<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
		>
<channel>
	<title>Comments on: Is it too late to get out of Architecture?</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/is-it-too-late-to-get-out-of-architecture/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/is-it-too-late-to-get-out-of-architecture/</link>
	<description>What it&#039;s like to work with and be an architect</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:51:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1</generator>
	<item>
		<title>By: Joe</title>
		<link>http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/is-it-too-late-to-get-out-of-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-8341</link>
		<dc:creator>Joe</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:48:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/?p=2228#comment-8341</guid>
		<description>Yes, you can&#039;t try your luck in 2 fields at the same time...
Keep doing architecture but take night classes in business.
Economics, Marketing, Management.
If you hate numbers and are intimidated to all the business talk, start with marketing. Marketing is a fun subject.
When you understand the concepts and be able to apply them in architecture AND see the results. You will get a greater understanding of how stuff works and business will become increasingly fun and interesting. It&#039;s not boring once you really understand it.
Once that happens, leaving architecture doesn&#039;t become so much a difficulty because those concepts apply whether you are selling a shoe or a building and you won&#039;t feel as if being a manger is boring. **There are creative aspects to it as well.
Once you know the concepts, you will know what your clients are thinking. I had one time where a (big contract) client would rather talk to me and ask me questions than my directors who were also in the meeting room. My directors remained silent when posed a question from the client and made our company look really bad and incompetent. I knew I had to say something or our client might lose trust/faith in our company even though I&#039;d risk damaging my directors&#039; egos. I spoke up and my client lightened up and spoke to me the rest of the meeting and asked me questions about all her fears (all regarding money and business talk resulting from the new design).
Fortunately, my directors didn&#039;t do anything to me after and I might add that I gain a little respect from them. It was my proudest achievement in architecture. I was fairly young back then too.
I feel sad about the insanity in architecture. I LOVE IT so much, but everything about it is insanity and we are not running the business well enough to be qualified to tell people to stick to it.
Google Michael Porter&#039;s Harvard Business Review PDF: &quot;The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy&quot; to understand why the architecture industry is crap.
</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yes, you can&#8217;t try your luck in 2 fields at the same time&#8230;</p>
<p>Keep doing architecture but take night classes in business.<br />
Economics, Marketing, Management.</p>
<p>If you hate numbers and are intimidated to all the business talk, start with marketing. Marketing is a fun subject.</p>
<p>When you understand the concepts and be able to apply them in architecture AND see the results. You will get a greater understanding of how stuff works and business will become increasingly fun and interesting. It&#8217;s not boring once you really understand it.<br />
Once that happens, leaving architecture doesn&#8217;t become so much a difficulty because those concepts apply whether you are selling a shoe or a building and you won&#8217;t feel as if being a manger is boring. **There are creative aspects to it as well.</p>
<p>Once you know the concepts, you will know what your clients are thinking. I had one time where a (big contract) client would rather talk to me and ask me questions than my directors who were also in the meeting room. My directors remained silent when posed a question from the client and made our company look really bad and incompetent. I knew I had to say something or our client might lose trust/faith in our company even though I&#8217;d risk damaging my directors&#8217; egos. I spoke up and my client lightened up and spoke to me the rest of the meeting and asked me questions about all her fears (all regarding money and business talk resulting from the new design).</p>
<p>Fortunately, my directors didn&#8217;t do anything to me after and I might add that I gain a little respect from them. It was my proudest achievement in architecture. I was fairly young back then too.</p>
<p>I feel sad about the insanity in architecture. I LOVE IT so much, but everything about it is insanity and we are not running the business well enough to be qualified to tell people to stick to it. </p>
<p>Google Michael Porter&#8217;s Harvard Business Review PDF: &#8220;The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy&#8221; to understand why the architecture industry is crap.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
</channel>
</rss>

