Soft Skills for the Software Architect: Building Your Professional Network
Central Ohio Software Symposium
Columbus · Apr 29 - May 1, 2016
About this Presentation
You've heard the old adage “It's not what you know it's who you know.” The focus of this session is divided between ways to better connect with everyone you meet as well as ways to grow your network, help and influence people and ultimately build long-term relationships and build your reputation.
Networking isn't about selling nor it isn't about “taking.” Done properly it benefits everyone. Among the benefits are strengthening relationships; getting new perspectives and ideas; building a reputation of being knowledgable, reliable and supportive; having access to opportunities and more!
Slides available online: https://prezi.com/ck1fdbhgqwiq/?token=8f8240f753ad9ae2c50ce696657020f40a877a40fa224790652eb412ac5eb8d3
Software Architect & Magician
Michael Carducci spent years learning to see things as they actually are; first as a magician, then as a software architect, now as both simultaneously. And somehow that’s not even the whole story.
He’s the author of Mastering Software Architecture (Apress, 2025) and is currently writing The Semantic Layer. He has spent over 25 years following interesting problems; through roles from individual contributor to CTO and back again, across industries and continents.
As a speaker, he applies the same toolkit he uses in close-up magic: attention, misdirection, timing, storytelling, and the instinct to take the long way around when that’s where the truth lives. Audiences at hundreds of conferences across four continents have described his talks as the kind that change how you think about a problem rather than just what you know about it.
He also makes YouTube videos about technology and curiosity with his wife Kate, because some ideas are too important (or too interesting!) to leave only in conference rooms.