

Neal Ford
Member of the Doppler team at ThoughtWorks, curates the tech radar. Expert in software development and technology trends.
Top 10 podcasts with Neal Ford
Ranked by the Snipd community

94 snips
Jan 9, 2025 • 44min
Exploring the intersections of software architecture
Neal Ford, a seasoned collaborator in software architecture, joins forces with Mark Richards, an accomplished author in the field. They delve into the critical intersections of software architecture with implementation, data management, and business strategy. The duo discusses the complexities of architectural choices, the balance between monorepo and separate repositories, and how team dynamics can influence architectural effectiveness. Generative AI's impact on architecture also takes center stage, highlighting the necessity for adaptability in evolving business environments.

62 snips
Feb 13, 2023 • 58min
#120 - Software Architecture: From Fundamentals to the Hard Parts - Neal Ford
“Everything in software architecture is a trade-off, and the why is more important than how."
Neal Ford is a Director and software architect at ThoughtWorks. In this episode, we discussed all things about software architecture covering his three most recent books: “Fundamentals of Software Architecture”, “Software Architecture: The Hard Parts”, and “Building Evolutionary Architectures”. We first discussed the definition of software architecture and how it relates to software design. Neal then described the two important laws of software architecture related to trade-offs and the why. Neal then explained why software architecture is difficult and discussed the hard parts, such as finding the least-worst combination trade-offs, understanding the importance of data, and managing coupling. Towards the end, Neal shared about the evolutionary architecture concept and some of its principles to support making incremental change across multiple software architectural dimensions.
Listen out for:
Career Journey - [00:04:25]
Definition of Software Architecture - [00:10:48]
Software Architecture vs Design - [00:14:29]
Laws of Software Architecture - [00:16:24]
The Hard Parts of Software Architecture - [00:20:55]
Least-Worst Combination of Trade-offs - [00:26:42]
Importance of Data - [00:29:51]
Coupling and The 3 Co’s - [00:35:54]
Evolutionary Architecture - [00:40:11]
Incremental Change - [00:45:26]
Principles of Evolutionary Architecture - [00:49:32]
3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:52:01]
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Neal Ford’s Bio
Neal Ford is Director, Software Architect, and Meme Wrangler at ThoughtWorks. He is also the designer and developer of applications, articles, video presentations, and author and/or editor of an increasingly large number of books spanning a variety of subjects and technologies, including the two most recent Fundamentals of Software Architecture and Building Evolutionary Architectures. His professional focus includes designing and building of large-scale enterprise applications. He is also an internationally acclaimed speaker, speaking at over 700 developer conferences worldwide, delivering more than 3000 presentations.
Follow Neal:
Website – nealford.com
Twitter – @neal4d
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44 snips
Apr 17, 2025 • 39min
Themes in Technology Radar Vol.32
Neal Ford and Birgitta Böckeler, both members of the Doppler team at ThoughtWorks, dive into the intriguing findings of the latest Technology Radar. They discuss the rise of supervised agents in coding, emphasizing the balance needed between AI assistance and code quality. The conversation also covers the evolving landscape of observability in applications using large language models and the vital role of Retrieval-Augmented Generation in enhancing AI accuracy, all while strategizing how to navigate the rapid advancements in technology.

38 snips
Feb 19, 2025 • 43min
Architecture as code
Neal Ford and Mark Richards, both seasoned experts in software architecture, share their insights on redefining software architectures. They discuss the groundbreaking concept of 'architecture as code' and the integration of architecture fitness functions. The conversation dives into aligning service level objectives with architectural strategy and the importance of data integrity in distributed systems. Moreover, they explore how Generative AI could revolutionize architectural processes, ensuring adaptability and consistency in software development.

26 snips
Mar 6, 2025 • 42min
How fitness functions can help us govern and measure AI
Rebecca Parsons, former CTO emerita of ThoughtWorks and co-author of 'Building Evolutionary Architectures', joins Neal Ford, a regular host and also co-author, to dive into the dynamic world of AI governance. They explore how fitness functions can optimize AI performance, ensuring systems meet their intended goals. The duo discusses identifying biases within AI, the importance of operationalizing large language models, and the need for objective metrics in rapidly changing tech landscapes. Their insights reveal how adaptability can shape the future of AI.

15 snips
Aug 19, 2024 • 1h 32min
"Building Evolutionary Architectures" by Neal Ford, Rebecca Parsons, Patrick Kua, and Pramod Sadalage (Part 1)
Join Neal Ford, an expert in software architecture, Rebecca Parsons, a thought leader in engineering, Patrick Kua, a software coach, and Pramod Sadalage, a database design authority, as they delve into revolutionary software practices. They discuss the pivotal role of fitness functions in assessing system qualities and the shift towards cloud and DevOps. The guests explore Python quirks and the importance of conascence in system integrity, while emphasizing the sidecar pattern for managing operations without disrupting logic—all vital for building adaptive software architectures.

12 snips
Jan 1, 2024 • 17min
[Best of 2023] #120 - Software Architecture: From Fundamentals to the Hard Parts - Neal Ford
"Neal Ford, Director and software architect at ThoughtWorks, discusses software architecture and design in this episode. He explains the definition of software architecture, the difference between architecture and design, and the importance of trade-offs and the why. Ford also explores the hard parts of software architecture."

10 snips
Mar 21, 2024 • 31min
Technology through the Looking Glass: Preparing for 2024 and beyond
Experts discuss the 2024 technology trends focusing on AI, augmented reality, digital twins, responsible tech, and the need for an ethical code in the tech industry.

10 snips
Jan 26, 2023 • 42min
Six key technology trends for 2023
It's often said that technology moves quickly, but the decisions we make about it can have long-term consequences. That's why identifying these trends — and understanding what they mean — matters. At Thoughtworks we do that with our Looking Glass report. Our most recent edition was published at the end of 2022; it provides a useful framework for thinking through the major shifts that look set to happen across the industry in 2023. In this episode of the Technology Podcast, regular hosts Mike Mason and Ken Mugrage take the guest seats to talk to Neal Ford about the six key trends in the latest Looking Glass. They explain why they were chosen before diving deeper into a selection of some of the most hotly debated trends that feature in the report, such as metaverse and Web3. Explore the latest Looking Glass: https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/looking-glass Read Mike Mason's metaverse article (co-written with Barton Friedland) https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/articles/metaverse-practical-review

8 snips
Oct 17, 2024 • 40min
Themes from Technology Radar Vol.31
Join Ken Mugrage, a tech industry veteran from Seattle, and Neal Ford, acclaimed author and architect from Atlanta, as they dive into the latest trends shaping software development. They dissect the rise of generative AI, cautioning against overreliance on AI tools and calling for a balance with traditional practices. Discover Rust's innovative surge, its speed, and efficiency, as well as the transformative impact of WebAssembly on web applications. Finally, they explore the explosion of AI tools, likening it to a Cambrian explosion, showcasing the need for collaboration in this evolving landscape.