Become a Software Architect with Neal Ford and Mark Richards

Move beyond writing code and start thinking like an architect. Over six intensive weeks, you’ll learn directly from two of the industry’s most respected software architects, Neal Ford and Mark Richards, while collaborating with experienced engineers from around the world to design, evaluate, and defend a complete software architecture.

This isn’t just another online course. It’s immersive, hands-on, experiential learning that combines expert instruction, real-world architectural challenges, team collaboration, and direct feedback from the authorities who’ve helped define modern software architecture in their work and through their writing and teaching.

Why this cohort?

Software architecture is about making difficult decisions, balancing competing priorities, and communicating those decisions clearly. This six-week cohort bridges theory and practice through hands-on collaboration, real-world challenges, and direct feedback from two of the industry’s most respected software architects.

Learn by building

You’ll work in a team of five to complete a series of architectural katas based on real software design challenges. Each week introduces new requirements and constraints, requiring your team to adapt, refine, and defend your architecture as it evolves. By the end of the program, you’ll have designed a complete architecture that reflects the technical and business trade-offs architects face every day.

Be guided by Neal Ford and Mark Richards

Each week, you’ll join Neal and Mark for live, interactive workshops where you can ask questions, explore architectural trade-offs, and receive feedback on your team’s designs. During breakout sessions, they’ll rotate between teams, challenging assumptions and helping you strengthen your architecture. You’ll also stay connected through a cohort email group and Slack.

Defend your architecture

The cohort culminates in a final architecture defense. Your team will present your solution to Neal and Mark, explain the decisions you’ve made, justify your trade-offs, and demonstrate how your architecture evolved throughout the program. It’s one of the closest simulations you’ll find to a real architecture review.

What the experience looks like

Prepare

Complete carefully curated readings and videos from the O’Reilly learning platform before each live session.

Learn

Join Neal, Mark, and your fellow cohort members for a highly interactive two-hour workshop where concepts are explored through discussion, examples, and architecture reviews.

Apply

Work with your team on that week’s architectural kata (ongoing exercise), applying what you’ve learned to realistic software architecture challenges.

Review

Review solutions with Neal and Mark during the following week’s session before tackling the next architectural challenge. Every exercise builds toward your final complete architecture.

Who should attend?

You don’t need previous experience as a software architect. You do need professional software engineering experience. This cohort is ideal for:

• Software engineers preparing for an architecture role
• Senior engineers who want to strengthen their architectural thinking
• Tech leads responsible for system design
• Developers who want to understand architecture beyond implementation

Schedule

This is an intensive professional development experience. Plan to dedicate approximately 8–12 hours each week, including:

• A two-hour live workshop
• Presession reading or videos
• Team collaboration
• The weekly architecture kata
• Independent reflection and preparation

As Neal Ford puts it: “Think of this as having a part-time job for six weeks.” The more you invest, the more you’ll gain. You will receive an in-depth schedule and your study list in your welcome email.

September 1 - Understanding software architecture

• Define architecture versus design, identify architectural characteristics, and begin your first architecture kata.

September 8 - Modeling system behavior

• Learn logical architecture and architectural components, and start modeling your system.

September 15 - Architectural styles and patterns

• Explore monoliths, modular systems, microservices, and event-driven architectures, and learn how to select the right approach.

September 22 - Distributed architectures

• Dive into communication patterns, consistency, coordination, transactional sagas, and architectural patterns used in modern distributed systems.

September 29 - Advanced architecture

• Explore evolutionary architecture and Architecture as Code, and refine your complete solution.

October 6 - Architecture defense and next steps

• Present and defend your architecture, receive expert feedback, and build your roadmap to becoming a software architect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need previous architecture experience?

No. This cohort is designed for experienced software engineers or those in similar roles who want to develop the skills required to be a software architect. You don’t need to have worked as a software architect before.

How much time should I expect to spend each week?

Plan for approximately 8 to 12 hours per week, including live sessions, preparation, collaboration with your team, and weekly architecture exercises.

Is this mostly lectures?

Not at all. The cohort emphasizes application over passive learning. Expect discussion, collaboration, architecture reviews, team exercises, and instructor coaching every week.

What are architectural katas?

Architectural katas are realistic architecture exercises that simulate the challenges software architects face in practice. Each week’s kata builds on the previous week’s work, allowing your team to gradually design a complete software architecture.

Will I receive feedback from Neal and Mark?

Yes. Throughout the cohort, Neal and Mark will provide live coaching, review team solutions, answer questions, and challenge architectural decisions during workshops and the final architecture defense. They’ll also reply to questions via email to help you during the week between sessions.

What happens during the final architecture defense?

Your team will present the architecture you’ve developed over six weeks and explain the reasoning behind your decisions. Neal and Mark will ask questions, challenge assumptions, and evaluate how well your architecture addresses the evolving requirements introduced throughout the cohort.

Will I work alone or with other learners?

You’ll be assigned to a team of five participants for the duration of the cohort. Collaboration is a central part of the learning experience and mirrors how architecture decisions are made in professional engineering teams.

What if I need to miss a live session?

Because each week’s work builds on the previous one and the cohort is designed as a six-week course, we strongly encourage attendance at all weekly sessions. If you are unable to attend a session due to unforeseen circumstances we will be able to provide you with a recording of the session.

Will I have access to O’Reilly during the course?

Yes. Your enrollment includes full access to the O’Reilly learning platform for the duration of the cohort, giving you access to the books, videos, and learning resources used throughout the program.

Can my employer pay for the cohort?

You can ask them! We’ve made a handy “Convince Your Boss” PDF to help you make your case.

Why does the cohort cost $2,950?

This is an intensive, instructor-led learning experience, not a self-paced online course. Your tuition includes six weeks of live instruction from Neal Ford and Mark Richards, expert feedback, structured team collaboration, curated learning resources, architecture exercises, and full access to the O’Reilly learning platform throughout the program.

Can I see a more detailed schedule?

Yes, you will receive an in-depth schedule and your study list when you sign up to the cohort in your welcome email.

What is the refund policy?

Payments are nonrefundable unless O’Reilly cancels or postpones the event, which we try our hardest not to do. Refer to our Live Event Refund Policy for more details.

Will I get a certificate of completion?

Yes, we will provide you with a certificate upon successful completion of the cohort.