The career path from senior developer or technical lead to solution architect is a well-trodden one, but just because it’s a common path doesn’t mean it’s easy or without its challenges. What does it actually involve and how do you navigate this transition successfully? Being a successful architect means harnessing new skills - without having a frontal lobotomy and forgetting what you learnt as a developer. Some parts of this shift are technical, whilst others (the so-called “soft skills”) will present new challenges: providing technical leadership, and a greater emphasis on navigating people and organizations. The good news is that there are many things you can do right now, as a developer or technical lead, which will make your transition smooth and successful. In this talk I’ll draw on my personal experience of over twenty years in tech, including not only my journey from developer to architect, but also observations from those I have mentored on similar journeys.