Architecture Process: Getting Requirements from Business
How to Ask the Right Questions—and Get Answers You Can Build On
By now, you should have met your stakeholders and understand what they truly want from you. If you're still unclear, feel free to revisit my previous articles to refresh your understanding.
Now comes the fun part—actually getting started with architecture. If you've picked up any architecture book, it probably begins with something like "gathering requirements." But honestly, what the hell does that really mean? Let's dive in.
First off, let's define what exactly a "requirement" is:
Something you need or want.
Something you must have to achieve something else.
Simple enough, right? Well, not always.
Functional Requirements: What Does This Thing Actually Do?
Functional requirements describe precisely what the system needs to do. Usually, this is the Product Manager's turf. They might provide user stories in Jira or detailed product requirement documents (PRDs). Your role isn't to write these yourself but rather to hold your Product Manager accountable. Review their work. Challenge them.
If you see a PM overcomplicating things, gently reel them back. Ask questions like, "Do we really need this right now? Can we simplify it? What's the MVP?" Emphasize minimalism—less is more.
On the flip side, if your PM is oversimplifying, you must be cautious. A "simple feature" to test a hypothesis can quickly balloon into something production-critical. Suddenly, you've got paying customers and urgent follow-up requests you weren't ready for. This is why negotiating upfront is crucial. It helps to adopt clear release concepts, such as Alpha (no selling), Beta (customer testing), and General Availability (GA, fully sellable). Avoid vague terms like "Proof of Concept" (PoC) or "Minimum Viable Product" (MVP), as these are often misused, leaving you stuck scaling something that's not yet ready.
You can let customers experiment with Alpha or Beta, but hold off on charging them until you're sure you can deliver. In startups, founders will often sell promises before anything is built, but even then, understanding that features need these phases is essential.
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