The title ought to say it all. I don't actually know what the heck "architechting" means -- other than displaying a poor command of the English language -- but the word I dislike the most right now is "monetize". As in, the "monetization of podcasting", "to monetize your web site" or "if we get this right we should be able to monetize it".
Poof! There you go. Your web site instantly turns into dollars. Just because a few really bright teenagers can copy somebody else's good idea and find a buyer doesn't mean that a business model exists. Some people will be able to sell code, servers, web domain names, etc and make some money. If you do get something in the first tier of a new concept land-rush or, even if you don't and you find a buyer, then you are just engaging in the time honoured exchange of trade in goods and services.
No, what I'm really thinking about here are the tool makers and widget jockies of the latest vanguard. Maybe you have a good idea, maybe not. If you do then test it in the real world of the web beyond the minions of "tech". Make it useful to the AOL'ers, the Ebay'ers, grandma and the kid in Montana with dial-up. Get out of the bubble and breathe some business gas.
Give up on dreams of 'monetizing' your latest 'tool'. If you want to make money then don't be embarrassed about using words like 'plan', 'profit' and 'goal'. Dreaming is something you do when you sleep. Your waking life is for action.
Right now, right this very minute, somebody is hatching a good idea and they don't know what to do with it. Maybe the idea just cannot be conventionally commercialized. That's okay; we've got open source. There are ways to move concepts forward without capital. The key is to imagine the result you want, whether it is a commercial ambition or a noble cause. To get there, you have to have a plan. Make progress everyday and think in terms of what defines success for you.
Monetization is not an action, it's just an activity. If you can't figure out how to "monetize" your web hobby then is it something that you can turn into a money maker? Antique dealers don't wonder how to "monetize" old chairs; they sell them. Define what it is you do and establish your value in the marketplace of ideas.
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