In this talk, we'll take a whirlwind tour through the world of software architecture. This talk is technology agnostic and aimed at anyone who is involved in software architecture, regardless of their role, or who wants to become a "software architect" in title.

We'll discuss:
- What architecture is and why we need it.
- What architects are and what they do.
- Thinking like an architect.
- Context and trade-offs.
- Problem-solving beyond writing code.
- Communication.
- Some fundamental architectural patterns.

The role of the architect is interesting - it is a typical evolution of a developer, but it is often not a technical role. In other words, the skills that get you into your first architecture role are not the skills you need to succeed once you get there. It requires the ability to zoom out and look at the big picture, bridge the gap between business and technology, and lead (albeit with very little in the way of formal authority).

This talk is intended to be a primer on software architecture. The speaker has been involved in software architecture in various forms for around a decade.