We Thought Decoupling Was About APIs, Then the Org Chart Snapped Back
Article summary
We Thought Decoupling Was About APIs, Then the Org Chart Snapped Back The architecture looked decoupled. Services had clean contracts, minimal shared state, and no runtime dependencies. On paper, everything scaled. But delivery timelines told a different story. One change still required three team leads, a release manager, and two sprints of backchannel Slack threads. We weren’t decoupled. We were just pretending. APIs can lie. Org charts usually don’t. Conway’s Law isn’t theoretical. It’s a mirror. What we learned that month is that technical independence means nothing if organizational independence doesn’t follow. Our team structures hadn’t kept up. Two teams owned different parts of a supposedly self-contained flow. A third team owned the database. None of them shared planning cycles. So even though our code talked cleanly, our people didn’t.
Read Full Article on MediumPractical takeaway
The main idea behind We Thought Decoupling Was About APIs, Then the Org Chart Snapped Back is to help teams move from broad theory to clear, repeatable decision making. When teams apply this thinking, they reduce ambiguity and focus on improvements that deliver measurable momentum.
Example scenario
Imagine a team facing competing priorities. By applying the ideas in We Thought Decoupling Was About APIs, Then the Org Chart Snapped Back, they can map dependencies, identify risks and choose the next move that produces progress without destabilizing their system.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Trying to redesign everything instead of taking small steps.
- Ignoring real constraints like incentives, ownership or legacy systems.
- Creating documents that do not lead to any change in code or decisions.
How to apply this in real work
Start by identifying where We Thought Decoupling Was About APIs, Then the Org Chart Snapped Back already shows up in your architecture or delivery flow. Then pick one area where clarity would reduce friction. Apply the idea, measure its effect and share the learning.
Signs you are doing it correctly
- Teams make decisions faster and with fewer disagreements.
- Architectural conversations become clearer and less abstract.
- Changes land safely with fewer surprises or rework cycles.