REAL Talk With Sam Holcman

Why Poor Data Foundations Undermine AI Success

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Organizations are learning a costly lesson: AI does not fail first because of the model; it fails because of the data foundation beneath it. More than...

Coffee Grinders - Certifiers - and Real Practitioners

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Let us be honest - most Enterprise Architects and Business Architects start the day the same way.You roll out of bed, scroll through overnight emails,...

Process Visualization: A Best Practice Blueprint for Reworking Processes Before AI

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

CIOs are under intense pressure to harness AI to drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage - but as a recent CIO article states on reima...

Palantir's Real Secret Sauce - Ontologies

11 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If your AI and analytics investments still feel like disconnected projects instead of an enterprise capability, this episode of Real Talk with Sam Hol...

The Ten Most Misunderstood Words in EA/BA

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you are a CIO, CTO, or Architecture Manager, you are already paying an “architecture tax” you never approved.It shows up as overlapping platfor...

Ontology in AI: The Hidden Skill That Makes Architecture and Your Career Work

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In both EACOE enterprise architecture and BACOE business architecture, ontology is the backbone: it tells us what kinds of things exist in the enterpr...

Business Architecture - Belonging to a Club or Practicing a Discipline

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Real Talk with Sam Holcman - where we stop confusing activity with progress and start talking about how businesses actually work.Today I wa...

How to Help the CEO Understand Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture - Without Losing Your Job

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Many CEOs excel in vision, leadership, and financial acumen - yet remain only vaguely familiar with the disciplines of Enterprise Architecture (EA) an...

What Is In and Out In Enterprise Architecture (EA) In 2026 From Exams to Practice

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is shifting decisively from theory-heavy, exam-driven certification to demonstrated, practice-based competence that deliv...

Having A Lot of Data Is Not the Same as Having AI Ready Data

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Organizations have been stockpiling data for years, expecting that one day it will become a strategic asset. With generative AI, that moment has arriv...

LLMs Copyright Infringement as a Service

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Let us start with the uncomfortable truth: large language models - ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and their peers - are built on a foundation th...

What is In and Out in Business Architecture (BA) in 2026: From Exams to Practitioner Certification

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Business Architecture (BA) is undergoing the same transformation: away from framework-centric, multiple-choice exams and toward practitioner-based com...

Why You Cannot Modify What You Have Never Done The Absurdity of Theoretical and Book-Learned Architects

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There is something absurd happening in enterprise architecture and business architecture today, and it is time we called it out. People are passing mu...

Still Doing Architecture Principles

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most EA principles sound good but do not change a single decision because they are not testable. To make them real, convert each principle into a SMAR...

How to Get Your Enterprise Ready for Agentic AI

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This Broadcast is a review and analysis of the Jan 22, 2026 - by Koenraad Schelfaut and Andrew Long CIO Article titled How to get your enterprise arch...

The Real Cost of Standing Still

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“If you are worried about the cost of going for it, just calculate the cost of staying where you are." We have all been there - staring at an opport...

The Key Enterprise Architect and Business Architect Survival Skill for 2026 Critical Ignoring

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We are living in an age of endless low‑quality information and recycled self-declared “best practices.” Framework tourists. Certification logos ...

LinkedIn Posters: An Analysis of Internet Personas

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In a world of infinite content and finite attention, the real competitive advantage is not posting more – it is choosing better who you listen to.  ...

AI Fabrications, Context, and LLMs

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The scientist who helped invent core building blocks of modern AI just walked away from Meta - with a blunt verdict: Large Language Models (LLMs) are ...

Practitioner Certification Transformation: from Multiple Choice Exams to Demonstrated Competency

24 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

To the EA and BA Community: SAP’s leadership in the Certification Community is moving them from Multiple Choice Exams to Demonstrated Competency. We...

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This episode walks through 200+ methodologies, tools, frameworks, and technologies that were once sold as the future” - and are now forgotten, margi...

The 47 Second Enterprise Why EACOE and BACOE Design for Human Attention

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Shrinking attention spans are not a myth; they are a measurable reality, and EACOE and BACOE are the only EA and BA organizations whose methods are en...

Interview With An EACOE Certified Enterprise Architect: Mohammed Khalil

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Real Talk with Sam Holcman, we sit down with Mohammed Khalil, a Senior Enterprise and Business Architect who has implemented Enterp...

What Makes a Great Enterprise Architect or Business Architect

20 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A great enterprise architect and business architect is defined by mindset, behaviors, and outcomes in the real organization, not by the ability to pas...

Irrational Exuberance and the AI Mania: Are We Living Through a Bubble?

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Real Talk with Sam Holcman, where we connect ideas, innovation, and intelligent decision-making. Today’s reflection: irrational exuberanc...

Why TOGAF® Needs a Refresh

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

TOGAF® is talked about and used, but an increasing number of major practitioners and researchers argue that it misses several critical ingredients fo...

When Software Eats Itself

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s Broadcast. Billions were wasted, companies bankrupted, and governments embarrassed - all because of something we take for granted: software....

EA and BA Advice – How Can You Determine How To Best Spend your Time and Money

07 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When evaluating Enterprise Architecture (EA) or Business Architecture (BA) advice, focus on whether the person, book, website, or post can demonstrate...

Agentic AI, EA 5.0 and EACOE

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Agentic AI is accelerating all the trends that EA 5.0 and EACOE have been arguing for years: architecture must be business-led, continuously adaptive,...

No I Will Not Peg My Biz on AI!

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

No I Will Not Peg My Biz on AI!

Data Center Growth – Good or a Waste

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"One day, people will realize the DATA BELONGS TO ME" – remember that quote from the inventor of the internet and the web. We do not need larger dat...

To-Be Models and As-Is Models – Which Always Comes First

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Developing an as-is model before a to-be model seems logical on the surface - understand where you are, then define where you want to go. Yet, in prac...

Thought Leader – Thought Mimicker – Cult Follower: Who are you actually hearing?

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A thought leader is an authority figure recognized for their expertise in a specific field, often leading discussions and sharing insights that influe...

Data for AI - Building New Age Architecture

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Data drives Artificial Intelligence - not the other way around. It is the foundation upon which AI systems are built and the fuel that determines how ...

AI and REAL Enterprise Architecture

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI, driven by hype cycles, is disrupting and in many ways undermining the value of REAL (Realistic, Enabling, Actionable, Logical) Enterprise Architec...

Why Real Enterprise Architects and Business Architects Ignore the AI Hype Machine

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI is everywhere - on every page, in every boardroom pitch, and across every trend report. But as any seasoned leader and practitioners know, what cre...

Prompt Engineering or Prompt Manipulation - A Critical Look at How We Shape AI Responses

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The term “prompt engineering” has become popular in recent years to describe the process of carefully designing inputs - known as prompts - for la...

The Executive and CIO’s and Your Risks of Over-Reliance on AI in Enterprise Architecture

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been touted to result in dramatic increases in productivity and consistency throughout Enterp...

Human Consume-ability of EA and BA Deliverables

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enterprise Architectures and Business Architectures often suffer from a common problem: the outputs produced by architecture teams may be technically ...

Moving from AI to OI

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI - Artificial Intelligence.  OI - Original Intelligence.  While AI can excel at processing vast amounts of data and identifying patterns, Original...

Learning from Information Technology Implementation Failures

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is always a lot that we can learn from successful technology and software developments. There is also a lot we can learn, unfortunately, from te...

The Danger of AI – Anything you say to AI can be used against you

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, anything you say to AI can be used against you, including things that you thought were deleted.  Yes, hitting the delete button or key really do...

Today’s AI – Just Guessing

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the oil that makes the artificial intelligence world run?  Data.  Data infrastructure is the key to moving away from guessing to true useful...

Commentary - AI Has a Safety Problem – This Is How to Manage It

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This broadcast is a commentary. One line I am quoting – “AI models should treat content taken from social media and the internet as untrustworthy ...

Buyer’s Remorse: What to Do When an Enterprise or Business Architecture Certification Isn’t a Great Fit

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enterprise architecture (EA) and Business Architecture (BA) certifications are often seen as strategic moves - intended to elevate professional credib...

What Opportunities or Problems is AI Trying to Address?

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to accelerate.  Billions are being spent in industry, by investors, and by you and I.  Beyond...

Understanding Both Sides of AI's Use in Enterprise Architecture

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop Enterprise Architectures (EA) is attempting to transform the field, but it comes at a cost: a ...

Enterprise Architecture’s Gobbledygook

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a post from Peter Kinev that I will be embellishing a bit.  Somehow, over time, Enterprise Architecture has developed a language of its own. ...

The Power of Architecture: Shaping Progress from the Industrial Revolution to Enterprise Transformation

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This historical synergy between engineering and manufacturing int the industrial age offers a powerful analogy for understanding the complementary rel...

Success with AI starts with quality data – any questions?

21 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This somewhat extended broadcast of Real Talk brings forward the fundamental truth facing success use of AI – most organizations data is not at all ...

The Hidden Risks of “Initial Cost First” in Enterprise Architecture Training and Certification

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the quest to optimize budgets, many organizations focus heavily on minimizing upfront costs - especially when it comes to Enterprise Architecture t...

The Newest Click-Bait – Artificial Intelligence

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you get someone to click on your article, product version, advertisement, or post?  Just put AI or artificial intelligence in the headlines. ...

The Four Types of People We Interact With

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the advent of the internet, LinkedIn, Facebook, Artificial Intelligence, etc., behind all of these are people.  Well, who are these people, what...

Comparing the Agility of a Salad Bar and the EACOE Enterprise Architecture Framework

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We explore the analogy between the agility of a salad bar - where a chef or diners assemble custom salads from a variety of ingredients - and the use ...

Enterprise Architecture or Business Architecture Certification Planned Obsolescence: The Impact of New Certification Releases

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Planned obsolescence in Enterprise Architecture or Business Architecture certification takes on a unique - and often contentious form, when certifying...

Hockey Great Wayne Gretzky and Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An often-cited Wayne Gretzky quote applies perfectly here: “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” In Enterprise Architecture a...

High Impact Trusted Architects (HITA) vs. Certified In Name Only (CINO) Enterprise and Business Architects – Which Are You?

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

High-impact Trusted Enterprise Architects or Business Architects are professionals who deliver tangible value and strategic impact to their organizati...

Capability and Ability – They Are Different

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Business Architects or Enterprise Architects, or their Stakeholders, we often speak about Capabilities.  Words have meaning, of course.  Are we a...

What is a “Standard” in Business and Technology?

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming a standard isn’t as simple as someone waking up one morning and declaring, “Let there be standards!” - if it were, we’d all be drivin...

The B.A.I.T. Models Missing Silo – People

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For those leveraging the Business, Application, Information, and Technology silo stack to represent your Enterprise Architecture, we’re excited to a...

Intellectual Property Terrorism – The Enemy from Within

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the additional threat not discussed in the “general press”?  Domestic Intellectual Property Theft. Realize that it is larger than just Ch...

AI Chatbots Caused Quality Drop – Hiring Human Workers Again

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You mean I cannot just buy the latest “silver bullet” and make the pain go away? Sometimes it takes a brave CEO to say, I need to rethink the late...

Small Language Models – Enterprise Augmented Information (EAI) – the Time is Now

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes satisfaction occurs in different ways.  The IBM CEO discusses, “smaller, domain-specific genAI models are the future."  YES, and we, at ...

The Purpose of Business or Enterprise Architecture? The Baseline for Change

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Where do you get your information, and what is the credibility of the individual providing this information? That is the purpose of providing you wit...

An Architecture Model No One Uses Is Just Cosmetology

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Architecture models - whether Enterprise, Business, or capability - can look impressive. But they are only of use if stakeholders actually use them to...

TOGAF® and Wikipedia – Take A Look

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I recently, on the prompting of one of our clients, took a look at Wikipedia and its TOGAF® entry. In summary, after reading this, my question is –...

Thinking before Deploying AI and LLM’s

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, the AI and LLM hype will continue. We have now spent enough time in the “real world” to put together some real-world questions that need to b...

AI Training Data - Both Digital File Cabinets and Digital Trash Cans are in the Learning Experience

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More and more data being used to train AI engines with less and less understanding of the quality or provenance of the data being used.  My story of ...

EA and BA Training: A Necessary Partnership Between Human Resource Organizations and EA and BA Departments.

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today's rapidly evolving business and technology environments, organizations face increasing pressure to align their Information Technology (IT) in...

Tariffs, Reciprocal Tariffs, and Subsidies – Oh my!

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Getting confused, upset, or wondering. Tariffs are being talked about. Reciprocal Tariffs are being talked about. Subsidies? Stay tuned. Maybe the R...

Enterprise Architects: Be Careful – Do not develop new “silos"

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We needed to transform some Enterprise Architecture practices from developing “New Silos” to enabling the enterprise strategy.  Yes, transform th...

The Windows Phone - time for a second attempt?

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the 2010-2020 timeframe, there was this “magical device” (in my opinion!) called the Windows Phone.  This product made so much sense to m...

The True Value of AI is in the Data

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent 927 word article, there are nine key words that all that are looking at AI need to embrace.  The nine words are “The true value of AI i...

TOGAF - Frameworks and Methodologies

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

TOGAF®, is often described as both a framework and a methodology for enterprise architecture (EA). However, this dual characterization creates confus...

The Imperative for One Enterprise Architecture Framework

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks are indispensable tools for organizations, providing structured thinking and guiding principles to align busin...

How Many Initials After Your Name

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever pondered the tangible accomplishments or real-world impact of individuals who showcase an extensive array of academic credentials, profe...

Ban the Term User

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The unkindest symptomatic term that technology people use to describe the people that pay the bills – USERS.  It is a mindset; it is an insult.  I...

Year 2038 - Get Going Today

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let me summarize. If you were involved in or part of activities regarding the date issue in year 2000, year 2038 is going to make year 2000 look like ...

Operations Evaluation and Optimization - First Process, Then Technology, Then People

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Operations Evaluation and Optimization – something we have been doing for over twenty years with our clients. First Process, then Technology, and th...

Zombie Software and Hardware - Do you have these vulnerabilities

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is Zombie Software and Hardware?  It is hardware and software that has not been completely removed – eliminated – from your organization's p...

Data and AI - The Questions to Ask

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We all know what makes artificial intelligence work is data. But how much do you know about the data that is being used in artificial intelligence? Wh...

Educate Demonstrate Train - They Are Different

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture, the terms educate, demonstrate and train are often confused. In this broadcast, we ...

Business Architecture - A Distinct Discipline from Enterprise Architecture

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Business Architecture is often misunderstood and incorrectly categorized as a mere component of Enterprise Architecture. This concise exploration aims...

AI and Software Development - Still Stuck in Maturity Level 1

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Paving over the cow paths.  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting change. All you have do to is buy a package and you will never hav...

EA and BA Failures - Lessons from Strategic Intelligence Blunders

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let us look outside of EA and BA at failures in other disciplines to see if we can learn something. This gets us away from siloed thinking in our own ...

The Thirst for Ease

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Humankind has a thirst for ease.  Sometimes, we just fill out forms with 123 Main Street, Joe Doe as our name, 123-456-7890 as our telephone number. ...

Beyond The AI Algorithm

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Beyond the AI Algorithm: Rediscovering Authentic Learning and Best Practices.  The Broadcast will outline the four categories of data (information), ...

General Motors and Software Development History from 1984 to Today

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

General Motors has had a number of changes in their software development organizations, for a number of decades now.  It's like déjà vu all over ag...

How and Who Writes your Software

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can you trust and verify the software you are using (or developed internally) is secure, safe, and functions as intended?  Do you know where the soft...

Consultants - Not to be Feared

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Does the word Consultant bring fear to you or your organization?  Let us examine how to turn that fear into trust and hope.  There is one overarchin...

Moving the EA and BA Practice to Professional Status

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you, unfortunately, a C.I.N.O. Architect?  Don't be mad or upset - do something about it.  Have you, as a hiring manager, now realized you have ...

The Next Silver Bullet is Already in your Organization

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have any "grey-haired" people in your Organization? Perhaps you should talk to them about the Silver Bullet already available in most Organizations - ...

Think you are too small to be cyber attacked - think again

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you think you are too small to be affected by cyber-attacks, ransomware, etc. - please listen to this broadcast.  All are vulnerable to these atta...

Learnings from the Olympic Games

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What can we, as Enterprise Architects or Business Architects learn from observing the Olympic Games?  We will outline these lessons, and how we as Ar...

The Four Types of People on a Project

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you are working on a project with a group of individuals, there are four types/categories of individuals you  may encounter.  We will discuss t...

The CEO and Software Development Maturity

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It is time to spotlight essential concerns that demand CEO (and their equivalent title in Government) consideration.  There is an urgent need to brin...

Project Management Post COVID November 2019

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Project Management, most notably in the Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture realm has become significantly more difficult and complicate...

Explaining ChatGPT in Nine Minutes

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Keeping with our tradition of bringing “human consumable” understanding of all things technology, we give you a nine minute overview of ChatGPT. ...

Setting up your Artificial Intelligence Sandbox for about $100

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you really feel safe experimenting with AI right now?  I mean really safe?  The answer, at best, should be I am not sure.  Well, that is a good ...

Data, Information, Information Technology, Information Management – let us take a look

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, we are in the information age, and moving out of the internet age.  The key driver in the information age – the fuel/oil is data, that organiz...