3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming A Solutions Architect

Looking to become a Solutions Architect? Or maybe you're already one, but still feeling like you could use some guidance? Look no further, because in this video, I'll be sharing some little random lessons and things that I wish I had known before becoming a Solutions Architect.

Hindsight is always interesting, and while these lessons may seem obvious to me now, a few years ago they weren't. Even though I had heard them from people I followed online or books I read, I didn't fully learn them until I went through the experiences myself.

It's like when we were kids and were told not to touch fire, but we didn't listen until we put our hands in the fire and it hurt. Sometimes, it has to hurt for us to learn.

So, even though some of these lessons might seem obvious to you at first glance, I encourage you to really dig deep and see if you're truly implementing them in your work.

Without further ado, let's jump right into it. My name is iLyas, and I'm a Senior Solutions Architect. Join me in this video as I share my top lessons and insights. Don't forget to like and subscribe for more content like this. Let's do this!

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[ThoughtfulTechyCloud]

Working backwards from the customer’s desired outcomes is the secret 😉

[WinTheCloud]

This is my attempt to answer one of the questions I get asked the most. I split it in two videos, so I don't bore you with a long one.
The next part will be published on March 17th as I get feedback about this one.
Enjoy! 💪🏼

[Yussef]

Just changed roles to Solutions Consultant (I know it's a bit different from the SA one), but this video really speaks to me. I was in a purely technical role before, and the first challenge I had in the new one is "communicating" clearly my ideas and resisting the rush to show the technical side of my solution. Great video Ilyas, thanks for sharing !

[WeTheSalesEngineers]

Sales Engineers/Solution Architects/Solution Engineers and Consultants are the athletes of the business world. If you ask any great athlete, they always work on the boring stuff. Kobe Bryant shot 100s if not 1000s of shots daily. If everything we're doing is exciting or nerve racking, then we are not doing our job right and investing in the boring stuff.

Great Video Ilyas. So many things that resonated.

[kylejohnson]

This is way too much. As a Solutions Architect there are 3 things you must be aware of before thinking about this role. 1. It involves selling. If you don't like to sell then it's not for you. 2. You have to know and learn a lot. Infrastructure, Security, App Design, etc. Jack of all trades, master of none. Gone are the days of being able to specialize in one technology or tier. If you don't like to learn and you are lazy, you won't survive long. 3. It's a customer facing role. You will have to give presentations, speak at meetings, give advice, etc. If you are a true introvert then this is not the role for you. My advice, stop thinking success is defined by some role or position. Find your passion and I guarantee you, you will be great.

[hugodevilliers]

A sincere thank you brother!
You actually taking the time to show through example of understanding a white-paper actually helped me with a breakthrough that I actually CAN tackle aspects of my role where I still feel totally stupid or unequipped for the more technical things!

[hugosandoval]

i really needed to hear this since i am in that specific boring part of the journey, it can really be overwhelming when you don't have the background knowledge. tky

[vimalneha]

Iliyas, very well said the core issues that most people will identify with.
Forcing oneself for boring part is most important in my case.
Thanks for being candid in articulating what matters.

[EspiFreelancer]

I thank you very much for the time and effort to share your experience with everyone. All your advice comes to me at the right time.

[Spirit]

Hi Ilyas, great video, just wanted to say I view your work frequently and have taken on most of your tips to apply to my day to day life. Recently applied to be an SA myself and just finished the loop, a lot of tips came in handy and I am hoping for a positive result, keep doing what you do.

[stevenlomon]

This could easily have been surface level borderline clickbait but these are healthy insights and just good life advice in general! You have a great way of carrying yourself and communicating! This made me even more fired up to go for a SA Role, thank you for this video!

[otechman]

Now you got me curious about DynamoDB, guess we’ll have to watch that vid as well haha.

[vision-unscripted]

TAKEAWAYS

00:00:46 *👫 Communication is crucial for solutions architects; even the best technical solutions need effective presentation to be successful.*
00:02:38 *🎯 Embracing fear can lead to career growth; taking on challenging tasks despite fear can be rewarding.*
00:04:26 *🔄 Consistency in mastering foundational skills is key to growth, even if it seems boring compared to chasing new trends.*
00:06:17 *📚 Reading technical papers, like Amazon's 2007 Dynamo paper, can provide deep insights that set you apart professionally.*
00:08:50 *🏆 Applying learned lessons can prevent past mistakes and accelerate your career progress, encouraging sharing knowledge with peers.*

[ClintonBacon]

Thanks, iLyas, you are right communication is key. Thanks for the informative video, great work.

[HabeebAbiola]

I learned a lot in this video particularly the aspect you mentioned about "doing the boring stuff".

We have to be very sincere, it can be very hard doing the boring stuff. Scrolling through Twitter feeds is quite easier than reading white papers

I think the key issue here is what you so clearly states that is important: to read. To read a paper, an article, without all the distractions you find using the web. People are not willing to spend an hour or two focused on one clear learning activity. That's way although many complain the certification exams are not the real thing, I believe they are important, because people have to stop and read something to be successful on the tests.

[ashraffouad]

Many thanks Ilyas for this video, especially the third item of reading boring documents. I appreciate if you can in future videos add links to references in videos in the description. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, u r doing a great job here :D

[orlandogarcia]

As a UI Software Engineer these lessons thought me a lot

[zimcanit]

Great video. I often find myself, chasing the next shiny project. Yet, the real knowledge is gained in the boring and mundane tasks of reading white papers, catching up on training etc.

[Vopadevas]

"I know what I'm doing
*sometimes*"
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