Welcome to the Principal AI Infrastructure Architect Learning Repository! This executive-level curriculum prepares architects for company-wide technical leadership, strategic architecture, and industry thought leadership.
By completing this curriculum, you will be able to:
Enterprise Architecture:
- Design company-wide AI/ML platform strategies
- Create multi-year technical roadmaps and architecture visions
- Establish architecture governance frameworks
- Lead cross-organizational architecture alignment
- Evaluate and drive emerging technology adoption
Strategic Leadership:
- Influence C-level technology decisions
- Present architecture strategy to board of directors
- Align technical vision with business objectives
- Drive M&A technical due diligence
- Shape long-term (3-5 year) technical strategy
Industry Leadership:
- Publish architecture thought leadership (conferences, papers)
- Contribute to industry standards and best practices
- Build strategic vendor and partner relationships
- Mentor senior architects across the organization
- Drive innovation and R&D direction
Organization Impact:
- Lead architecture review boards (ARB)
- Establish enterprise architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman)
- Drive total cost of ownership (TCO) optimization
- Manage architecture standards and compliance
- Foster architecture excellence culture
Total Duration: 520 hours (13 weeks full-time, 26 weeks part-time) Difficulty: Executive/Principal Prerequisites: Senior AI Infrastructure Architect (5+ years architecture experience)
| Module | Topic | Duration | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | Enterprise Architecture Frameworks | 25 hours | Executive |
| 502 | Strategic Technology Planning | 25 hours | Executive |
| 503 | Architecture Governance & Standards | 20 hours | Executive |
| 504 | Multi-Platform Architecture Patterns | 25 hours | Expert |
| 505 | M&A Technical Due Diligence | 15 hours | Executive |
| 506 | Executive Communication & Influence | 20 hours | Executive |
| 507 | Innovation & R&D Strategy | 20 hours | Executive |
| 508 | Thought Leadership & Industry Impact | 15 hours | Executive |
| 509 | Vendor Strategy & Partnerships | 15 hours | Executive |
| 510 | Architecture Team Leadership | 20 hours | Executive |
| Project | Description | Duration | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Enterprise AI Platform Architecture | 80 hours | Company-wide |
| 02 | 3-Year Technology Roadmap | 60 hours | Strategic |
| 03 | Architecture Governance Framework | 60 hours | Organizational |
| 04 | M&A Integration Architecture | 60 hours | Business Critical |
| 05 | Thought Leadership Portfolio | 60 hours | Industry Impact |
Before starting, you should have:
- 8+ years in software architecture
- 5+ years specifically in AI/ML infrastructure architecture
- Experience leading architecture for multiple teams/products
- Track record of successful large-scale system designs
- Senior Architect or Staff+ level expertise
- Strategic thinking and business acumen
This curriculum is designed for:
- Senior Architects ready for principal/distinguished roles
- Staff Architects targeting company-wide impact
- Architecture Directors seeking executive technical leadership
- CTOs of smaller companies wanting structured advancement
- Principal Engineers transitioning to architecture focus
- Entry: Senior AI Infrastructure Architect (8+ years total experience)
- Completion: Principal AI Infrastructure Architect readiness
- Timeline: 6-12 months while working full-time
- Next Steps: Distinguished Architect, VP/SVP Architecture, CTO
ai-infra-principal-architect-learning/
├── README.md # This file
├── CURRICULUM.md # Detailed curriculum
├── lessons/ # Executive modules
│ ├── mod-501-enterprise-architecture/
│ ├── mod-502-strategic-planning/
│ ├── mod-503-governance-standards/
│ ├── mod-504-multi-platform-patterns/
│ ├── mod-505-ma-due-diligence/
│ ├── mod-506-executive-communication/
│ ├── mod-507-innovation-rd/
│ ├── mod-508-thought-leadership/
│ ├── mod-509-vendor-strategy/
│ └── mod-510-architecture-leadership/
├── projects/ # Strategic projects
│ ├── project-01-enterprise-platform/
│ ├── project-02-technology-roadmap/
│ ├── project-03-governance-framework/
│ ├── project-04-ma-integration/
│ └── project-05-thought-leadership/
├── assessments/ # Executive assessments
├── resources/ # Frameworks, templates, case studies
└── community/ # Executive peer network
- Module Assessments (10 × 20 points = 200 points)
- Strategic Projects (5 × 100 points = 500 points)
- Thought Leadership (100 points)
- Peer Review (100 points)
- Executive Presentation (100 points)
- Total: 1,000 points
- Overall Passing: 700/1,000 points (70%)
- Each Project: Minimum 70/100 points
- Executive Presentation: Minimum 70/100 points
- Thought Leadership: Published work required
You're ready for Principal Architect when you can:
- Present architecture strategy to C-level executives
- Design company-wide platform architectures
- Lead architecture governance across organizations
- Influence industry standards and best practices
- Mentor senior and staff architects
- Drive innovation and R&D initiatives
- Principal AI Infrastructure Architect
- Distinguished Architect - AI/ML
- Director of Architecture
- VP of Infrastructure Architecture
- Chief Architect - AI/ML
- CTO (startups/mid-size companies)
- Principal Architect: $280,000 - $450,000
- Distinguished Architect: $350,000 - $550,000
- Director of Architecture: $300,000 - $500,000
- VP Architecture: $400,000 - $700,000+
- CTO (Series B-D): $300,000 - $800,000+
Note: Total compensation includes base + equity + bonus
From:
- Senior AI Infrastructure Architect
- Staff Architect
- Architecture Manager
To:
- Distinguished/Fellow Architect
- VP/SVP of Architecture
- VP/SVP of Engineering
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
- Enterprise Patterns: Multi-region, multi-cloud, hybrid cloud
- Platform Architecture: Company-wide ML/AI platforms
- Integration Architecture: M&A, acquisitions, partnerships
- Reference Architectures: Industry-leading designs
- Technology Roadmaps: 3-5 year strategic plans
- Innovation Strategy: Emerging tech evaluation and adoption
- R&D Direction: Research priorities and investment
- Architecture Vision: Long-term technical direction
- Executive Communication: Board presentations, C-level briefings
- Architecture Governance: ARB leadership, standards enforcement
- Mentorship: Developing senior and staff architects
- Thought Leadership: Conferences, publications, patents
- TCO Optimization: Company-wide cost management
- Vendor Strategy: Strategic partnerships and negotiations
- M&A Integration: Technical due diligence and integration
- Business Alignment: Architecture supporting business goals
Design a company-wide AI/ML platform including:
- Current state assessment (100+ teams)
- Future state architecture vision (3-5 years)
- Migration strategy and roadmap
- Governance and operating model
- TCO analysis and business case
Deliverables: Architecture vision document, C-level presentation, migration plan
Create strategic technology roadmap including:
- Technology landscape analysis
- Emerging tech evaluation (quantum, edge AI, etc.)
- Platform evolution strategy
- Investment priorities and R&D focus
- Risk assessment and mitigation
Deliverables: Technology roadmap, investment proposal, exec briefing
Establish enterprise architecture governance:
- Architecture Review Board (ARB) charter
- Design review processes and templates
- Architecture standards and principles
- Compliance and audit framework
- Training and enablement program
Deliverables: Governance framework, ARB playbook, standards documentation
Lead M&A technical integration:
- Technical due diligence assessment
- Integration architecture design
- Migration and consolidation strategy
- Risk mitigation and contingency planning
- Post-merger architecture roadmap
Deliverables: Due diligence report, integration architecture, migration plan
Demonstrate industry leadership through:
- Conference presentation or paper submission
- Blog series or technical whitepaper
- Open source contribution or framework
- Industry standards contribution
- Patent application (optional)
Deliverables: Published work, presentation recordings, portfolio
- TOGAF 9.2 - The Open Group Architecture Framework
- Zachman Framework - Enterprise Architecture framework
- C4 Model - Software architecture diagramming
- AWS Well-Architected Framework
- Google Cloud Architecture Framework
- Enterprise Architecture As Strategy - Ross, Weill, Robertson
- Software Architecture in Practice - Bass, Clements, Kazman
- Building Evolutionary Architectures - Ford, Parsons, Kua
- Fundamentals of Software Architecture - Richards, Ford
- The Art of Business Value - Schwartz
- Good Strategy Bad Strategy - Rumelt
- The Architecture Journal (Microsoft)
- IEEE Software - Architecture articles
- O'Reilly Architecture Conference
- QCon - Software architecture track
- ThoughtWorks Technology Radar
- QCon - Software architecture track
- O'Reilly Software Architecture Conference
- AWS re:Invent / Google Cloud Next
- MLOps World / AI Infrastructure Alliance
- GOTO Conferences
- InfoQ - Architecture articles
- IEEE Software
- ACM Queue
- Company engineering blogs
- Personal blog / Medium
- CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation) projects
- LF AI & Data projects
- Apache ML/AI projects
- Create your own open source framework
- Principal Architect cohort (peer learning groups)
- Executive mentorship program
- Architecture councils participation
- Industry working groups
- Monthly executive roundtables
- Quarterly architecture summits
- Annual thought leadership conference
- Private Slack channels for principals
MIT License - See LICENSE for details
- Principal and Distinguished Architects who reviewed curriculum
- CTOs and VPs who shared strategic insights
- Industry leaders who contributed case studies
- Architecture community for collective wisdom
- Principal AI Infrastructure Engineer (IC track)
- AI Infrastructure Team Lead (Management track)
- Distinguished/Fellow Architect - Highest technical architecture role
- VP/SVP of Architecture - Executive leadership
- Chief Technology Officer - C-level technology leadership
Ready to shape the future of AI infrastructure? 🚀 Begin with Module 501: Enterprise Architecture Frameworks
Questions? Open an issue or join our executive peer network!
Last Updated: October 2025 Version: 1.0.0 Maintained by: AI Infrastructure Curriculum Team Contact: ai-infra-curriculum@joshua-ferguson.com