Modelling Up - DDDEurope 2024 - Amsterdam

What to do when you have a perfect model for your software but you are constrained by an imperfect business model?
This talk explores the challenges of bringing modelling rigour to the business and strategy levels, and talking to your non-technical counterparts in the process.

1. Modelling Up!
Alberto Brandolini
@Ziobrando

2. Landscape map

3. But it will Boil Down To
1.Frame the conversation correctly
2.Adapt the language to the conversation
3.Provide appropriate models for safer decision-making

4. The Practitioner Journey
A quick recap

5. Delivering game-changing
working software
Understanding
Domain Complexity
Building Models
Designing Software
solutions

6. We are not experts in the
problem domain

7. The shape of the organisation
Local Expertise
Local
Jargons

8. The knowledge distribution

9. Legacy Software

10. Challenge Accepted

11. We’ve Run
Big Picture
EventStorming
to maximise the
learning and
address the
inconsistencies

12. We’ve Run
Process
Modelling
Sessions
To dissect and
design the many
decisions on a
business flow

13. Process Modelling Grammar
Policy
Action
Action
Read
Model
Person
Read
Model
Triggering
Event
System
When?
The
resulting
action(s)
The person
responsible for
the decision The target
for the
action
The business
decision
The
Information
needed to
support a given
decision
What are you
looking at when
deciding this?

14. Process Modelling Grammar
Policy
Action
Action
Read
Model
Person
Read
Model
Triggering
Event
System
When?
What?
Who?
Where?
How?
Why?

15. We
challenged
the business
with
Examples
And Corner
Cases

16. We challenged the
architecture with
extreme
scenarios

17. We extracted Bounded Contexts
https://capture.dropbox.com/KINrP6MgIxMDPm7r

18. We distilled
domain knowledge
into a Ubiquitous
Language and used
it to describe
bounded contexts

19. We Released
robust and
maintainable
software,
making
someone’s
life easier

20. We are not experts in the
problem domain

21. We Were not experts in
the problem domain

22. Let’s talk Business!
Or… let’s talk to the business

23. The Language Mismatch
Again?

24. Ubiquitous language
helped us to inject
Precision in the
conversation

25. But that’s not the whole
story

26. Tech Jargon
Business
Jargon
DDDWardley
Maps
Ubiquitous
Language
Ubiquitous
Language

27. We can’t assume the
business will understand
us

28. Tools and documentation

29. Developers
UX Designers
Domain
Experts
Business
Stakeholders
Users
INception Design Development Operations Maintenance
Software Design
EventStorming
Tools lifespan
Big Picture
EventStorming
Process Modelling
EventStorming
Acceptance Tests
Architectural Decision Records
Context Map
Ubiquitous Language
Who are you writing for?
User Guide
Wiki

30. Tools purpose
Explore
Challenge
Co-design
Show off?
Document

31. Frame the conversation

32. Am I informing
or asking for
permission?
We
decide what to
buy, you decide how
to integrate

33. Why are we
talking?

34. A different goal needs a
different communication
style

35. Developers
UX Designers
Domain
Experts
Business
Stakeholders
Users
INception Design Development Operations Maintenance
Tools lifespan
What
works
here…
Won’t
work here

36. Can I reuse my
diagram?

37. Nope!

38. A significant number of
conversations in the BIZ/IT
space are wrong from the start

39. Our Responsibility,
Our Knowledge
our decisions
SkinInTheGame

40. Unfortunately, it’s not
black or white

41. Framing it better

42. 1.Tell
2.Sell
3.Consult
4.Agree
5.Advise
6.Inquire
7.Delegate
Note: we are assuming the Top Down perspective
I’ll tell them
My boss told
me
I’ll convince them
I’ll ask advice
before deciding
We agreed to…
My boss clarified
the needs
We agree together
I’ll state my needs
and they’ll decide
I’ll check what the
decision has been
I don’t care
I’ll notify Everybody
about our decisions
I’ll make our decision available,
but no-one will check.
My boss asked my
opinion before deciding
My boss
convinced me

43. We still have to convince,
sometimes

44. Convincing is waste

45. https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/
Sunken Cost: We spent
already too much building
that platform, we can’t
afford building a new one!
Straw Man: Pair
programming will obviously
slow us down
Appeal to authority:
Steve Jobs shouted to
apple engineers to
motivate them!

46. Sharpen Our Tools
•Providing multiple arguments will make
your position weaker
•You’re only increasing the probability of
offering a weak spot

47. Sharpen Our Tools
•Listen to the motivations of your
counterpart
•Provide ONE compelling argument
fulfilling their needs.

48. If we change purpose, we
need to change media,
style and approach

49. 1.Bullet Points?
2.Really?
3.They have to be three!

50. Storytelling

51. Camouflage

52. 1.Bullet Points?
2.Really?
3.They have to be three!

53. Some things are still Non
Negotiable
SkinInTheGameCompetence

54. Measuring performance
1.Are we looking at the same data?
2.Are we interpreting the data in the same way?
3.Are we drawing the same conclusions?

55. How Many Dashboards?
None Dashboard AnarchyOne large Shared A few official ones
Where are you?

56. Measuring performance
1.Are we looking at the same data?
2.Are we interpreting the data in the same way?
3.Are we drawing the same conclusions?

57. Not all the domains are the same
Anaemic Monolith
(CRUD & Stored
Procedures)
BI
Business
Intelligence adding
“interpretation”
(and delays)
Projections from
rich events
0
25
50
75
100
AprilMayJuneJuly
Questionable data
with delays
0
30
60
90
120
AprilMayJuneJuly
UnQuestionable
data
Rich Event-driven
domain models
Analytics
Pricing
Shop
Delivery
Catalogue
Public
Event
Public
Event
Public
Event
Public
Event
Public
Event
Public
Event
This does not
happen for
free!!!

58. Public Data is
useless without
an official
explanation

59. Anaemic domain
model
Interpretation
Layer in BI
Inconclusive
review
meetings filled
by “Yes But…”
Months
without taking
obvious
decisions

60. Measuring performance
1.Are we looking at the same data?
2.Are we interpreting the data in the same way?
3.Are we drawing the same conclusions?

61. https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/
Anecdotal
references
Correlation isn’t
causation

62. Can we change it?

63. Build a smarter place for thinking
•“An Obeya is a digital, physical or
hybrid workspace where all relevant
information is available to everyone.
It is a space where strategy and
execution are visually connected.
Obeya provides overview and insight
into the status of goals, shows you
where bottlenecks must be removed
and where performance can be
improved.”
#Lean #Toyota

64. We can’t have obeyas

65. I can’t convince my boss

66. Liminal Thinking
•Be the change you want to see,
•Provide visible examples of the
possible but “forbidden” realities

67. Developers
UX Designers
Domain
Experts
Business
Stakeholders
Users
INception Design Development Operations Maintenance
Tools lifespan
Process Modelling
EventStorming
Context Map
Obeya?

68. Disclaimer: Hey, this is just
our limited understanding,
If you have more or better
information, please feel
free to comment or
contribute

69. Upstream processes: Like
Marketing, media or
Strategy

70. Sales Funnels: With
screenshots for
anchoring

71. Data & Graphs: With
linked sources

72. Downstream
Processes: with key
“decisions”
highlighted

73. Conversation Scope should
match KPIs scope

74. Strategic Decision Decomposed
Strategy
Review
Invest
in tech
Hire
Remotely
Forecast
CEO
Board
Market
Outlook
Competitors’
Analysis
End of
Quarter
???
When?
What?
Who?
Where?
How?
Why?

75. Provide a place where this
conversation can happen

76. You don’t have to be
correct

77. You just have to be
visible!

78. Life is too short to ask
permission to do the right
thing!

79. Then?…

80. DDDDDD
Be Patient…

81. … you are seeding

82. But it will Boil Down To
1.Frame the conversation correctly
2.Adapt the language to the conversation
3.Provide appropriate models for safer decision-making
4.Be patient

83. Thank You!

84. Contacts:
•Blog:
•https://blog.avanscoperta.it << Cool new stuff!
•https://medium.com/@ziobrando
•http://ziobrando.blogspot.com
•Twitter: @ziobrando
•Mastodon: @[email protected]
•Consulting & Training: [email protected]
•http://eventstorming.com
•http://www.avanscoperta.it