First, architect is not a knowing all. Second, architecture happens at high level, business and technical feasibility ground. It does not happen at code level. So, there is not such a thing as a Java architect for instance. The guy needs to have two or more tecnologies where he is an expert, and also needs to actually know about a wider range of technologies too. Architects are not in an ivory tower, they are beside the designers and developers, looking at everything, all days, coaching and picking up problems at any moment, surrounded by experts in the technologies. Architects, like leaders, need self-earned authority. That is, they need to earn by themselves the name. If a decision is made, and people accepts it because the truly know that is a good one just because it comes from you, you have authority. BTW, the a more general name should be Software Intensive System's architect. That means we work on a system, which one of its more important parts is software, but not all. There are lots of additional components. So, in that case, the diagram is incomplete. Willliam Martinez.