Lesson 1: What is Systems Thinking?

Learning Goals

• Understand what systems thinking is
• Recognize systems in everyday life and software
• See the connection between systems thinking and software architecture

What is Systems Thinking?

Systems thinking is a holistic approach to understanding how components interact as part of a whole. Instead of looking at individual parts in isolation, systems thinking focuses on the relationships, patterns, and emergent behaviors that arise when components work together.

A Simple Example

Consider a coffee shop:

Isolated view (reductionist):

• Coffee machine
• Barista
• Cups
• Beans
• Customers

Systems thinking view:

• Customer orders coffee → Barista uses machine → Machine produces coffee → Customer receives coffee → Customer might return
• The coffee machine needs beans (supply chain)
• The barista needs training (human systems)
• The shop needs location (infrastructure)
• Customer satisfaction affects future visits (feedback loop)

Systems in Software Architecture

Every software system is a system of systems:

User Interface
    ↓
Application Logic
    ↓
Data Layer
    ↓
Infrastructure

But there's more:

• Dependencies: External APIs, libraries, services
• People: Users, developers, stakeholders
• Processes: Development, deployment, operations
• Data: Information flows, state, transactions
• Feedback: Monitoring, logs, user behavior

The Iceberg Model

Systems thinking uses the "iceberg model" to understand systems:

Events (what you see)
    ↓
Patterns (what's happening over time)
    ↓
Structures (what's causing the patterns)
    ↓
Mental Models (what's shaping the structures)

In software architecture:

• Events: A user reports a bug
• Patterns: Similar bugs occur repeatedly
• Structures: Tightly coupled components, lack of testing
• Mental Models: "We need to ship fast, quality can wait"

Why Systems Thinking in Architecture?

Traditional architecture often focuses on:

• Components and their functions
• Technology choices
• Implementation details

Systems thinking adds:

• Relationships and interactions
• Emergent behaviors
• Feedback loops
• Context and boundaries
• Flow of information

This leads to architectures that:

• Adapt to change more easily
• Handle edge cases better
• Scale more naturally
• Align with business goals

Sruja and Systems Thinking

Sruja is built on systems thinking principles:

• Elements as parts: person, system, container, component
• Relationships as interactions: clear, labeled connections
• Scenarios as flows: data and information movement
• Views as perspectives: different angles on the same system
• Validation as feedback: catch problems early

Key Takeaways

1. Systems thinking looks at the whole, not just parts
2. Relationships matter as much as components
3. Patterns and emergent behaviors are key insights
4. Context is critical - nothing exists in isolation
5. Sruja supports systems thinking through its language and features

Exercise

Think of a system you work with daily (could be a codebase, a service, or a team). Identify:

• The main components (parts)
• How they interact (relationships)
• Who depends on it (context)
• Any feedback loops (how information flows back)

Next Lesson

In Lesson 2, we'll explore the five core systems thinking concepts you'll master in this course.