In the world of software engineering, we often use mechanical metaphors: “building,” “architecting,” “wiring.” While these terms help us understand the structural aspects of our work, they also imply a level of rigidity and predictability that software rarely exhibits in the real world.
As I’ve spent more time building complex systems, I’ve come to believe that systems are organisms. They evolve, they grow, they have metabolic needs (maintenance, updates, monitoring), and they eventually decay if not properly cared for.
When we view a software system as an organism, our approach to building it changes:
- Embrace Resilience, Not Just Robustness: Organisms aren’t perfectly robust (they can get sick), but they are incredibly resilient (they heal). A resilient system doesn’t just prevent failure; it survives and recovers from it.
- Modular Growth: Biological systems grow through the replication and specialization of cells. Similarly, software should be built from small, specialized units that can evolve independently.
- Metabolic Monitoring: Just as an organism needs to regulate its internal state, a software system needs deep observability to understand its health and performance.
By adopting this biological lens, we can build software that is more adaptable, more durable, and ultimately more human.