Software architecture is art of expressing business with technology.
Technology has its limitations. If you pursue business goals without getting in touch with the technology, you will hit its limitations. When business hits technology, the latter won’t be hurt. The former will.
Business has not unlimited time and budget. If you evolve technology without getting in touch with the business, you will hit its limitations. When technology hits business, the latter won’t be hurt. The former will.
Great software architecture is when business dances with technology, and nobody gets hurt.
Rule of thumb: if software architect isn’t in touch with business, the software architecture will be worthless (at best), or dangerous for the business.
Rule of thumb: if software architect isn’t in touch with the source code, the software architecture will be ignored (at best), or dangerous for the technology.
Rule of thumb: software architecture written upon a requirements document (only) is invalid. Software architecture written without (at least) prototyping it in source code (better: implementing first iteration of production code) is invalid.