I worked for a company not long ago that had leadership which felt you can't be a real architect if you write code. See ya!

All of these experiences resonate with me. The pendulum has swung hard to the continuous deployment model and just like the other side of the long arc of the pendulum not everything about it is good.

I'd say this is a company red flag if they are still having these people around. About four years ago I was at a company that still had someone like that. Useless and highfalutin, he obstructed many projects thanks to an archaic director who thought he was still necessary.

I got out after butting heads with him constantly, and I don't think said company ever shipped anything meaningful in his entire tenure here.

I think you get these people in body shops - companies that basically rent out their skilled staff to other companies. The Architect sounds super important and is the most expensive resource, so obviously they sell it super hard.

When I worked there I was a product guy, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to understand why I didn't fit in... but yeah, I didn't last long.