Big Challenges of Event Storming Big Picture

Event Storming is a powerful technique that helps you learn a lot, but I always emphasize — both in my daily work and in the trainings I conductc — that you need to ensure there is a return on investment in everything you do. That’s why I want to remind you of a few things you should keep in mind as a workshop facilitator, so you don’t end up with just an entertaining session that delivers little value.

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This is only one article... and then you are lost for hours :)

So… Which Event Goes First?

How to start?

Last time, we walked through the "enforcing timeline" step of Big Picture Event Storming. To begin, we need to choose the first event — but a simple "Let's start" is easier said than done. Let’s explore a few different approaches for deciding which event (or events) we should start with, along with their respective pros and cons.

All approaches can be divided into two categories:

• Close collaboration — everyone works together all the time.

• Working in silos — people work alone or in smaller groups and merge their outcomes later.

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I hope you agree this is the right moment for a coffee and reading.

Event Storming Big Picture — How to enforce the Timeline?

We have completed the first step of our workshop. The chaotic exploration and following discussion allowed us to visualize a wealth of information: events, hot spots, and opportunities. We are starting to align our understanding of concepts and terminology.

Before moving to the next step — enforcing the timeline — let’s briefly revisit what we have produced so far:

You may also want to remind yourself of the high-level requirements.

Now that we know where we stand, let’s see how we can use the outcome from the previous sessions.

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The best thing in reading? Can be done everywhere at any time :)

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Did you ever wonder what is the best day for reading? I would say the best is "every" :)

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Sun - checked! Friday - checked! Something to read - checked!

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Friday the 13th - what can go wrong?

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Friday, coffee or reading - what's the best? Today it doesn't matter - you got it all:

The AI Productivity Trap: More Code, Less Thought?

 Can the quality of code degrade much faster because, with AI, new engineers may have fewer opportunities to practice and learn? But what about experienced engineers? Could we become so overwhelmed by the volume of code to review that we start becoming sloppy?

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Another great day is another great reason to read another great article:

What Running Your Application Can Tell You About Its Quality?

I mostly work with long-lived applications that undergo continuous modification. Evaluating their quality by simply glancing at the code would be rather naive—there are multiple dimensions to consider for a more comprehensive assessment. Of course, code quality matters, but there are several other checks I perform. Today, I want to share a subset of those checks—focused specifically on application execution—and what insights they can offer.

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Article, book, audiobook, podcast? It doesn't matter as long as it makes you happy :)

Do You Understand the Debt You Have to Pay?

I was fortunate to start my career with people who truly cared about code quality. Early on, I learned why this matters and how continuous attention to quality positively impacts customer satisfaction. This experience made it natural for me to improve legacy code and constantly seek further enhancements.

However, at the beginning of my journey, my perspective was narrow—I saw only the code. So, my efforts focused solely on refactoring. Fast forward to today, I've learned that there are many more ways to improve software. There are also several strategies you can explore to choose the right approach for your situation.

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Not each Friday can be sunny, but good thing is - each is good for reading:

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Sunny day = reading day :)

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Never ending cycle: yet another word, yet another article, and it's Friday so you have to start again :)

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Today is a good day... good day to read another great article:

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The dilemma of the week comes back - what should you read first?

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And this difficult decision to make - what to read first:

Why Your Brilliant Ideas Fall Flat (And How to Fix It)

We all know the drill: refactoring makes our code easier to understand, static analysis points out complex areas and code smells, tests help us track and improve our code's coverage, and Domain-Driven Design lets us build code that directly reflects the business rules. Sounds logical, right? Yet, we often find it tough to convince managers, product owners, and other stakeholders of the value in these practices. What's even more puzzling is that we usually have no problem getting fellow developers on board.

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April Fool's over so jokes aside - new recommendations are here!

When 'Best Practices' Bite You

I know it's a cliché, but there's no silver bullet. Is refactoring always worth it? No. Is Test-Driven Development always beneficial? Of course not. Should you always add test scenarios to cover every known gap? No. Should automated tests be your goal in every project? Again, no.

Don't get me wrong, I'm far from advocating against these solutions. In fact, I recommend quite the opposite; you should have a compelling reason not to use them. And trust me, your project is likely not as unique as you think. In most cases, developers' arguments against these practices are excuses, not justifications.

However, we should give each decision a moment of reflection and assess whether the benefits truly outweigh the costs. Even your favorite approaches can increase costs and slow down implementation at best, or render it unprofitable at worst.

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First quarter of 2025 is almost over. Great! So much reading in front of us in 2025 left :)

Dealing with legacy is more than the right architecture

So, picture this: you're stuck working on this old, massive monolith, and for years, it's the same old story – we gotta fix this, 'cause delivery's crawling, and keeping developers happy (or even hiring new ones!) is a nightmare.

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Friday, coffee, reading, weekend:

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Let's be honest, we all need coffee and something worth reading:

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Friday, coffee, something to read - couldn't be better :)

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May your coffee be strong, and your reading list long! 

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Friday, coffee, something good to read... perfect moments exist :)

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The next great thing? For sure a book, but which one? This is the question!

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How about one more article... or a book... or a few :)

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How about making Friday great again and read something interesting?

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Friday = coffee + something to read. Ok, I can survive without coffee :P

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Did you already read a book this year? Regardless of the answer, how about an article? Or two?

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Ready or not, here it comes - new articles to read :)

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You know that I know that you know what is the best way to start a New Year :)