In this special live episode from the Software Architecture Gathering, Clare Sudbery joins Eberhard for an open conversation about learning, empathy, and psychological safety in tech. Building on her talk “Let’s Stop Making Each Other Feel Stupid”, Clare reflects on how the culture of expertise in software development can unintentionally discourage curiosity and collaboration. Together, they explore practical ways to create environments where questions are welcomed, mistakes become opportunities for growth, and knowledge sharing thrives behind the scenes of architecture and development.

Links from Clare’s talk

In this live episode from the Software Architecture Gathering, Claudine Allen joins Ralf to explore how software architects can leverage large language models (LLMs) as collaborative design partners. Drawing from her research, case studies, and experiments, Claudine discusses a practical framework for engaging with LLMs throughout the architecture analysis and design process. They delve into key questions such as what to tell LLMs, how to prompt them effectively, and how to assess risks—highlighting the enduring importance of human judgment in architecture while embracing the transformative potential of AI-powered collaboration.

In this special live episode from the Software Architecture Gathering, Jacqui Read joins Eberhard and Ralf for an insightful conversation on the rise of diagrams-as-code and the role of AI in software documentation. Jacqui highlights how using textual notations like PlantUML, Mermaid, and Structurizr transforms diagramming from an artistic task into a systematic, data-driven process. They discuss the benefits, limitations, and need for critical understanding when working with AI-generated diagrams, empowering teams to improve consistency, collaboration, and automation behind the scenes of architecture workflows.