people in the latter group .

Tony Navarrete Vice President, Diamondhead Ventures

Luke brings a proven methodology to the challenge of software development. In Beyond Software Architecture, Luke provides practical and proven techniques that all development executives can employ to improve the productivity of their software organization.

G. Bradford Solso CEO, Taviz Technology

Beyond Software Architecture is the first book I have read which contains an insider's perspective of both the business and technical facets of software architecture. This is a great book to get marketers and software managers on the same page!

Damon Schechter CEO, LOC Global author of Delivering the Goods

There are books on technical architecture and books on product marketing, but few, if any, on how architecture and marketing information must be integrated for world class product development. Beyond Software Architecture provides this valuable bridge between technology and marketingit explains how to deliver quality products that are profitable in the marketplace .

Jim Highsmith Director, Cutter Consortium author of Adaptive Software Development

Product development managers, marketing managers, architects , and technical leads from all functions should read this book. You'll see a pragmatic view of how to define and use a product architecture throughout a project's lifecycle and a product's lifetime.

Johanna Rothman Rothman Consulting Group, Inc.

Luke Hohmann has captured the essence of product creation in his latest book. He cleverly discusses the need for both the marketing and engineering roles in product creation and ties the two together building a good foundation for understanding and executing successful product creation.

Lee Sigler Principal, 360 Market View, Inc.

Finally a book that deals with those often ignored but critical operational issues like licensing, deployment, installation, configuration and support. Beyond Software Architecture is the "What they don't teach you at Harvard Business School" book for anyone who develops software productsor buys them.

Mary Poppendieck Managing Director, Agile Alliance President, Poppendieck LLC

Luke Hohmann delivers a passionate , articulate wake-up call to software architects: it ain't just technical any more! Technical architectures have profound business ramifications, and ignoring the business ramifications of portability, usability, configuration, upgrade and release management, security, and other architectural choices can not only lead to project failures, but ultimately to nasty lawsuits from disappointed customers. Beyond Software Architecture is a must-read for successful software product managers!

Ed Yourdon Author of numerous books and articles on software development

Beyond Software Architecture is not just for software engineering professionals! Executives and product managers will find that the book provides the necessary background to make informed decisions about the software that their companies build. I have found that the book is a useful tool for building consensus between management and engineering, because it discusses business and customer- related issues without delving too deeply into implementation details.

David Chaiken Vice President, Systems Architecture AgileTV Corporation

Product marketing influences product architecture. This shouldn't be a surprise, yet most texts on software architecture are silent on this fact. This may be because we lack the language for distinguishing between the technical aspects of an architecture and the marketing aspects. Beyond Software Architecture provides the language to draw this important distinction, and provides strategies for overall architectural success.

Dave W. Smith

Beyond Software Architecture , as the title implies, successfully addresses the often neglected aspects of developing total solutions. Hohmann demonstrates both passion and depth for the broad set of topics discussed.

Craig Priess Director Product Management, Resonant Software

Looking through my technical library, it's apparent that many books are obsolete, casualties of technical innovation and change. There are a few, however, that remain and continue to be relevant. Adding Luke Hohmann's new book, Beyond Software Architecture: Creating and Sustaining Winning Solutions expands that selection and fills an important gap. It is the first book that I recall presenting a holistic approach to software creation. Going beyond the technical aspects by weaving together and linking critical business and marketing development in such a way to elevate and show how both technical and marketing processes must coalesce to create a winning solution. The topic's importance extends beyond programmers, designers and other technical staff, just as does its content. For marketing professionals, it shows how their decisions and strategies can impact technical decisions. For consumers, it can give them insight on the best ways to work with software manufacturers. For the software entrepreneur, it offers a plan for creating a successful venture. The content, at just the right amount of detail, is presented in easy-to-understand language and in such a way that the information is easy to retain and apply. The topics are timeless. The book will be relevant for a long time.

Clay Miller

I highly recommend this book. As a former software company CEO and founder I have worked with many software engineers and had a number of VPs of engineering report to me. Luke was and is one of the best. He is not only a great engineer, but has a keen grasp of the strategic business issues that must drive good code and architectural decisions. I consider Beyond Software Architecture required reading for anyone building software systems.

Kevin Rivette Executive Advisor, BCG Consulting author of Rembrandts In The Attic

Perhaps you've met, or worked with, or heard speak at events, or read the writings of someone who expects reverence because he commands academic knowledge of the latest software patterns, technologies, or development processes and tools. So what, you say. Suppose you take such knowledge for granted. Suppose that knowledge is the minimum qualification for a member of your team. Then what? What separates a real contributor to the success of your project and organization, from the average bookish expert of the day? In Beyond Software Architecture , Luke Hohmann writes of the stuff that makes up those answers. Installation and upgrade. Configurability and customization of your software. Integration with other software. Usability. Logging. Interdepartmental processes and release management. Business models, licensing, and deployment choices. The stuff that makes software development much bigger, and much messier, than UML diagrams of some pattern implemented with components . The stuff that makes software development real. Luke knows because he's been in the trenches, trying to make businesses successful. He spends his time doing it more than writing and talking about it. But now he distills his insights and shares the benefit of his experience. If you're like me, you'll find yourself nodding your head and underlining passages as you read this book. Luke's observations will resonate with you. Your organization, and the software development profession as a whole, can benefit from using the vocabulary and ideas in this book. So you'll want to recommend it to others, which is exactly what I'm doing here.

Randy Stafford Chief Architect, IQNavigator, Inc.

Hohmann's book provides a unique perspective on how the many and subtle technology decisions shape the economic and strategic landscape. Corporate strategists in many industries will find these insights enormously valuable.

Martha Amram Strategic Advisor and Consultant author of Value Sweep and co-author of Real Options

Luke put his tremendous experience to good use by eliminating the us versus them approach of marketing and engineering departments. This book is a must for every senior engineer, software architect, and product manager. With the practical advice in this book they can concentrate on beating the competitors .

Heinrich Gantenbein

I once was a QA manager for Luke Hohmann. I can tell you the guy knows competitive software development. He was in the trenches with us, working through technical problems and sweating the difficult business decisions. He's uniquely qualified to write about both the business and technical side of software architecture, and this book successfully bridges both worlds . The result is a seminal handbook for product managers and directors of software engineering.

James Bach Founder, Satisfice, Inc.

Too many times my firm is asked to resolve a dispute that could have been avoided had the companies involved with the dispute more clearly defined their business and licensing models before the contract was signed. In Beyond Software Architecture , Luke Hohmann clearly explains how to avoid unnecessary and costly disputes regarding business and licensing models. This is a must read book for senior product managers and technical executives.

Rob Sterne Founder, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein and Fox International Authority in Intellectual Property

Luke Hohmann's excellent BSA communicates essential hard-won insights from a rare individualboth architect and business leaderwho shows us that architecture is more than describing layers ; it's about creating winning solutions through understanding, and resolving the market, business, and technical forces.

Craig Larman author, Applying UML and Patterns: An Introduction to OOA&D and the Rational Unified Process

By stepping back and evaluating the interaction between business drivers and software development, Beyond Software Architecture provides the perspective to create a winning solution. This book is a practical guide for achieving quick time to market solutions through the identification of pitfalls and suggests pragmatic alternatives to effective solution development. Real life examples provide an instructional view of the life cycle phases, including clear roles and responsibilities, as seen by the entire project team. Knowing when to give up the ghost, seek the help of others, or simply leverage a proven model, Beyond Software Architecture explores the alternatives and identifies key decision points. A must read for software architects and product managers seeking an understanding of the challenges and dynamics of a successful software development effort, and a winning solutionthe first time.

Mark Welke High Availability Marketing Manager, Hewlett Packard

The thing you need to consider when creating a great application is "Everything." Great applications do not usually come from a single great idea, great architecture, or great appreciation of the customer's need. Instead they come out of a unique confluence of a large number of factors encompassing marketing, technology, psychology, support, economics, legal factors, and more. While many books address individual aspects of software application development, Luke Hohmann's book, Beyond Software Architecture , addresses a very broad range of topics, all of which should be addressed in the creation of every application, but often aren't. I would recommend that anyone involved in the creation of a software application read this book as a guide to the things that need to be considered in the process. No book can cover "everything," but this one is a laudable attempt.

Jim Gay One Jump Consulting

A successful software product's technical architecture must align with the realities of the marketplace. While the goal is obvious, marketers and technologist often find themselves in two warring camps, separated by a chasm of incompatible attitudes and expectations. If you want to close this gap and focus on product success, this book is required reading for both sides.

Dave Quick Architect, Integrated Solutions Development Group, Microsoft, Inc.

As a technologist who has transitioned to product team leadership, this book distils many of the lessons I've learned through study, trial, and error. As someone who still bridges the gap between software development and executive management, I found this book a great refresher and filled with little "oh yeah!" insights. And, as I continue to work with teams to manage and develop new products, I'm sure I'll use it as a reference and a teaching resource, bringing the "big picture" into view and avoiding costly pitfalls. Anyone managing product development or marketing, aspiring to manage, or unhappy with current management should definitely read Hohmann's work.

Todd Girvin President, Optiview Inc.