Balancing Coupling in Software Design • Vlad Khononov & Sheen Brisals • GOTO 2025

This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club. #GOTOcon #GOTObookclub http://gotopia.tech/bookclub Read the full transcription of the interview here: https://gotopia.tech/episodes/367 Sheen Brisals - AWS Serverless Hero, Engineering Leader & Co-Author of "Serverless Development on AWS" @sheenbrisals6427 Vlad Khononov - Author of "Balancing Coupling in Software Design" & "Learning Domain Driven Design" & Creator of the Balanced Coupling Model @vladikk RESOURCES Vlad https://bsky.app/profile/vladikk.bsky.social https://vladikk.com https://github.com/vladikk https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladikk Sheen https://bsky.app/profile/sheenbrisals.bsky.social https://twitter.com/sheenbrisals https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheen-brisals https://sbrisals.medium.com Links https://www.informit.com https://youtu.be/6hTZXR2brWE https://youtu.be/w9a7eI6BlVc https://youtu.be/j2AQ9eTZ3-0 https://youtu.be/b8WI1QYP0Zk https://youtu.be/_g6DA9WM7RE https://youtu.be/xZdQ4VHtxdU https://youtu.be/PUqalWaZaXY https://youtu.be/8Y-XPlXOWoA https://youtu.be/7NAyn1DC420 https://youtu.be/acqcyX-tpf4 https://youtu.be/VLUvfIm9wnQ https://youtu.be/9I9GdSQ1bbM https://youtu.be/5OjqD-ow8GE https://youtu.be/_ZvwRJnSsQ4 https://youtu.be/MznD2DzlQCc https://youtu.be/DwAI2NqscMo https://youtu.be/miYyinA-Nxc DESCRIPTION Sheen Brisals sits down with software engineer and author Vlad Khononov to explore his latest book, "Balancing Coupling in Software Design". Vlad shares his journey from a failed microservices project to his deep dive into the principles of coupling, drawing insights from a 1970s structured design book. The duo discusses the timeless nature of coupling in software, how modern systems like microservices and cloud architectures still rely on age-old design principles, and the importance of understanding complexity for better problem decomposition and estimation. Vlad also reveals his unique approach to the book—integrating AI-generated poetry into each chapter to help readers grasp complex concepts. With a focus on modularity as the antidote to complexity, Vlad emphasizes that by managing coupling, engineers can create more maintainable, scalable systems. TIMECODES 00:00 Intro 01:53 Why a book on coupling? 04:52 Coupling in modern software architecture 13:50 Applying coupling principles to estimation 16:32 Complexity, modularity & software design 20:08 The failed microservices project 26:05 Bringing creativity to technical writing 35:31 From complexity to modularity 37:28 Outro RECOMMENDED BOOKS Vlad Khononov • Balancing Coupling in Software Design • https://amzn.to/4iGpbDv Vlad Khononov • Learning Domain-Driven Design • https://amzn.to/41EVhIX Sheen Brisals & Luke Hedger • Serverless Development on AWS • https://amzn.to/3W3Sw2f Glenford Myers • Composite/Structured Design • https://amzn.to/4kVblPN Vaughn Vernon • Implementing Domain-Driven Design • https://amzn.to/41Mpk2E Eric Evans • Domain-Driven Design • https://amzn.to/43lNxhv van Kelle, Verschatse & Baas-Schwegler • Collaborative Software Design • https://amzn.to/4iv0N8I Vaughn Vernon & Tomasz Jaskula • Strategic Monoliths & Microservices • https://amzn.to/3AcUscj Nick Tune & Jean-Georges Perrin • Architecture Modernization • https://amzn.to/4b5ASiN https://bsky.app/profile/gotocon.com https://twitter.com/GOTOcon https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto- https://www.instagram.com/goto_con https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences #Coupling #BalancingCoupling #SoftwareArchitecture #Modularity #SoftwareDesign #SoftwareComplexity #ModularMonolith #Microservices #DistributedSystems #DDD #VladKhononov #SheenBrisals #BookClub CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join Looking for a unique learning experience? Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket at https://gotopia.tech Sign up for updates and specials at https://gotopia.tech/newsletter SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL - new videos posted almost daily. https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1