C# Architecture Mastery — Scaling Teams with Architecture (Conway’s Law & .NET) (Part 11)

Source: Dev.to

Conway’s Law in .NET

“Organizations design systems that mirror their communication structure.”
— Melvin Conway

This is not a suggestion; it’s an empirical law. If your team structure is messy, your architecture will be too.

How Conway’s Law Shows Up in Codebases

• One giant Web project → one giant team
• Shared DbContext everywhere → shared ownership everywhere
• God services → central decision bottlenecks
• Endless merge conflicts → unclear boundaries

Architecture reveals how teams communicate.

Clean Architecture as a Remedy

Clean Architecture introduces:

• Explicit boundaries
• Clear ownership zones
• Stable contracts

These enable:

• Parallel development
• Reduced coordination cost
• Independent decision‑making

Boundaries are social tools, not just technical ones.

Vertical Slice Architecture

Vertical Slice Architecture aligns naturally with team scaling.

Characteristics of a Slice

• Owns a feature end‑to‑end
• Has minimal dependencies
• Can evolve independently

This mirrors product‑oriented teams rather than technical silos.

The Pitfall of Shared Components

Shared components feel efficient early but become bottlenecks later.

Common Shared Pain Points

• Shared DbContext
• Shared utility libraries
• Shared “core” projects that grow endlessly

Shared code requires shared coordination, which doesn’t scale.

Team Topologies for High‑Performing Organizations

• Stream‑aligned teams – own features
• Platform teams – enable others
• Enabling teams – improve practices

Architecture should support these roles, not fight them.

Good vs. Bad Architecture Questions

Clear ownership reduces meetings more than tools ever will.

Scaling Without Microservices

You do not need microservices to scale teams. Many .NET teams succeed with:

• Modular monoliths
• Clean boundaries
• Vertical slices
• Strong contracts

Microservices solve organizational problems, not just technical ones.

Warning Signs

• Changes require many approvals
• Teams avoid touching certain code
• Fear‑driven development (“Only one person understands this”)
• Slow onboarding

These are architectural symptoms.

Checklist Before Scaling Teams

1. Are boundaries explicit?
2. Is ownership clear?
3. Can teams work independently?
4. Are contracts stable?
5. Does architecture mirror the desired communication pattern?

If the answer is no, scale the architecture first.

The Broader Impact of Architecture

Architecture shapes:

• Teams
• Communication
• Speed
• Culture

You cannot out‑organize Conway’s Law, but you can design with it.

Written by Cristian Sifuentes – helping organizations scale teams by aligning architecture, communication, and technical boundaries in .NET systems.