EA Learning Path

Tool

Skills self-rating

Rate yourself honestly on each skill. The target is a reasonable bar for an enterprise architect in a scaling organization. Your ratings stay in this browser, so come back and re-rate as you work through the path.

Rating scale

0 · None
No exposure yet.
1 · Aware
Know what it is and why it matters; could not do it unaided.
2 · Working
Have done it with guidance or in a limited scope.
3 · Practitioner
Do it independently and reliably across teams.
4 · Expert
Shape how the organization does it; coach others.

EA target · where engineering managers often start

Your biggest gaps

Rate a few skills below and your largest gaps against the target will show here.

    Business & strategy

    Business acumen

    Not rated

    Understand how the organization makes money, its market, competitors, and operating model.

    Learn in: What enterprise architecture is (and why it exists) · Business architecture

    Translating strategy into change

    Not rated

    Turn business goals and strategy into architectural direction, priorities, and initiatives.

    Learn in: What enterprise architecture is (and why it exists) · Business architecture · Roadmaps and portfolio management

    Capability & value stream modeling

    Not rated

    Build and use business capability maps and value streams to frame investment decisions.

    Learn in: Business architecture

    Financial literacy

    Not rated

    Build business cases, reason about TCO, CapEx vs OpEx, and cost of delay.

    Learn in: Roadmaps and portfolio management

    Architecture practice

    EA frameworks (TOGAF)

    Not rated

    Apply the TOGAF ADM and content framework, tailoring them to the organization.

    Learn in: TOGAF and the Architecture Development Method · TOGAF content, repository, and governance · TOGAF certification prep

    Architecture modeling

    Not rated

    Communicate structure with ArchiMate and C4 views pitched at the right audience.

    Learn in: Modeling with ArchiMate and C4

    Roadmapping & transition planning

    Not rated

    Define current and target states and the sequenced transitions between them.

    Learn in: Roadmaps and portfolio management · TOGAF and the Architecture Development Method

    Application portfolio management

    Not rated

    Inventory and rationalize applications and technology (e.g. TIME, Gartner's PACE layers).

    Learn in: Roadmaps and portfolio management

    Technical breadth

    Integration & data architecture

    Not rated

    Reason about APIs, events, data ownership, master data, and analytics platforms across domains.

    Learn in: Modeling with ArchiMate and C4 · TOGAF and the Architecture Development Method

    Cloud & platforms

    Not rated

    Evaluate hosting models, platform engineering, and build vs buy vs SaaS trade-offs.

    Learn in: Roadmaps and portfolio management · Lean and agile enterprise architecture

    Security & risk

    Not rated

    Fold security, privacy, resilience, and regulatory requirements into architecture decisions.

    Learn in: TOGAF content, repository, and governance · Lean and agile enterprise architecture

    Technology evaluation

    Not rated

    Assess emerging technology (including AI) for fit, maturity, and risk; run a technology radar.

    Learn in: Lean and agile enterprise architecture

    Governance & decisions

    Principles & standards

    Not rated

    Write architecture principles and standards that teams actually use.

    Learn in: TOGAF content, repository, and governance · Lean and agile enterprise architecture

    Decision-making & ADRs

    Not rated

    Frame options, record decisions and trade-offs, and revisit them when context changes.

    Learn in: Lean and agile enterprise architecture

    Architecture review & governance

    Not rated

    Run lightweight reviews and boards that add value rather than delay.

    Learn in: TOGAF content, repository, and governance · Standing up EA in a scaling organization

    Leadership & influence

    Influencing without authority

    Not rated

    Get alignment across teams you don't manage, relying on credibility and evidence rather than reporting lines.

    Learn in: Making the shift from engineering manager · Stakeholders, communication, and influence

    Executive stakeholder management

    Not rated

    Build relationships with business and technology leaders; know their goals and concerns.

    Learn in: Stakeholders, communication, and influence

    Communication & storytelling

    Not rated

    Explain complex trade-offs simply, in writing and in the room, for different audiences.

    Learn in: Stakeholders, communication, and influence · Modeling with ArchiMate and C4

    Systems thinking

    Not rated

    See the organization as a whole: people, process, technology, and their interactions.

    Learn in: What enterprise architecture is (and why it exists) · Making the shift from engineering manager

    Building an EA practice

    Not rated

    Define the EA operating model, engagement model, and how its value is measured.

    Learn in: Standing up EA in a scaling organization