Jun 18, 2026

The C4 Model: Visualizing Software Architecture • Simon Brown & Susanne Kaiser • GOTO 2026

Simon Brown, creator of the C4 Model, discusses its origin as a practical solution to clarify messy software diagrams. He explains the four hierarchical levels (context, container, component, code), emphasizing that most teams only need the top two for significant value. The discussion highlights the importance of including technology in diagrams, C4's collaborative nature, and practical advice on modeling microservices and bounded contexts, all while advocating for a lightweight, accessible approach to architectural visualization.

Jun 17, 2026

Growing & Thriving in a Multi-model World • Alberto Brandolini • GOTO 2025

Alberto Brandolini delivers a compelling talk on how to combat software model decay and avoid the "Big Ball of Mud" by strategically applying Domain-Driven Design principles, especially Bounded Contexts. He emphasizes the critical role of visual thinking, structured architectural discussions, and organizational habits in maintaining clean, evolvable systems, particularly when scaling across teams and international markets. The talk highlights the need for continuous design effort, disciplined decision-making, and proactive identification of model boundaries to build resilient software in complex socio-technical landscapes.

Apr 02, 2026

Learning API Styles • Lukasz Dynowski & Sam Newman • GOTO 2026

This GOTO Book Club episode features an in-depth conversation between Sam Newman and Lukasz Dynowski, co-author of "Learning API Styles," exploring the foundational network layer of APIs, various API styles, critical trade-off decisions, and future trends like WebTransport and gRPC. The discussion emphasizes treating APIs as products, understanding consumer context, and the eight key characteristics of a well-designed API, complemented by a cautionary tale on database access.

Mar 30, 2026

A Typo Led to the Creation of Spring Cloud Contract • Marcin Grzejszczak & Jakub Pilimon • GOTO 2026

Marcin Grzejszczak, a Java Champion and Spring Cloud Contract contributor, discusses how a production-breaking typo led to the creation of Spring Cloud Contract. He outlines an AI-powered future for contract testing, leveraging production traffic and OpenAPI specs to generate and validate contracts automatically. Marcin also emphasizes that 'context' is the most underrated pillar of observability, transforming raw logs, metrics, and traces into actionable insights.

Mar 12, 2026

Master Software Architecture: From Simplicity to Complexity • Maciej «MJ» Jedrzejewski • GOTO 2025

This presentation by Maciej Jedrzejewski explores the concept of evolutionary software architecture, arguing that architecture is not a static, upfront design but a continuous process. It delves into the cognitive biases that lead to over-engineering, emphasizes the critical role of context, and provides a practical four-step model for evolving systems from simplicity to complexity.

Feb 20, 2026

Spring Then & Now: What’s Next? • Rod Johnson, Arjen Poutsma & Trisha Gee

A panel discussion with Spring Framework creator Rod Johnson and veteran Arjen Poutsma, moderated by Trisha Gee. They discuss the evolution of Spring, the future of reactive programming in the age of virtual threads, their new AI agent framework Embabel, and the essential AI skills modern Java developers need to acquire.