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# Beyond micro-services, embrace composable architecture !

Stop choosing between buy versus build. Discover how composable architecture combines SaaS, low-code, and custom APIs like Lego blocks to scale systems without vendor lock-in.

- **Speakers:** [Loïc Carbonne](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@loic-carbonne)
- **Event:** World Congress 2024
- **Published:** August 29, 2024
- **Duration:** 26:39
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1188-beyond-micro-services-embrace-composable-architecture

## Summary

The historical evolution of web architecture has steadily moved from monolithic structures and service-oriented architectures (SOA) directly into the era of microservices, originally driven by the need for multi-device support. However, to stay agile in a hyper-competitive digital landscape, the industry is now embracing "composable architecture." This model treats system design "like playing with Legos," expanding beyond traditional microservices by deliberately combining low-code platforms, Software as a Service (SaaS), open-source modules, and custom backend APIs. Instead of being trapped by the rigid "buy versus build" dilemma, organizations are moving toward a "buy first, then build" philosophy that leverages packaged business capabilities (PBCs) to accelerate time-to-market.

Successfully implementing scalable composable architectures relies heavily on mitigating technical risks like vendor lock-in and creeping system coupling. By applying principles from domain-driven design—specifically the anti-corruption layer (ACL) pattern—and clean architecture, engineering teams can decouple frontends from external tools, enabling rapid application modularity without causing sudden system-wide failures. Additionally, architects must not blindly trust third-party vendors. Rigorous evaluation of a SaaS provider's performance constraints, rate limits, and data compliance capabilities is critical to ensuring operational safety. Developers must also be prepared to tackle the daily realities of distributed systems, such as orchestrating distributed monitoring configurations and safely duplicating state into local data stores like PostgreSQL to prevent cascading API outages.

Ultimately, a robust composable enterprise requires tight alignment across technological adoption and organizational structure, illustrating Conway's Law in practice. Even if teams deliberately select highly compatible platforms endorsed by the MACH alliance, the deployment will falter if development teams lack the targeted skills to maintain the specific language ecosystem or if centralized governance fails to synchronize product managers. By explicitly prioritizing tooling that the cross-functional team can accurately support, aggressively minimizing tight frontend-backend coupling, and establishing robust cross-team communication protocols, scale-ups can dramatically lower total cost of ownership while shipping a vastly optimized, resilient user experience.

**Keywords:** composable architecture, packaged business capabilities, API-first development, MACH alliance standards, SaaS vendor evaluation, low-code integration, distributed system monitoring, anti-corruption layer, domain-driven design, clean architecture decoupling, headless e-commerce, conway's law alignment, total cost of ownership, event channel orchestration, service-oriented architecture

## Chapters

1. **Modularity challenges in the physical and digital worlds** (00:00) — Why modularity failed in physical products like smartphones but thrives in software engineering environments.
1. **Defining composable architecture in competitive e-commerce markets** (01:56) — How composable architecture enables early technology adoption and rapid innovation in saturated markets.
1. **Evolution from monolithic applications to headless microservices** (03:07) — Tracing software history backward from monolithic servers through service-oriented design to API-first components.
1. **Combining external tools into packaged business capabilities** (06:32) — Augmenting standard microservices by integrating low-code, open-source, and custom services into modular units.
1. **Building a marketplace with easily swappable third-party modules** (08:16) — A practical marketplace example demonstrating how decoupled architectures allow rapidly exchanging failing e-commerce providers.
1. **Core business benefits of embracing composable architectures** (09:59) — How adopting decoupled systems improves time to market, resiliency, and unique user experiences.
1. **Evaluating value and cost in build versus buy decisions** (12:01) — Analyzing total cost of ownership and functional coverage to choose the right software options.
1. **Verifying the composability of external tools and services** (14:06) — Evaluating APIs, webhooks, and vendor lock-in risks before adopting third-party software applications.
1. **Auditing third-party technical quality and team skill profiles** (15:22) — Why relying on external software still requires rigorous performance auditing and developer expertise alignment.
1. **Applying architectural patterns to manage decoupled service composition** (18:06) — Leveraging domain-driven design, anti-corruption layers, and clean architecture to avoid brittle service integrations.
1. **Aligning team governance with distributed software architecture** (21:20) — Mitigating the effects of an organizational design that inadvertently leads to duplicated and confusing code.
1. **Rise of modern composition technologies and web platforms** (22:15) — Exploring web platforms like Netlify and Vercel that simplify the embedding and linking of disparate API services.
1. **Handling compatibility and abstraction layers in composable systems** (25:15) — Differentiating composable frameworks from hexagonal architectures and determining when to implement software abstraction layers.

## Related Moments

- [Balancing architectural complexity with practical business value](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1052-autonomous-microservices-with-event-driven-architecture) (from "Autonomous microservices with event-driven architecture")
- [Balancing modularization fundamentals with effective software engineering organization design](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/970-microservices-monoliths-an-annoying-discussion) (from "Microservices? Monoliths? An Annoying Discussion!")
- [Architecting the platform with modern cloud and mobile technologies](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/64-shared-mobility-for-everyone) (from "Shared mobility for everyone!")
- [Navigating tooling fragmentation and vendor lock-in risks](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/392-mlops-what-s-the-deal-behind-it) (from "MLOps - What’s the deal behind it?")
- [Four dimensions driving modern software architecture complexity](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/386-telemetry-without-the-tool-tax) (from "Telemetry without the 'Tool Tax'")
- [Prioritizing modularity over the monolith versus microservices debate](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/164-monoliths-a-love-story) (from "Monoliths: A love story")

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- [Why You Shouldn’t Build a Microservice Architecture](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/118-why-you-shouldn-t-build-a-microservice-architecture)
- [Why Event-Driven Architecture Isn’t About Speed (and When You Actually Need It)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/745-why-event-driven-architecture-isn-t-about-speed-and-when-you-actually-need-it)
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