
Chilling Out on A Swing!
This week I had nothing to do so I spent it watching Netflix, Playing Chess with Chess.com App(I dare not play with my son), reading some unfinished books, reading and writing blogs and chilling out on my balcony swing.
As Netflix India has limited contents nothing compared to what they have in US or elsewhere; No wonder why they are reducing prices in India and Increasing in US.
There are no free lunches as they say.
So I ended up watching “Downtown Abbey” once again, I have lost the count and don’t know how many more times I will watch again.
Although each character of this series is woven with gold threads but IMO two characters standout for me and they are;
Lady Mary Crawle. & Lady Violet Crawley
IMO there is a lot to learn from these fine fictional characters and I really doubt there can be a real character like these duo;
They are like poetic distich; line apart; having their own mind and distinct meanings and ways but still connected together to make a complete and rhyming verse.
As I see from my lens there is a lot to learn from these two strong and antithetical characters and I try to imbibe them in myself while doing my work as an Architect.
It’s like I have to play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson to abstract the complexities of work and situations and the duplicity of human nature.
So which characteristics one should quaff as an Architect ?
Let’s go through some of the natters from the various interludes throughout the six seasons and fifty-two episodes.
Let’s start with Lady Mary Crawle which represents the forceful sarcastic, haughty, and sometime mean-spirited;

Which IMO is necessary trait to have and display if that need arises to push the paddle on things when you know that as an architect you only can foresee and it’s not obvious to others who are not as deeply involved as you are.
- “It’s easy to be generous when you have nothing to lose.” — Season One, Episode Five.
Take all the advises and make a Correct & Firm Decision. Architecture decision and consequences are your Only.
2. “You know my character, Father. I’d never marry any man that I was told to. I’m stubborn. I wish I wasn’t, but I am.” — Season One, Episode Four.
You know the code is not Prod worthy; Please Press “Request for Change” button on the PR request.
3. “You’re American, you don’t understand these things.” — Season One, Episode Two.
Architect need to have courage and wisdom to distinguish between a clangour and cappella.
Each system is different and each Architecture is unique and It’s we as an architect who are accountable for it so must exercise the authority when needed.
4. “I never know which is worse. The sorrow when you hit the bird. Or the shame when you miss it.” — Season Two, Episode One.
When it’s a choice between building a new Functional Requirements or an Non Functional Requirements.
We as an architect need to make that difficult choice judiciously and keeping team and customers interest first.
Now since we are done with Lady Mary Crawle now let’s learn from Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham.

When times get tough at Downton Abbey, we can always rely on Granny Violet to deliver a bit of pithy wisdom or a one-line zinger;
We as an architect has to have that wisdom and be that mentor, facilitator for all the technical decisions, it’s a tight rope we have to walk on as we know some technical guys junior or senior have a big ego and sometimes clouded vision. So we must use our wisdom to calm those nerves and get the sanity back on table.
- “I don’t dislike him. I just don’t like him. Which is quite different.” Season Two, Episode Six.
Always have options written on the board or a piece of paper or a digital notepad , while deciding on key piece of architecture having all options in front of you help you to choose the best or that Out of Box Idea.
2. “Life is a game, where the player must appear ridiculous.” — Season Two, Episode Nine.
Architecting is not a Game so choose options wisely don’t make it look ridiculous on Customer’s Table.
3. “Never complain, never explain.” — Season Five, Finale.
NEVER complain, NEVER Explain. Let’s Own it, Fix it and move on.
4. “Every woman goes down the aisle with half the story hidden.” — Season One, Episode Six.
We know where the problems are so let’s maintain the list of Tech Debts.
An experienced architect who has build and deployed things on production has a sixth sense and can foresee the the Spring & perfect storm alike and there is a lot to learn from the characters of these fictional but real life relatable characters.
Downton Abbey’s 8 Golden Wisdom for an Architect
- Take all the advises and make a Correct & Firm Decision. Architecture decision and consequences are your Only.
- You know the code is not Prod worthy; Please Press “Request for Change” button on the PR request.
- Have Courage & Wisdom to decide , choose the right architecture and brawn to to take it to production against all odd.
- Choose wisely between FR & NFR
- Build a simple and Robust architecture, Don’t over-complicate it.
- Have options; Make correct trade-offs and follow it up with right remedial.
- Never complain, never explain; Own It; Fix It; Move On
- Keep a list of Tech-Debts and List should be never be empty.
Let’s Architect like Lady Crawley & Lady Violet
And One More thing;

There is a lot to learn from Lady Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham.
But for now I think following summaries my blog the best as per my opinion;

A Real Architect Works in Ownership Mode.
And She/He needn’t to be Managed.
About Me:
My name is Santosh Akhilesh, I’m a Computer Science Engineer; I love to and attempt to write about; Humans and Philosophy, Poets and Poems, Artists and Arts and Humans and Computers; all together, all intermingled, all united as an unison like a Beethoven Symphony.
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This is a personal account. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer — past, present or future.