Fractional AI Architect

You need a senior AI architect. Someone who’s built production systems at scale, who can guide your team through the hard decisions, who’s seen enough projects fail to know where the landmines are buried.

But you don’t need—or can’t justify—a $400,000+ full-time hire. And even if you could, finding someone with real production AI experience who wants a full-time role is nearly impossible right now.

Fractional engagement solves this. You get senior technical leadership at a fraction of the cost and commitment—typically 10-20 hours per week—while I maintain the breadth of experience that comes from working across multiple organizations and problems.

The Problem We Solve

AI initiatives fail without senior technical guidance. Not because the team isn’t smart—they are—but because production AI systems have failure modes that aren’t obvious until you’ve seen them:

• Architecture decisions that seem reasonable but create scaling nightmares later
• Cost structures that work in development but explode in production
• Integration approaches that function in isolation but break in the real system landscape
• Technical debt that accumulates invisibly until it blocks all forward progress

Junior and mid-level developers can build impressive demos. But the difference between a demo and a production system serving real users is a chasm of operational concerns, edge cases, and architectural decisions that require experience to navigate.

Your team needs someone who’s crossed that chasm before. Multiple times. Recently.

How It Works

Embedded, Not Distant

I don’t just review documents and send recommendations. I join your team rhythm:

• Architecture and planning sessions — Present for key technical discussions, not just reviewing decisions after they’re made
• Code reviews — Eyes on critical PRs, especially for architectural patterns and AI integration points
• Team standups — Regular touchpoints to stay current on progress and blockers (async or sync, based on your preference)
• Slack/Teams access — Available for quick questions that would otherwise block your developers

The goal is integration, not just oversight. I become part of the team’s decision-making process, not a distant authority who issues rulings.

Consistent Cadence

Fractional works best with predictable rhythm. Typical engagements:

10 hours/week — Architecture oversight, code reviews, weekly planning participation. Good for teams that have strong senior developers but need strategic guidance.

15-20 hours/week — Deeper involvement including hands-on architecture work, design documentation, and regular developer mentorship. Good for teams building new AI capabilities without existing senior AI expertise.

Variable/On-Call — For organizations with intermittent needs—available for critical decisions, architecture reviews, and escalations without a fixed weekly commitment.

We establish a schedule that works for both sides—specific days, recurring meetings, expected response times for async questions. This isn’t “call me when you need me” unpredictability.

Focused on Transfer

The goal isn’t permanent dependency. It’s building your team’s capabilities so they can eventually operate without me:

• Document the “why” — Architecture decisions get written up with rationale, not just implementation
• Pair on complex work — Your developers learn by working alongside, not just receiving instructions
• Build review habits — Establish code review practices and architectural standards your team maintains
• Identify growth paths — Help you recognize which team members can step into senior roles

Some clients engage for 6 months and graduate to occasional check-ins. Others maintain ongoing relationships for years as their AI capabilities expand. Both are success stories.

What I Bring

34 Years of Production Systems

Not 34 years of theory. 34 years of systems that had to work:

• Hot-failover systems for water treatment plants where downtime meant public health risk (1993)
• American Express call center systems serving 300 agents 24/7 with subsecond response times
• Fortune 500 digital transformation at American Family Insurance—90% reduction in application load times
• Multi-tenant AI platform processing 100K+ monthly operations today

I’ve seen what breaks at scale. I’ve debugged production incidents at 2 AM. I’ve inherited codebases that were architectural disasters and figured out how to fix them without stopping the business.

Full-Stack AI Expertise

Not just one layer. The complete picture:

• Infrastructure — Kubernetes, GPU virtualization, queue systems, cloud and on-premise deployment
• Backend — .NET Core, Python, service architecture, database design, API patterns
• AI/ML — LLM integration, prompt engineering, RAG, multi-modal generation, cost optimization
• Frontend — SPA/PWA architecture, real-time streaming, observable patterns
• Operations — Monitoring, alerting, incident response, capacity planning

When your team faces a problem that spans layers—and AI problems usually do—I can trace it from infrastructure through application code to user experience.

Currently Active

I’m not a retired architect coasting on past experience. The Kusog AI Agent platform is in active development:

• Multi-tenant architecture supporting multiple production applications
• 100K+ monthly AI operations
• Four distinct conversational patterns in production
• Multi-provider integration with cost optimization
• GPU infrastructure with Kubernetes orchestration

When I talk about production AI patterns, I’m describing what I built last month, not what I remember from five years ago.

Engagement Models

Fractional Architect

The core offering. Ongoing part-time engagement as a member of your technical leadership.

Includes:

• Agreed hours per week (typically 10-20)
• Architecture and design guidance
• Code review on critical paths
• Team mentorship
• Participation in planning and standups
• Async availability via Slack/Teams

Typical commitment: 3-month minimum, then month-to-month

Pricing: Monthly retainer based on hours and scope

Architecture Review

For organizations that don’t need ongoing engagement but want experienced eyes on their AI architecture.

Includes:

• Deep-dive into your current AI systems and plans
• Review of code, infrastructure, and architecture
• Written assessment with prioritized recommendations
• Follow-up discussion to clarify and plan next steps

Timeline: 1-2 weeks depending on scope

Pricing: Fixed project fee

Interim Technical Leadership

When you’re between technical leaders and need someone to hold the reins.

Includes:

• Full fractional engagement plus additional leadership responsibilities
• Representing technical team to stakeholders
• Hiring support (defining roles, reviewing candidates, technical interviews)
• Vendor and partner technical evaluations

Typical commitment: 3-6 months or until permanent hire is in place

Pricing: Premium monthly retainer reflecting expanded scope

Senior Engineer Contracts

Sometimes you need hands-on implementation, not just guidance. For specific projects or capacity needs, I can contribute directly as a senior engineer.

Technologies:

• C# / .NET Core
• Python
• JavaScript (SPA/PWA)
• Kubernetes / Docker
• AI/ML integration

Engagement: Typically alongside fractional architect engagement, or as standalone project work

Pricing: Hourly or project-based

What Success Looks Like

For a startup: “We went from ‘our AI prototype kind of works’ to a production system serving real customers. Our CTO learned enough to take it forward without needing a fractional architect anymore.”

For a mid-size company: “We avoided three architectural mistakes that would have cost us six months each. The fractional engagement paid for itself in the first month.”

For an enterprise: “Our AI team had strong developers but no one who’d built production AI systems. Six months of fractional architecture got them to the point where they’re self-sufficient.”

The goal is always the same: make your AI initiatives successful while building your team’s capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from consulting?

Consulting is typically project-scoped: assess a problem, deliver recommendations, disengage. Fractional is relationship-based: ongoing presence, evolving involvement, part of the team. Consultants tell you what to do. A fractional architect helps you do it.

Can you work with our existing technical leadership?

Absolutely. I often work alongside CTOs, VP Engineering, or other architects—providing AI-specific expertise that complements their broader technical leadership. The dynamic is collaborative, not competitive.

What if we need more hours some weeks?

Retainer agreements typically include flexibility for higher-demand periods (product launch, critical technical decisions, incident response). We establish expectations upfront about surge capacity.

Do you work with competitors?

I maintain strict confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest. If you’re in a space where I’m working with a direct competitor, I’ll disclose that upfront so you can make an informed decision.

What about time zones?

Based in Las Vegas (Pacific Time), but I’ve worked with teams across US time zones and internationally. We’ll find overlap that works for your team rhythm.

How do we start?

A conversation. We discuss your situation, your team, your AI initiatives, and what kind of support would be most valuable. If there’s a fit, we define scope and start with a trial period to make sure the working relationship is right for both sides.

Ready to Talk?

If your team is building AI capabilities and could benefit from experienced technical leadership without a full-time commitment, let’s explore whether a fractional engagement makes sense. No pressure, no pitch—just a conversation about where you are and what you need.