AI Strategy · Architecture · Product Leadership
I help CTOs, founders, and product leaders make the technology decisions that compound — then build the systems to execute them. PhD researcher. Professor at University of Chicago. 15 years shipping products at scale.
Three focused practice areas. No generalist consulting.
You already know AI matters. What you need is a clear framework for where it fits in your product, what it genuinely costs to build right, and what your organization must change before the investment pays off. I bring both the research background and the operational track record to help you make that call with confidence.
Learn more →Most technology debt doesn’t announce itself — it accumulates quietly until it becomes a growth ceiling. I review your architecture from a business perspective: what’s holding you back, what’s a real risk, and what can wait. Written for executives. Actionable for engineers.
Learn more →Roadmaps built around features rarely generate the outcomes executives expect. I help product organizations align strategy to business outcomes, build the cross-functional habits that make execution predictable, and develop the leadership capabilities that let great teams scale without losing focus.
Learn more →I'm Rafi Almhana — a PhD researcher in Computer and Information Science, a professor of Product Management at the University of Chicago and University of Michigan, and a product and engineering leader with 15 years of hands-on delivery.
My work sits at the intersection of AI strategy, software architecture, and product leadership. I've directed $17M in product investment, built platforms that scaled to 10K+ users, and contributed to a $50M company acquisition through operational technology improvements.
I teach the next generation of product leaders at the graduate level. I also work directly with executives navigating the technology decisions that will define their organizations for the next decade.
That combination — rigorous research background, real P&L accountability, and a professor's ability to make the complex clear — is what I bring to every engagement.
I work with CTOs, VPs of Product, and founders at companies where technology is a strategic asset — not just an IT function. My clients are making large decisions: whether to build or buy, how to structure an AI investment, what to do when a platform is scaling but the architecture isn't. They want a second opinion from someone who isn't trying to sell them the next engagement.
The Architecture Letter
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