Everyone has their own definition of "architecture". For some, it is diagrams. For others, it is documentation, a set of rules, or technical excellence. Some see it as task-setting, others as an evolving discipline. But what does IT architecture really mean in practice?

In this episode of Technical Debt: Design, Risk and Beyond, hosts Maxim Silaev and Nikita Golovko unpack the many faces of architecture. Drawing on real-world stories, they explore how architecture is more than static rules: it is a living, dynamic process shaped by communication, assumptions, and culture.

Together they discuss:

• Why architecture is not "done" once, but evolves with teams and products
• Architecture-as-code: what it is and why it matters
• How wrong assumptions or poor requirements become architectural debt
• Architecture in unexpected places: team structures, product roadmaps, even AI systems
• The human side: communication and technical excellence as architectural pillars

In this episode, Maxim reflects on communication and cultural alignment, while Nikita brings an AI perspective, showing how architecture shifts when data and automation take center stage.

Whether you’re a developer, architect, or product leader, this episode challenges the way you think about architecture, not as a static document, but as an active force that shapes every decision and every debt.