InfrastructureKeep It Simple
You Probably Don't Need Kubernetes
Why good architecture is about choosing enough infrastructure — not the most infrastructure.
10 min read
Beyond Stacks & Syntax
The thinking
behind better software.
Practical perspectives on software engineering, architecture, systems, and the decisions behind what we build.
Software engineering is about more than the technologies we use and the code we write.
Featured
All articles →Featured articles
TeamsFrom the Archive
The Technology Was Never the Hardest Part
Revisiting my MSc research many years later — and realising how little the hardest problems in software projects have changed.
9 min read
Topics
Topics
- Engineering00
Code, APIs, databases, development practices and software design.
- Architecture00
System design, patterns, boundaries, scalability and architectural decisions.
- Infrastructure01
Containers, cloud, deployment, CI/CD, reliability and operations.
- AI00
AI-assisted engineering, LLM integration and the changing software landscape.
- Engineering Thinking01
Trade-offs, lessons, opinions, failures and engineering judgement.
- Teams01
Leadership, collaboration, ownership and building effective engineering teams.
Latest writing
Archive →Latest writing
InfrastructureKeep It Simple
You Probably Don't Need Kubernetes
Why good architecture is about choosing enough infrastructure — not the most infrastructure.
10 min read
TeamsFrom the Archive
The Technology Was Never the Hardest Part
Revisiting my MSc research many years later — and realising how little the hardest problems in software projects have changed.
9 min read
Engineering Thinking
Beyond Stacks & Syntax
Why I'm starting a publication about the part of software engineering that isn't the code — and what I intend to write about here.
4 min read
Series
Series
- Architecture DecisionsArchitectural choices and the consequences that followed them.0 articles
- From ProductionLessons that only turned up once real users were involved.0 articles
- From the ArchiveRevisiting older work, and seeing what has and hasn't aged well.1 article
- Things I've Changed My Mind AboutEngineering opinions that experience eventually rewrote.0 articles
- Keep It SimpleTimes the simpler architecture turned out to be the better decision.1 article
- Under the HoodTechnical deep dives into how systems actually work.0 articles
- Engineering NotesShorter observations that don't need a full long-form article.0 articles
About
About
I'm Ali Lishan, a software architect and engineer who enjoys understanding how software systems work — and why sometimes they don't. Beyond Stacks & Syntax is where I share ideas, lessons, mistakes, and perspectives from designing and building real-world software.