Recently, I finished reading the book Master Software Architecture and wanted to share some quick takeaways. I’ll also explain the difference between architecture and design, talk a bit about e2e tests, and how all of this applies in a real startup.
Architecture is a macro view of the application – the big picture, how different parts connect. Design is a micro view – the details inside each part.
There were a few points that stood out:
The 4 Drivers – These are the things that influence decisions when building software, like business goals, user needs, technical limits, and more.
Deployment Strategies – Different ways to release software: all at once, blue-green (switch between two environments), rolling (update bit by bit), canary (release to a small group first).
Testing Pyramid – A reminder that end-to-end (e2e) tests are fragile, they cover a lot, but they are also slow. So it's better not to rely too much on them.
Applying It All to a Startup – Startups go through several phases:
At the start, projects are simple and clean. But as features and users grow, things naturally get more complicated. Managing this complexity is what good software architecture is all about.