Curriculum Vitae
| Location: | Victoria BC & Toronto, ON (CANADA) |
| LinkedIn: | linkedin.com/in/josephcaughey |
| Email: | joey.caughey@gmail.com |
Fractional CTO and AI product architect, building end-to-end platforms across web, mobile, SaaS, fintech and media since 2000. Current work is agentic engineering systems with deterministic validation underneath them, so AI-generated code is verified against a spec rather than trusted on faith. Equally comfortable setting technical strategy or writing production code, and drawn to problems where the engineering has to be both fast and provably correct.
End-to-End Product Architecture
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Web & Frontend Systems
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Applied Systems
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Backend & Infrastructure
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Mobile & Cross-Platform Development
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Production & Creative Technology
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- Design the deterministic validation framework behind production rebuilds: executable specs, LLM-as-judge evaluators graded on explicit criteria, contract tests at every API and data seam, and validators that keep running post-deploy so regressions surface in minutes.
- Architect transaction-level reconciliation engines and validation pipelines that verify functional and transactional parity, generate auditable evidence, and reconcile AI-generated output against authoritative sources of truth.
- Build the delivery tooling around it: Figma-to-code workflows, Jira and development-tool integration, MCP-based agent tooling, structured orchestration, and human-in-the-loop approval gates.
- Products architected include Contract-as-Code, which compiles collective agreements into executable compliance rules and validates payroll calculations against them; Servegalo, an AI-native operating system for service businesses; and Affidavit Services, a remote commissioning platform built for Ontario.
- Agentic workflows are designed with explicit permissions, decision boundaries, validation gates, observability and escalation paths rather than unconstrained AI execution, keeping AI-assisted delivery fast while preserving security, traceability and enterprise governance.
- Led technical strategy and hands-on development of a cloud-native media platform supporting content creation, distribution, and monetization.
- Designed and implemented full-stack platform architecture across frontend (Vue/Nuxt) and backend (Node.js, Firebase, AWS), establishing scalable APIs, data models, authentication systems, and cloud deployment pipelines.
- Architected creator accounts and subscription systems supporting 1m+ users and handling 1TB of asset storage, subscription models, and digital distribution workflows.
- Established scalable infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, and development standards.
- Collaborated closely with founders/partners and creative teams to translate product vision into production-ready systems.
- Founded and operated a mission-driven label supporting independent artists through sustainable brand development and digital distribution infrastructure.
- Designed metadata pipelines, royalty tracking systems, and release workflows across 7 albums and 11 artists.
- Built artist dashboards and backend tooling to manage distribution, streaming integrations, and release coordination.
- Produced 100+ live events and projects, building a recognizable regional arts brand while reinvesting resources into community growth and creative sustainability.
- Universal Studios, Visa, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, TD Bank, RBC, Scotiabank, Big Brother Canada, Osgoode Hall Law School, Standard Media Index, Quandl, Cushman & Wakefield, Bench Brewing, Slate Properties, the Government of Yukon.
- Architected and delivered large-scale consumer and enterprise platforms within award-winning agencies, supporting nationally visible campaigns and regulated industries under aggressive timelines and public scrutiny.
- Built and deployed enterprise-grade digital solutions for major organizations and regulated industries, ensuring reliability, security, and long-term maintainability.
- Built scalable frontend and backend systems using modern JavaScript frameworks, API-driven architectures, and performance-focused engineering practices.
- Contributed to system architecture decisions, performance optimization strategies, and production deployment readiness across cross-functional teams.
- Engineered and modernized the high-traffic voting infrastructure for Big Brother Canada, supporting nationally televised campaigns and large-scale concurrent participation under live broadcast constraints, leading the migration from traditional server-based hosting to AWS cloud architecture—improving scalability and reliability, reducing load times and infrastructure strain, and cutting hosting costs by tens of thousands of dollars annually.
- Led accessibility compliance initiatives aligned with AODA and WCAG 2.1 standards, ensuring digital platforms met provincial and federal regulatory requirements while reducing legal exposure for government and corporate stakeholders.
- Supported regulated industry platforms (banking, finance, government) with compliance-aware architecture, scalability planning, and secure deployment workflows aligned with enterprise standards.
- Built responsive platforms for the Ontario Securities Commission and ShareLife, working to AODA and WCAG 2.1 AA standards in an environment where accessibility compliance carried regulatory exposure rather than being a nice-to-have.
- Led accessibility compliance initiatives across government and corporate platforms, reducing legal exposure for public-sector and regulated stakeholders.
- Delivered front-end architecture with HTML5, SASS/CSS3, Nuxt/Vue.js and headless CMS integrations, working alongside creative teams to production deployment.
- AI Dictation Notes App – Speech-to-text workflow with structured note management and Google Docs synchronization and Open AI assistant.
- Guitar & Bass Tuner App – Real-time pitch detection and audio processing system.
- Tool Sharing Marketplace – Flutter-based marketplace platform with authentication, geolocation logic, booking workflows, and internal tokenized credit ledger.
- AI Nutritionist and Personal Trainer – Architected an AI-powered health platform integrating personalized training programs, nutrition planning, macro calculations, and adaptive user feedback systems.
- Designing an ad-backed blockchain media and financial ecosystem built around tokenized value and yield concepts.
- Architecting secure wallet flows, smart-contract interactions, and scalable backend infrastructure.
- Leading product vision, technical roadmap, and long-term monetization strategy.
- Blockchain-enabled digital marketplace for music releases and collectible media.
- Built end-to-end platform integrating payments, asset delivery, and creator monetization.
- Focus on artist-first economics, ownership transparency, and modern UX.
- Led development of large‑scale web platforms across fintech, media, e‑commerce, and SaaS.
- Delivered solutions for government organizations, regulated financial institutions, national media companies, enterprise clients, and venture‑backed startups, often through agency and consultancy engagements.
- Modernized legacy systems into cloud‑native, scalable architectures using JavaScript, Node.js, Vue/Nuxt, React, Firebase, and AWS.
- Delivered secure payment flows, high‑traffic APIs, and data‑driven dashboards supporting mission‑critical operations.
- Served in senior and CTO‑level capacities, collaborating directly with founders, executives, and non‑technical stakeholders.
- Mentored developers, led Agile teams, and owned delivery from architecture through production.
(Earlier roles consolidated to highlight leadership, architecture, and delivery impact rather than individual short‑term positions.)
Applied ML fundamentals, neural network design, production-oriented model implementation, and practical AI implementation.
Comprehensive hands-on training in Solidity smart contracts, Ethereum/EVM development, token standards (ERC‑20 / ERC‑721), DeFi architecture, NFT systems, Hardhat workflows, and full‑stack DApp development using JavaScript and Web3 frameworks.
Intensive program covering directing, cinematography, screenwriting, lighting, editing, audio, and production fundamentals.
Built a foundational understanding of economic systems, markets, fiscal policy, and resource allocation, applied in business, risk analysis, and strategic decision‑making contexts.
Sustained independent development and systems design across web, mobile, backend, and cloud platforms, including JavaScript/TypeScript stacks, Go services, Flutter/Dart applications, DevOps pipelines, infrastructure automation, and production-grade application architecture.
- Founder & operator of multiple creative and media ventures (music labels, film projects, digital platforms).
- Extensive experience in branding, UX/UI, audio/video production, and content distribution.
- Canadian citizen with experience operating across Canada and the United States.
This document highlights current, high-impact experience while streamlining earlier roles for focus.
Context-specific versions — Founder/CTO, Agency Project-Based, Fintech/Banking/Blockchain, and Arts & Entertainment — can be provided upon request.
Open to equity-aligned leadership roles and long-term partnerships where I can take meaningful ownership of product architecture, technology strategy, and platform growth.
Open to remote, hybrid, travel, and relocation opportunities.