Which Engineering Scope Are You Using?
Tags: productivity, discuss, career, softwareengineering
Published: 2023-08-17 13:10:17



In the few years I've been working in tech, I've started to see common patterns that engineers adopt to solve most problems. For example, here's a popular problem with different approaches:

**Problem:** The way we clean our client's archives is complex and messy.

### Craftsman's scope - How to make the piece better?

![Welder smoke sparks](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/brk564ofkw5c8drukn03.jpg)

> _"Maybe we can simplify the clean up script. Can we possibly use another language with built-in features we can leverage, maybe one with less dependencies?"_

It's the stereotypical engineering work we find in TV and movies. This is the scope that can spend days or years focused on extracting +5% of efficiency out of a component. It's where algorithms are born and faster compute time is achieved.

### Architect's scope - How to make the system better?

![person designing system](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/lrar10n5rdaagg7zhfmq.jpg)

> _"Since the data is spread out evenly, maybe we can create a centralized service that cleans each archive at a certain frequency?"_

The Architect scope is focused on arranging the pieces to produce an elegant system. Tools for this problem are still rooted in technology, but seen through a lens that encompasses more abstract concepts like patterns, relationships, coordination, and communication.

### Entrepreneurial's scope - How to serve the client better?

![man leaning hand on table in shop looking at group of customers](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/41mtr06f6ijv25citrc6.jpg)

> _"Maybe we should confirm that our users even need this data. How often do they access it? Can they live with only the last X number of backups?"_

In this scope, technology is simply a giant lever to fill a _real_ need. Communication and vision are the most useful tools here since uncovering needs and addressing them efficiently is much more about understanding than technology's use.

## Finding a great solution requires the right mix

I believe much of what plagues software engineering is that we simply **copy roles from other disciplines**, but we don't organize our thinking around what those roles _actually_ mean. Or ignore the fact that some scopes tend to misalign with people's preference.

Titles like _"architect"_, _"senior engineer"_, and _"manager"_ should technically embody one scope over the other, but I rarely see that level of separation in thinking. Especially when those positions are filled by engineers who have spent _years_ looking at problems deeply through a **Craftsman** scope.

> _"If you've ever had a manager spend hours preaching the benefits of a mapping library, while you have yet to have a talk about your career progression, you can see the scope misuse at work"_  

**My hypothesis**: When the three scopes are used effectively, teams are much more productive in achieving the best possible solution to a given problem. 
 
### Have you seen these scopes in the wild? Do you lean towards one more than the other?


_Image references:_

_Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@markusspiske?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Markus Spiske</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/LfEUDdg6yQs?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>_
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