MACH (Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) architectures are taking the e-commerce world by storm, promising a future of flexible, scalable, and fast-moving systems. But before you jump on board, it’s important to take a closer look at what you might be getting into. In this session, we’ll explore the often overlooked “dark side” of MACH—those hidden challenges that can catch you off guard if your team is coming from a traditional, monolithic background.

Rather than painting MACH as all sunshine and rainbows, we’ll talk openly about the tricky parts: juggling multiple microservices, handling complex data flows, and managing an evolving ecosystem of tools, platforms, and vendors. Drawing on guidance from the MACH Alliance (machalliance.org) and insights inspired by resources like Building Microservices by Sam Newman (O’Reilly, 2015) and Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais (IT Revolution, 2019), we’ll discuss how to spot the real needs of your current system, decide if MACH is right for you, and adopt best practices that keep complexity in check.

Join me for a frank, practical conversation about what it really takes to shift from monoliths to MACH. You’ll walk away with a clearer sense of how to manage the complexity, upskill your team, and shape a roadmap that builds on what’s essential—without getting lost in the hype.

a talk for people (within or outside the ecommerce domain) to get a reality check about MACH architectures beyond the hype. After this talk they should be able to understand if MACH is for them or not and get a little cookbook for the biggest challenges.