trogonstack Applying Conway's Law
Interview Phase (Optional)
When to Interview: Skip if the user has already specified: existing team structure, team responsibilities, and autonomous boundary preferences. Interview when team structure is unclear or organizational alignment hasn't been discussed.
Interview Strategy: Understand team organization and decision-making to design system boundaries that teams can own independently. Misalignment here creates bottlenecks and tight coupling later.
Critical Questions
When team structure or boundaries are unclear:
Team Structure & Ownership (Impact: Determines how many swimlanes/systems to create)
- Question: "How is your organization structured? (A) Single team owns everything, (B) Separate teams by domain (payments, inventory, etc.), (C) Separate teams by function (backend, frontend, etc.)"
- Why it matters: Team structure directly shapes system boundaries; aligning them reduces coordination overhead
- Follow-up triggers: If (B) → ask what each team owns; if (C) → discuss how to organize by domain instead
Boundary Autonomy Level (Impact: Determines coupling and inter-team communication patterns)
- Question: "How much autonomy should each team have? (A) Very high (minimal cross-team communication), (B) Moderate (coordinate via events), (C) Low (frequent coupling acceptable)"
- Why it matters: Highly autonomous teams need clean event-based boundaries; low autonomy might accept more coupling
- Follow-up triggers: If (A) → strict event-driven design; if (C) → discuss why coupling is needed
External System Integrations (Impact: Determines if integrations become separate swimlanes or embedded in existing ones)
- Question: "Do you need to integrate with external systems? (A) Payment processor, (B) Shipping provider, (C) Multiple external systems, (D) No external integrations?"
- Why it matters: External systems often become separate swimlanes; knowing which ones matters for boundary design
- Follow-up triggers: For each integration → ask "Who owns the integration—existing team or new team?"
Interview Flow
Conditional Entry:
If user has provided:
- Clear team structure (who owns what)
- AND specified desired level of autonomy
- AND identified external integrations
Then: Skip interview, proceed directly to swimlanes
Else: Conduct interview
Phase 1: Organization Assessment (Questions 1-2)
- Understand team structure
- Determine autonomy expectations
- Establish boundary philosophy
Phase 2: Integration Mapping (Question 3)
- Identify external systems
- Plan integration boundaries
- Finalize swimlane count
Capturing Interview Findings
Append findings to the project's event modeling file:
File: .trogonai/interviews/[project-name]/EVENTMODELING.md
Use Write tool to add/update this section:
## 6. Conway's Law (eventmodeling-applying-conways-law)
### Team Structure
- Team 1: [Name] - Owns [domain]
- Team 2: [Name] - Owns [domain]
- Team 3: [Name] - Owns [domain]
### Autonomy Goals
[High / Moderate / Low]
### Swimlanes
- [Swimlane 1]: [Team] owns [events]
- [Swimlane 2]: [Team] owns [events]
- [Swimlane 3]: [Team] owns [events]
### Cross-Team Communication
- [Team A] → [Team B] via [event]
- [Team B] → [Team C] via [event]
Update Interview Trail:
| 6 | eventmodeling-applying-conways-law | [today] | Swimlanes defined, team boundaries confirmed |
Workflow
Given all events, inputs, and outputs, organize by ownership:
1. Identify System Boundaries
Determine what constitutes a separate system/bounded context:
System Boundaries:
Order Management System
- Owns: Order entity and its lifecycle
- Events: OrderCreated, OrderConfirmed, Cancelled
- Owns: Order state machine
Payment Processing System
- Owns: Payment authorization and processing
- Events: PaymentAuthorized, PaymentFailed
- Owns: Payment state machine
Inventory System
- Owns: Stock levels and reservations
- Events: InventoryReserved, InventoryAllocated
- Owns: Inventory state machine
Fulfillment System
- Owns: Shipments and delivery
- Events: OrderShipped, DeliveryConfirmed
- Owns: Shipment state machine
2. Create Swimlane Diagram
Visual representation of system boundaries:
Event Stream Timeline
→
Order Team OrderCreated OrderConfirmed OrderCancelled
Payment Team PaymentAuthorized PaymentFailed
Inventory Team InventoryReserved
Fulfillment Team OrderShipped DeliveryConfirmed
Each team owns their swimlane events
Coordination via events crossing swimlanes
3. Map Team Responsibilities
Define what each team owns:
Order Management Team
Commands they handle:
- CreateOrder
- ConfirmOrder
- CancelOrder
Events they produce:
- OrderCreated
- OrderConfirmed
- OrderCancelled
Read Models they maintain:
- OrderStatusView
- OrderListView
Systems they call:
- Payment System (to confirm payment)
- Inventory System (to check stock)
Payment Processing Team
Commands they handle:
- AuthorizePayment
- ProcessPayment
- RefundPayment
Events they produce:
- PaymentAuthorized
- PaymentFailed
- PaymentRefunded
Read Models they maintain:
- PaymentStatusView
- TransactionHistory
Systems they depend on:
- Payment Gateway (external)
- Order System (for context)
Inventory Team
Commands they handle:
- ReserveInventory
- ReleaseReservation
- AllocateStock
Events they produce:
- InventoryReserved
- ReservationReleased
- StockAllocated
Read Models they maintain:
- InventoryLevelView
- ReservationView
Systems they depend on:
- Order System (triggers)
- Warehouse System (stock source)
Fulfillment Team
Commands they handle:
- CreateShipment
- MarkShipped
- ConfirmDelivery
Events they produce:
- ShipmentCreated
- OrderShipped
- DeliveryConfirmed
Read Models they maintain:
- ShipmentTrackingView
- DeliveryScheduleView
Systems they depend on:
- Inventory System (items to ship)
- Carrier APIs (tracking)
4. Identify Inter-System Communication
Show how systems talk to each other:
Communication Patterns:
Order System → Payment System
Order System produces: OrderConfirmed event
Payment System consumes: OrderConfirmed
Payment System reacts: Issues AuthorizePayment command
Payment System produces: PaymentAuthorized event
Order System → Inventory System
Order System produces: PaymentAuthorized event (indirectly)
Inventory System consumes: PaymentAuthorized
Inventory System reacts: Issues ReserveInventory command
Inventory System produces: InventoryReserved event
Inventory System → Fulfillment System
Inventory System produces: InventoryReserved event
Fulfillment System consumes: InventoryReserved
Fulfillment System reacts: Issues CreateShipment command
Fulfillment System produces: OrderShipped event
5. Define System Interfaces
What each system exposes:
Order System Interface
Commands it accepts:
- CreateOrder (from UI)
- ConfirmOrder (from UI)
- CancelOrder (from UI or Processors)
Events it produces:
- OrderCreated
- OrderConfirmed
- OrderCancelled
Read Models it provides:
- OrderStatusView
- OrderListView
Payment System Interface
Commands it accepts:
- AuthorizePayment (from Payment Processor/Order System)
- ProcessPayment (from Order System)
Events it produces:
- PaymentAuthorized
- PaymentFailed
- PaymentProcessed
Inventory System Interface
Commands it accepts:
- ReserveInventory (triggered by PaymentAuthorized event)
Events it produces:
- InventoryReserved
- InventoryFailed
6. Identify Processors vs Systems
Show where automation lives:
Processors (autonomous automation):
1. PaymentProcessor
Triggered by: OrderConfirmed event
Logic: Calls external payment gateway
Produces: AuthorizePayment command
Lives in: Payment System
2. InventoryProcessor
Triggered by: PaymentAuthorized event
Logic: Checks stock, reserves inventory
Produces: ReserveInventory command
Lives in: Inventory System
3. FulfillmentProcessor
Triggered by: InventoryReserved event
Logic: Creates shipment records
Produces: CreateShipment command
Lives in: Fulfillment System
4. NotificationProcessor
Triggered by: OrderCreated, OrderConfirmed, OrderShipped events
Logic: Sends emails/SMS
Produces: No commands (info-only)
Lives in: Notification System (cross-cutting)
Output Format
Present as:
# System Organization: [Domain Name]
## System Boundaries
### System: Order Management
- **Team**: Order Team
- **Responsibilities**: Create, confirm, cancel orders
- **Commands**: CreateOrder, ConfirmOrder, CancelOrder
- **Events Produced**: OrderCreated, OrderConfirmed, OrderCancelled
- **Events Consumed**: PaymentAuthorized, InventoryReserved (for state updates)
- **Read Models**: OrderStatusView, OrderListView
- **Scope**: One stream type (Order)
### System: Payment Processing
- **Team**: Payment Team
- **Responsibilities**: Authorize and process payments
- **Commands**: AuthorizePayment, ProcessPayment, RefundPayment
- **Events Produced**: PaymentAuthorized, PaymentFailed, PaymentRefunded
- **Events Consumed**: OrderConfirmed (from Order System)
- **Read Models**: PaymentStatusView, TransactionHistory
- **Dependencies**: External payment gateway
- **Scope**: One stream type (Payment)
### System: Inventory Management
- **Team**: Inventory Team
- **Responsibilities**: Stock management and reservations
- **Commands**: ReserveInventory, ReleaseReservation, AllocateStock
- **Events Produced**: InventoryReserved, ReservationReleased, StockAllocated
- **Events Consumed**: PaymentAuthorized (from Payment System)
- **Read Models**: InventoryLevelView, ReservationView
- **Dependencies**: Warehouse system
- **Scope**: One stream type (InventoryReservation)
[Continue for each system]
---
## Event Flow Across System Boundaries
### Flow: Order → Payment → Inventory → Fulfillment
Time →
Order System OrderCreated → OrderConfirmed → (triggers) Payment System PaymentAuthorized → (triggers) Inventory System InventoryReserved → (triggers) Fulfillment System OrderShipped DeliveryConfirmed
---
## Team Responsibilities Matrix
| Team | Creates Commands | Produces Events | Owns Read Models |
|------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
| Order | CreateOrder, ConfirmOrder | OrderCreated, OrderConfirmed | OrderStatusView |
| Payment | AuthorizePayment | PaymentAuthorized | PaymentStatusView |
| Inventory | ReserveInventory | InventoryReserved | InventoryLevelView |
| Fulfillment | CreateShipment | OrderShipped | ShipmentTrackingView |
---
## Inter-System Communication
### Order → Payment
- Trigger: OrderConfirmed event
- Action: Payment System listens via Processor
- Result: AuthorizePayment command issued
### Payment → Inventory
- Trigger: PaymentAuthorized event
- Action: Inventory System listens via Processor
- Result: ReserveInventory command issued
[Document all communication patterns]
---
## Dependencies
### External Systems
| System | Owns | Called By | Purpose |
|--------|------|-----------|---------|
| Payment Gateway | Payment provider | Payment System | Authorization |
| Warehouse | Inventory source | Inventory System | Stock info |
| Carrier API | Shipping | Fulfillment System | Tracking |
---
## Independent Development
Each system can:
- Develop independently
- Use different tech stacks
- Scale independently
- Deploy independently
- Own their events
- Maintain their read models
Coordination via:
- Events (async messaging)
- Processors (listen and react)
- Read models (shared views)
Quality Checklist
- Each system has clear ownership
- System boundaries are well-defined
- Events map to systems
- Commands map to teams
- Cross-system communication is documented
- No circular dependencies
- Each team has independent scope
- Processors are explicitly assigned
- External systems identified
- System interfaces are clear
Conway's Law Principle
System architecture mirrors team structure:
- Separate teams → Separate systems
- Each system owns events
- Communication through events
- Independent development possible
- Aligns with org chart
Key Benefits
- Team Independence: Each team owns their domain
- Clear Ownership: No confusion about responsibility
- Scalable Architecture: Systems can evolve independently
- Event-Driven: Natural communication via events
- Deployment: Each team deploys their system