Here is my background:<p>* 4 Years Backend Experience (Data Engineering, API Layer) All at small companies
* B.A. Computer Science + Statistics
* Some Production DevOps Experience<p>Should I pursue more formal education? What areas should I focus on? I'd like to make the move to architecture in the next few years.
The best way to prepare for a position as a software architect is to build greenfield projects from the ground up, to completion. The more the better. The best way to do this is to get a position with a small to medium size software consultancy. Make sure to put time in on the entire stack when you work on a project, including UI/client and data collection/information organization/analytical techniques. There is a lot of intuition involved in architecture in terms of understanding root needs and predicting changes in usage/requirements that can only be built from experience.