Software Architecture Insights
Software Architecture Insights is a podcast hosted by Lee Atchison about building software systems that hold up under real-world scale. Episodes cover scaling, availability, cloud cost, and the impact of AI on how software is built. Most episodes run about 15 minutes and expand on ideas from Lee's weekly newsletter, sometimes revisiting older decisions to see how they aged or featuring conversations with practitioners. Lee is the author of Architecting for Scale and writes for architects, engineers, and the leaders who depend on them.
Episodes
The Limits Nobody Graphed
GitHub published five incidents for August 2026. Three of them are the same failure.On the 17th, seven and a half hours of degraded service: 29,000 organizations, 4.8 million requests failed or slow, 56% of front-door requests failing at the peak. Three weeks, three incidents, one blind spot — capacity ran out in places nobody was graphing.Your autoscaler scales the thing you are observing. Satura
When Everything Is Critical, Nothing Is
It's 3am and a payment service is failing. The engineer who answers has never touched it, and the next hour goes to finding someone who can fix it.In this episode, Lee goes further than his article "When Everything Is Critical, Nothing Is." The article named the two missing decisions. This episode is about how to make them: which services matter most, and which one team owns each of them.In this e
The Role of AI in Modern Software Development with Burke Holland
Today, we discuss the significant impact of AI on software development, particularly the use of AI assistants like GitHub Copilot. Our guest, Burke Holland, a principal developer advocate at Microsoft, shares insights on how developers are increasingly integrating AI into their workflows. We explore the current spectrum of AI usage, from code completion to AI agents that can write code autonomousl
Understanding AI Security Risks with Preston Wood
Today's discussion centers on the vulnerabilities associated with AI systems and the increasing threats they face. Our guest, Preston Wood, the Chief Security and Strategy Officer at Databox, highlights the lack of transparency in AI technologies as a significant factor that makes them more susceptible to attacks. We explore how this obfuscation creates challenges in understanding and defending ag
AI Hype vs Application Reality: How Architects Can Keep Their Products on Track in 2025
AI is no longer a novelty; it is now a significant part of our lives. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of using AI thoughtfully in software architecture. As architects, our role is not to chase the latest AI trends but to determine how AI can genuinely enhance our applications. We emphasize that AI should be viewed as a tool, not just a product strategy. We also provide guidance on evalu
Navigating Modern Data Challenges with Optical Storage: Greg Kittilson, VP Engineering of Folio Photonics
Today, we discuss the advancements in optical storage technology and its implications for data archival. Our guest, Greg Kittilson, VP of Engineering at Folio Photonics, shares insights on how their innovative approach to optical storage offers multiple layers of data storage, significantly enhancing capacity. Unlike traditional methods, this technology can provide long-lasting and environmentally
Why should I care about AI?
AI is now essential for software architects. While it may seem that AI has recently become important, it has been around since the 1950s. In this episode, we discuss how AI affects modern software architecture and why understanding AI is crucial for our careers. We explore the new challenges and opportunities AI brings, such as the need for structured data and the importance of ethical considerati
Navigating Cloud Infrastructure using AI with Marcin Wyszynski, Spacelift
Cloud infrastructure provisioning can be a challenging task, often requiring a delicate balance between speed and accuracy. In our discussion today, we explore how AI can streamline this process. Our guest, Marcin Vizensky, co-founder of SpaceLift, introduces us to their innovative solution called Spacelift Intent, which simplifies infrastructure management by removing the complexities of traditio
Navigating AI Development with InWorld's Kylan Gibbs
Today, we explore the evolving landscape of conversational AI with Kylan Gibbs, the CEO and founder of InWorld AI. We focus on how InWorld develops AI products that enhance the creation of scalable applications, particularly in consumer contexts where user interaction is increasingly conversational. Kylan shares insights into the importance of real-time performance and how expectations differ betw
Get Rid of Your Users - The Role of Transactional vs Experiential Applications
Not all applications are created equal. Some applications process transactions and maintain state, while others aim to deliver content, data, or experiences to users. For software architects and engineering leaders, recognizing these core application types is essential for making informed decisions regarding scalability, infrastructure, security, and data management. Understanding whether an appli
Why File Uploads Are Hard: Lessons from Uploadcare's Founder Igor Debatur
Igor Debatur, the founder of Uploadcare, joins us to discuss the complexities and challenges of file management in modern applications. Uploadcare specializes in making the file upload experience seamless for users. Igor shares how their journey started from being an agency that built products for clients to creating a comprehensive solution for file management that addresses the needs of engineer
Five Best Practices for Mastering Configuration in Cloud Native Applications
Managing configuration in cloud-native applications can be overwhelming due to its complexity and abundance. This episode focuses on five essential best practices to help simplify configuration management. We discuss the importance of maintaining a single source of truth, using automation to handle variations, and implementing revision control for tracking changes. Centralizing configurations and
From Finance to Healthcare: Navigating the Shift with Michi Kono
Michi Kono, the CTO of Garner Health, joins us to discuss the intersection of technology and healthcare. Garner Health leverages advanced data management techniques to help employers find the best healthcare providers for their employees. Michi shares insights from his extensive background in the financial sector, where he led significant tech initiatives, and explains how those experiences inform
The New Reality of Software Development: AI's Impact on Code Quality
The increasing use of AI in software development has led to significant changes in the industry, with 62% of developers now utilizing AI tools. While this has enhanced productivity, it has also resulted in greater code complexity and a decline in code quality. Recent findings from the 2025 GitClear AI Code Quality Research report reveal alarming trends: as AI usage rises, so does the duplication o
Welcome to Software Architecture Insights - Starting this Fall
That's right, the content you know and love from Software Architecture Insights will be available in podcast format for your on-the-go listening convenience. In addition, we will bring you interviews with industry movers and shakers that are changing the course of what it means to be a software architect and what it means to lead and drive a software development organization.Topics
