The role of a Solutions Architect and how they spend their time
Too Many Hats, Not Enough Hours!
Hey, Prasad here 👋 I'm the voice behind the weekly newsletter "Big Tech Careers."
In this week's article, I dive deep into a role of a Solutions Architect and how they spend their time.
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I absolutely love the role of a Solutions Architect because of the flexibility we have in choosing the activities we would like to focus on.
Every Solutions Architect work week is different.
Every week of a Solutions Architect is different.
That’s because as a Solutions Architect you have many hats to wear.
The best part, you get to choose which hats you would like to wear and for how long.
Lets start by understanding the role of a Solutions Architect and different hats they wear.
The role of a Solutions Architect
I covered this in an article I wrote earlier this ‘How I Transitioned from a Developer to a Solutions Architect Role’ but here is quick recap.
Let me give you a glimpse of the different hats an SA wears in their role. It will not only help you understand what a typical day of an SA looks like but also the skills you should be developing if you aspire to become an SA.
Solutions Architects function as architectural experts by creating reference architectures, designing new architectural patterns, and developing methodologies that establish standardized approaches for solving complex technical challenges.
Solutions Architects serve as technical advisors by analyzing complex business requirements and recommending the most effective technological solutions to meet organizational goals and overcome technical challenges.
Solutions Architects serve as technical demonstrators by building proof of concepts and prototypes that validate proposed solutions, showcase technology capabilities, and provide tangible evidence of how specific technologies can effectively address customer challenges and business requirements.
Solutions Architects act as customer advocates by deeply understanding client needs, representing their interests throughout the implementation process, and providing the required feedback to the product teams for enhancing the products and features.
Solutions Architects function as technical trainers by sharing technical knowledge with teams, conducting training sessions, and helping stakeholders understand the implications and benefits of different architectural decisions.
Solutions Architects act as technology evangelists by promoting innovative solutions, speaking at conferences, sharing success stories and best practices, and inspiring the organization to embrace new technologies and architectural approaches that drive business value.
Solutions Architects serve as strategic planners by developing comprehensive technical roadmaps, evaluating emerging technologies, and ensuring solutions are scalable and future-proof to support long-term business growth.
Solutions Architects work as cross-functional collaborators by bridging the gap between business and technical teams, customers and product teams, facilitating communication between stakeholders and aligning diverse groups.
So, one day I might spend a full day in whiteboarding sessions with customers, understanding their requirements and coming up with solutions using different AWS services.
Another day might find me glued to my computer, creating a proof of concept to showcase the capabilities of AWS services.
Then there might be days when I speak at conferences, evangelizing AWS services. Or I might spend a full day conducting workshops and training sessions to upskill customers on AWS.
How Solutions Architects Spend Their Time
The beauty of being a Solutions Architect lies not just in the variety of hats you wear, but in the flexibility you have to shape your own professional journey. Unlike many technical roles with rigid job descriptions, Solutions Architects enjoy considerable autonomy in choosing where to focus their energy and expertise.
The Flexibility Factor
Solutions Architects possess unique control over their time allocation, allowing them to gravitate toward activities that align with their strengths, interests, and career aspirations.
Some architects thrive in customer-facing environments and dedicate 60-70% of their time to client interactions, workshops, and solution design sessions.
Others prefer the deep technical work, spending most of their time building prototypes, researching emerging technologies, and creating architectural patterns.
This flexibility extends to choosing between being reactive versus proactive. While some architects enjoy the adrenaline of solving urgent customer problems and firefighting complex technical challenges, others prefer investing time in strategic planning, creating reusable frameworks, and building long-term technical roadmaps.
Blueprint for Solutions Architect Time Allocation
Frankly, there is no specific blueprint. As a Solutions Architect, you can pick and choose the work you would like to focus on.
I know I’m repeating myself, but this flexibility is one of the most appealing aspects of the role – you have the autonomy to shape your career path and daily activities based on your interests, strengths, and professional goals.
However, in my experience, based on your seniority level and career stage, you might want to focus your energy on different activities to maximize your growth and impact.
Junior Solutions Architect (0-3 years): Building Your Foundation
If you are a junior SA just starting your career, you would want to dive deep technically and upskill yourself by doing more hands-on work and shadowing senior architects. This foundational phase is crucial for establishing credibility and building the technical expertise that will serve you throughout your career.
Primary Focus Areas:
Technical Deep Dives (40% of time): Spend significant time building proof of concepts, experimenting with new technologies, and getting your hands dirty with actual implementations. This hands-on experience is invaluable for understanding not just what technologies can do, but their limitations and real-world challenges.
Learning Through Observation (30% of time): Shadow senior architects in customer meetings, architectural reviews, and strategic planning sessions. Pay attention to how they frame problems, ask questions, and communicate complex technical concepts to different audiences.
Structured Learning (20% of time): Invest in formal training, certifications, and structured learning programs. Focus on both breadth (understanding the ecosystem) and depth (mastering specific technologies relevant to your organization).
Documentation and Knowledge Sharing (10% of time): Start building the habit of documenting your learnings and sharing knowledge with peers. This not only reinforces your own understanding but begins establishing you as a thought leader within your team.
At this stage, don't worry about being perfect or having all the answers. Focus on asking good questions, being curious, and building a solid technical foundation that you can build upon as you advance.
Mid-Level Solutions Architect (3-7 years): Finding Your Balance
As you gain experience, your time allocation begins to shift toward more customer-facing activities while maintaining your technical edge. This is often the most challenging phase as you learn to balance multiple competing priorities.
Evolving Focus Areas:
Customer Engagement (30% of time): Take ownership of customer relationships and begin leading solution design sessions. You're now expected to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions independently.
Technical Leadership (30% of time): Continue hands-on technical work but with a focus on more complex, strategic implementations. You're often the go-to person for specific technical domains within your team.
Cross-functional Collaboration (20% of time): Spend more time working with product teams, sales, and other business stakeholders. Learning to navigate organizational dynamics becomes increasingly important.
Industry Engagement (10% of time): Start participating in industry events, user groups, or internal tech talks. Begin building your external professional network and reputation.
Mentoring and Knowledge Transfer (10% of time): Begin mentoring junior architects and new team members. This helps develop your communication skills while reinforcing your own technical knowledge.
This phase requires developing strong time management skills as you juggle immediate customer needs with longer-term strategic thinking and team development responsibilities.
Senior Solutions Architect (7+ years): Strategic Leadership and Influence
As you progress toward becoming a senior SA, your focus shifts toward handling strategic customer engagements, external thought leadership, mentoring, and team development. At this level, your impact is measured not just by the solutions you design, but by the people you develop and the strategic direction you help set.
Strategic Focus Areas:
Strategic Customer Engagements (30% of time): Handle the most complex customer scenarios, executive-level relationships, and high-stakes architectural decisions. Your experience allows you to see patterns across different customers and industries.
Cross-functional Collaboration and Organizational Leadership (20% of time): Influence architectural standards, contribute to strategic planning, and help shape the technical direction. You work closely with product teams to shape the roadmap of the products based on your strategic customer egagements.
External Thought Leadership (20% of time): Speak at conferences, write technical articles, participate in industry panels, and represent your organization's expertise in the broader community. This external visibility benefits both your career and your organization's reputation.
Team Development and Mentoring (15% of time): Take active responsibility for developing the next generation of architects. This includes formal mentoring relationships, conducting training sessions, and helping establish career development programs.
Strategic Technical Work (10% of time): While you spend less time on day-to-day implementation, you still engage in hands-on technical work for validation, exploration of cutting-edge technologies, and proof-of-concept development for strategic initiatives.
As senior SAs, you must learn to multiply their impact through others. We call it being force-multipliers. You also have to maintain enough technical currency to make informed decisions and maintain credibility with both technical teams and customers.
Specialist vs. Generalist Considerations
Your time allocation also depends on whether you choose to be a specialist or generalist in your architectural approach:
Specialists tend to spend more time on deep technical work within their domain, specialized customer engagements, and becoming recognized experts in their field through leadership activities like public speaking and writing technical blogs.
Generalists distribute their time more evenly across different activities and technologies, spending more time on broad customer engagements, cross-functional collaboration, and gaining knowledge across multiple technology domains.
Continuous Upskilling: The Non-Negotiable Investment
Regardless of your seniority level or specialization, there's one constant that every Solutions Architect must embrace: continuous upskilling.
Every Solutions Architect, from junior to senior, dedicate their time to learning and skill development. This isn't optional; it's inherent to the role.
Whether you're exploring emerging technologies, deepening your expertise in existing domains, or developing soft skills like communication and leadership, continuous learning is what keeps you relevant and valuable.
The most successful Solutions Architects treat learning not as something they do when they have spare time, but as a strategic investment that directly impacts their ability to solve complex problems and deliver value to their customers and organizations.