Kaustuv Basak
AI & Full-Stack Architect · Product & Strategy
I'm an AI and full-stack architect and product strategy specialist. I help enterprises and startups turn GenAI ambition into platforms and operating models that actually ship. My background is in engineering, system design, and product strategy — 7.5+ years from hands-on delivery to board-level decision intelligence. I'm currently with McKinsey QuantumBlack on G42 Inception AI in Abu Dhabi. Open to UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe and remote. UWA MBA (9.5/10).
Abu Dhabi, UAE · Open to UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe and remote
I work with enterprises and startups in these regions — remote or relocation where it makes sense.
Experience
Roles, education, and certifications across engineering, architecture, and product leadership — for enterprises and startups in UAE, USA, UK, Canada, and Europe.
Principal Product Consultant (Product & AI Systems) · G42 Inception AI (McKinsey QuantumBlack via StatusNeo)
Architecture and product for a Board Meeting Observer and Decision Intelligence AI platform. Designing LLM-based meeting intelligence: executive summarisation, decision tracking, risk and signal extraction, RAG-backed retrieval. Working with AI architects and enterprise stakeholders to translate governance and strategy into scalable AI design; supporting model evaluation, system orchestration, and structured output pipelines in high-security, compliance-aligned environments.
Full-Stack AI & Product Consultant
Clients: PureCode (AI Developer Copilot), Zeero.us (AI Hiring SaaS), Retail & Telecom AI. Tech Lead & AI Workflow Architect. Shipped full-stack and AI solutions (React, Next.js, Node, Python/FastAPI). PureCode: GPT-4 embedding and retrieval (PyTorch + FastAPI + Node), Snowflake analytics, Stripe billing, AWS ECS. Zeero.us: ML candidate ranking (PyTorch + SageMaker) — +18% accuracy, −35% screening time; Tableau recruitment dashboards. LangChain/OpenAI in enterprise workflows cut manual support time 40%. CI/CD (GitHub Actions + AWS) shortened release cycles 45%.
Product and Data Engineering Manager · Wayfair (via Foray Software)
Owned roadmap and architecture for a logistics SaaS platform (React + Node frontend, Flask + AWS Lambda backend). Built time-series ML forecasting that improved delivery accuracy 25%. ETL with Spark + Snowflake cut data latency from 6 hours to 30 minutes. Real-time dashboards (Tableau + PostHog) for ops. Increased release velocity 30% and optimized AWS spend (₹40L saved annually).
Lead Engineer · Allps Digital
Built an AI-driven GIS analytics suite (React + Node frontend, TensorFlow + PyTorch ML). Microservices on AWS Lambda and Kubernetes; MLflow for model tracking. GPU optimization and data augmentation doubled training throughput and improved accuracy 20%.
Software Engineer & Consultant
NLP and computer-vision models (Azure ML + TensorFlow) and React dashboards for industrial analytics. Automated ETL and data lakes (Python, Pandas, SQL, Spark). Java Spring Boot and Python microservices with REST APIs for enterprise clients.
Education
- Global MBA (International Business & Strategy) — University of Western Australia, 2025–2027 · 9.5/10 GPA
- Executive Certificate (Advanced Business Management) — IIM Kozhikode, 2025–2026
- Executive Certificate (Project Mgmt & Analytics) — IIM Mumbai, 2023–2024
- B.Tech, Electronics & Communication Engineering — NIT Silchar
Certifications
PMP · Certified Scrum Master (CSM) · AWS Cloud Practitioner · TensorFlow Developer · Product Management, GTM & Pricing Strategy · Business Analytics & Agile Delivery · System Design & DSA · Agile Project Management
Where I focus
Tech & Product Stack
What I use day to day for enterprise and startup delivery: engineering, AI/ML, data, and product/strategy tooling. Relevant for roles in UAE, USA, UK, Canada, and Europe.
Tech stack
- Languages & runtimes: JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, Python, React, Next.js
- Backend & APIs: FastAPI, Flask, REST, serverless (AWS Lambda)
- Cloud & infra: AWS (ECS, SageMaker, etc.), GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD (GitHub Actions)
- AI & ML: OpenAI, LLMs, RAG, LangChain, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Azure ML, MLflow, SageMaker
- Data: Snowflake, Spark, SQL, Pandas, ETL pipelines, real-time dashboards (Tableau, PostHog)
Product & strategy stack
- Product: Roadmaps, PRDs, OKRs, backlog prioritisation, user research synthesis
- Strategy: AI strategy translation (ambition → execution), build vs buy, operating model
- GTM & commercial: Pricing, packaging, positioning, go-to-market planning
- Delivery & process: Agile, Scrum, system design, technical due diligence, stakeholder alignment
What I Offer
If you're a leader or talent lead at an enterprise or startup (UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe), I’d rather be useful to you than just available. Below are the areas I work in — full-stack, architecture, strategy, product — and the kind of thinking and leverage I bring to your team or project. It’s grounded in 7.5+ years building and shipping systems, including McKinsey QuantumBlack and G42.
AI Strategy Translation
Leadership teams get a clear line from AI ambition to what ships in six months: what to build, what to skip, and where GenAI actually pays off.
AI Platform & Operating Model
Centralized vs embedded AI teams, platform vs product AI, build vs buy (OpenAI, Azure, in-house) — I've seen the trade-offs in enterprise settings.
Executive-Ready Problem Structuring
Teams often jump to solutions. I help get the problem and the first question right so whatever gets built actually lands.
External Benchmarking Perspective
I've seen how similar AI bets play out in different regions. Useful when you want a reality check, not a sales pitch.
Quiet Due Diligence Thinking
Second-opinion mode: pressure-test AI proposals, vendors, or internal bets before you commit. No agenda beyond a sanity check.
Connector / Bridge Role
I sit between strategy and execution: translate consulting rigour for product teams and delivery reality for leadership. That gap is where most of the friction is.
Full-Stack & Architecture
Design and delivery of systems that ship: APIs, services, cloud (AWS, GCP), and integration with LLM/AI pipelines. I've led architecture and full-stack builds from front-end to backend, ETL to production ML.
Product & Strategy
Product strategy, roadmaps, PRDs, and OKRs for B2B and enterprise. Pricing, packaging, and GTM — whether you're at 0→1 or scaling. I've owned product and data-engineering outcomes at Wayfair, PureCode, Zeero, and others.
Why Work With Me
I've operated in high-trust environments across enterprise and startup, consulting, and board-level AI — in UAE, USA, UK, Canada, and Europe. Same person for system design and product strategy; no handoff theatre.
Engineering & Architecture
Full-stack delivery, system design, and technical leadership.
Product & Strategy
Roadmap, GTM, pricing, and revenue operations.
Outcome-Focused
Audits, playbooks, and embedded execution with measurable impact.
Proven Track Record
Cognizant, AmEx, Wayfair, Zeero, Allps, and others.
Selected Work
Representative work for enterprises and startups: AI and full-stack delivery with measurable outcomes. UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe.
Zeero.Us
AI Hiring Engine
Faster hiring and GTM through an AI-powered engine; recruiters gained 65% of their time back.
Wayfair
AI Logistics Forecasting
AI-driven logistics forecasting cut shipping costs (₹30L+ saved) and improved gross margin.
Allps Digital
GIS Automation
GIS automation cut cycle time by 80% and raised capacity without adding headcount.
Companies I've Worked With
Employers and clients across technology and enterprise.
How I work with people
First conversation: we talk about what you’re building, where it’s stuck, and whether I can add something. No pitch from my side — I’d rather you leave with a clear takeaway than a sales spiel. If it clicks, we figure out the right shape of engagement.
Ways we can work together
Depending on what you need:
- Advisory / sounding board — One-off or recurring calls to stress-test ideas, structure problems, or sanity-check architecture and product decisions.
- Project-based — A defined scope (e.g. AI strategy, system design, roadmap, or delivery) with a clear outcome and timeline.
- Interim or contract role — Full-time or near full-time for a period: acting tech lead, product lead, or AI/architecture ownership while you hire or restructure.
- Retainer — A set number of days or hours per month for ongoing thinking, reviews, or hands-on work without locking into a single project.
I’m based in Abu Dhabi and open to engagements in UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe and remote. First step is a conversation — then we align on mode, scope, and terms.
Kaustuv Basak (K. Basak)
Let's talk.
AI & full-stack architect, product strategy — open to UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe and remote.
Contact
Recruiters and hiring managers: for a conversation about AI strategy, architecture, or product — I'm open to UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Europe and remote. Reach out below or book a call.
Send a message
Share what you're working on or ask a question. I reply within 24 hours.
Direct Contact
What happens next
- • I reply within 24 hours
- • We can do a short call to align on scope
- • I’ll propose an engagement that fits: audit, playbook, or embedded support