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Emergence is a process, the ways simple interactions among individual parts form more-complex behaviors and patterns.

After nearly 20 years, here are five things I’ve learned about (information) systems.

We build technology by developing the people who can design, deliver and maintain that technology

Where once there were events, now there are flows of data published continuously.

Events are the way a system communication that something matterful has changed.

As complexity increases, more software parts act as a source of information -- with layers that govern communication.

Exploring patterns for forming new relationships between decoupled parts.

Exploring how to draw boundaries around software parts. How do you figure out what to decouple from what?

As we move from software to systems of software, time and relationship is where complexity increases at breakneck speed.

Writing practices help us think and learn and lead. Writing hones essential skills for knowledge workers.

Deep schisms in a system's functional architecture appear when people can't create shared understanding. Collaborative modeling helps.

Moving from monolith to microservices is an incremental decoupling of capabilities. And a mindshift from code thinking to designing well-architected relationships.