Are you an Enterprise Architect focused on Kafka? I found this article from Kim Clark very thought-provoking.

This blog seems to answer five key questions:

• What information do consumers need to determine whether an event topic can be successfully integrated into a solution and deliver value?

The blog provides a detailed breakdown of "topic characteristics" that go beyond basic metadata like schema and wire format, including data completeness, event scope, encryption, and duplicates, enabling architects to evaluate an event topic comprehensively.

• How can event-driven solutions align with business and technical needs?

By addressing characteristics such as business scenario contextualization, business data keys, and schema enforcement, the blog provies guidance to architects bridge the gap between technical implementation and enterprise objectives.

• What are the risks of selecting an event topic without understanding its deeper characteristics?

The blog highlights potential issues like schema changes, data loss, sequencing challenges, and integration mismatches that can derail a project, stressing the importance of early due diligence.

• How can a comprehensive view of event characteristics improve innovation and efficiency?

The blog explains how understanding these characteristics enables faster, more robust development, supports reuse of event topics, and avoids delays caused by late-discovered incompatibilities or missing information.

• How can capturing and cataloging richer metadata about event topics benefit both human developers and Generative AI?

By rigorously documenting characteristics, enterprises can not only improve human collaboration but also empower AI systems to propose stronger designs, perform rapid prototyping, and potentially generate production-grade solutions.

In a nutshell, its a great article that helps Enterprise Architects ensure that their event-driven architectures are resilient, scalable, and aligned with organizational goals.