I am Niels von Stein and I am interested in software system architecture and digital products. I currently work as a consultant supporting companies in the manifold challenges around building digital products with software. I’ve been working in various industries, often around web-based B2C products operated on-prem or in the cloud. In my comparably small number of professional years in software, I held many roles ranging from developer over solution/enterprise architect to technical product owner in mid- to large-sized organizations.

My main interest is to understand how to design software systems to be of much value. What sound like a nobel goal turns out to be sometimes surprisingly hard to accomplish in reality. Software systems are a result of the surrounding product organization, process organization, people organization and ultimately the business. Even if you take two exact copies of a product/service made by different organizations, you will likely end up with different underlying system designs. It is not only about the engineering, it is also about understanding the generating context - and this I find fascinating.

Writing this blog helps me to reflect how these factors correlate and can be used to an advantage for better system design. You truly understand things first when trying to explain it - is a guiding phrase for this blog.