Alex Bunardzic
Business Velocity
Architect
Vancouver, Canada · Working globally
I help CTOs and VPs of Engineering turn software systems into competitive weapons using AI-guided refactoring.
Your biggest competitor isn't another company - it's the friction in your own delivery pipeline. While your competitors ship weekly, you're stuck in quarterly release cycles. While they pivot in days, you're trapped by brittle architecture and mounting technical debt.
I architect the systems that let you win the race against the market.
Fresh from delivering the closing talk at Devoxx Belgium - Europe's largest developer conference - I'm now accepting 3 founding clients for Q1 2026.
Trusted by business and engineering leaders at:
"I had the pleasure of interacting with Alex recently. His deep experience, ability to take a
truly holistic view, and still drive concrete execution is impressive.
A rare combination that makes conversations with him both insightful and actionable."
"I had the privilege of working directly with Alex for two years, during which he served as
Software Engineering Practice Lead under my leadership as Director of DevOps at WorkSafeBC.
During
this time, Alex transformed our development practices in ways that benefited the delivery pods.
He
introduced and enforced Test-Driven Development across our engineering teams. Perhaps most
impressively, Alex pioneered the use of Mountybank for API emulation, solving a critical
challenge
we faced in testing busy, production-like environments. His hands-on approach and deep technical
expertise made him the go-to person when our teams needed innovative solutions to complex
problems.
What sets Alex apart isn't just his technical prowess, but his unconventional thinking and
willingness to challenge established norms—he's what I'd affectionately call an "unrepentant
mutant slayer" when it comes to eliminating bad code and practices. As a speaker and thought
leader within our organization, Alex consistently delivered insights that were simultaneously
provocative and spot-on, pushing our teams to think beyond conventional wisdom. His strong
opinions are always backed by solid reasoning and real-world experience, making him both a
software visionary and a practical implementer. Any organization looking to elevate their
engineering practices and culture would be fortunate to have someone with Alex's unique
combination of technical depth, innovative thinking, and ability to drive meaningful change."
Andre Kaminski,
Director - Advanced Technology Solution at WorkSafeBC
"I worked with Alex at Raymond James Ltd for about 7 years. Together we developed one of the strongest Compliance systems in the Financial Services industry. Alex was heavily involved in managing the team responsible for the programming. I always appreciated his ‘out of the box’ thinking and his ‘can do’ attitude. In retrospect, Alex was an extremely cooperative and insightful partner. He was successful in capturing my vision and solving countless problems to deliver programs that always exceeded my expectations."
Sandy Martin
— Senior Compliance Executive, Raymond James Ltd
"I’ve had the opportunity to connect with Alex both in person and through ongoing conversations
online. What consistently stands out is his ability to combine depth of experience with a
refreshing openness to new perspectives. He has a gift for making complex ideas feel accessible,
while still challenging you to think more broadly.
Every interaction I’ve had has been thought-provoking and energizing. He is someone who doesn’t
just talk about ideas, but brings them to life in a way that sparks meaningful dialogue and
possibilities. I have no doubt that anyone collaborating with Alex would find his presence
invaluable, both as a thinker who sees the big picture and as someone who helps others see new
opportunities in their work."
Woody Zuill - Agile
Guide, Senior Consultant, Agile Expertise and Coaching
"When Alex joined the dev team, I was an Ops architect. His approach fundamentally changed how I look at building and deploying enterprise software. It truly reshaped my career. This was DevOps before DevOps was a thing. What began as feeling like we were flouting convention quickly showed results. I still apply the practices and processes that Alex taught me in my daily work. I rarely meet people who can be deeply philosophical, yet ruthlessly pragmatic. I’d work with Alex anywhere he goes."
"I had the privilege of working with Alex Bunardzic almost 30 years ago when we were both
software
engineers at the same company. Alex was a software architect at the time, and he naturally
became
a mentor to me. He was passionate about best practices in Java and was one of the first people I
met who was really pushing test-driven development, long before most had even heard of it. I
learned a lot just by watching how he approached problems and how much care he put into writing
clean, maintainable code.
Looking back, the fundamentals I picked up from Alex have stayed with me throughout my career
and
proved to be incredibly valuable as I moved into technical leadership roles. Things like
test-first thinking, focusing on simplicity, and always questioning whether the solution will
stand the test of time. His influence helped shape how I build and lead teams even today, and
I’m
still grateful for the time we worked together and the lessons I took away from it."
"Alex combines technical expertise with creative problem-solving, generating innovative approaches to complex challenges. He balances visionary thinking with practical execution, focusing teams on delivering concrete results."
"I am writing to endorse Alex as a true professional in the field of software engineering. Alex
is
a firm believer in software quality, and the importance of tests. He is also a proponent of
collaboration and communication, rather than working in silos or isolation.
In my role as technical recruiter, I have spoken with hundreds of software developers over the
years, and I can say that Alex is an outlier because of his convictions towards engineering
excellence.
On a more personal level, we always have lively, philosophical conversations about technical and
non-technical topics. I highly recommend Alex for any software engineering endeavors, especially
when excellence is the goal."
"Alex is a thought leader with a deep passion for building flawless software through best-in-class testing and architecture practices, combined with strong team leadership abilities, making him an excellent fit for those seeking experienced, quality-focused engineering talent — I highly recommend him."
Founding Client Opportunity
Limited to 3 Organizations
I'm accepting 3 founding clients for the Test-Driven Navigation initiative. As a founding client, you receive:
- 50% discount on the 2-Week Velocity Briefing — $7,500 instead of $15,000
- Priority access to all future TDN resources, frameworks, and tooling
- Co-creation opportunity — Help shape how TDN evolves in your specific industry context
- Lifetime advisory access (4 hours/quarter) for ongoing strategic guidance
- Case study feature (with your approval) in my follow-up presentations at Devoxx and other major conferences
What I need from you:
- A real, meaningful business problem to solve together
- Willingness to provide candid feedback on the engagement structure
- Openness to being featured (anonymously if preferred) as a TDN success story
— Andre Kaminski, Director of Advanced Technology Solutions at WorkSafeBC
This isn't charity — it's partnership. You get elite consulting at a fraction of the cost. I get real-world validation of TDN in your specific context. Together, we prove that Test-Driven Navigation transforms how organizations build software.
Why only 3 founding clients?
Each engagement receives my direct, hands-on involvement. I'm not building a consulting firm — I'm proving a framework. That requires deep focus and real partnership, not scalable delivery. Once these 3 engagements deliver measurable results, I'll open the program to a broader cohort.Only 2 spots remaining for Q1 2026
Reach Elite-Level Practice
Your biggest competitor isn't another company. It's the drag in your system losing you the race against the market.
I work at the intersection of technology, product, and people to build the one capability that matters: the speed to win. I architect the systems that enable your business to learn, adapt, and ship at the speed of your best ideas.
This is for the leaders who feel the friction.
This is for the technology leaders (the CTO, VP of Engineering, Director of Product) who know their team is brilliant, but feel a growing friction between their ideas and their ability to execute.
You're not looking for another pair of hands or a niche specialist. You need a strategic partner to help you answer the real questions:
- "Why are we slowing down, and what are the hidden dependencies holding us back?"
- "How can we de-risk bold product bets and innovate safely in our most critical systems?"
- "How do we turn our technology organization from a cost center into the primary engine of our business strategy?"
If these questions keep you up at night, we're speaking the same language.
My Approach: From Trapped Potential to Strategic Momentum
Most consultants see technical debt as a liability to be managed. I see it as
trapped potential.
Every line of legacy code is a decision frozen in time—it’s the fossilized evidence of a past business
assumption. That old billing module encodes the assumption that you’d never sell subscriptions. That
monolithic architecture assumes your product would only ever live on the web.
Taken together, this debt forms a map of your oldest constraints. My work is to use
that map to find the precise points of leverage where challenging one old assumption can unlock a
whole
new trajectory for growth.
My role is to architect the system that unlocks that potential.
We don't just "refactor code." We install a new operating model for continuous evolution, using a framework I call Test-Driven Navigation (TDN). This isn't just a development technique; it's a management framework for making your technology a direct, responsive driver of your business strategy. It turns AI from a chaos-maker into a disciplined partner for growth.
The goal is simple: To build a resilient, adaptive organization where the best ideas can be shipped safely, quickly, and confidently.
Stop managing friction. Start architecting momentum.
I help you escape the costly cycle of technical debt and unlock new revenue streams. Let's transform your biggest frustrations into your greatest strengths. Let's schedule a 30-minute strategy call. In this confidential session, we will discuss the primary sources of drag in your organization and begin to outline a clear path toward building sustainable velocity.
Ready to accelerate your winning strategy? Let's talk.
The Strategic Problem
If you feel a growing gap between your strategic vision and your team's ability to execute, you are not
alone.
Too often, our technology - the very engine meant to propel us forward - becomes an anchor. Years of past
decisions, layered complexity, and hidden dependencies create a drag on the entire organization. The result
isn't just slow release cycles or budget overruns; it's a loss of agility. It's the hesitation to make a
bold pivot. It's the fear that a critical move will bring the whole system crashing down.
Your codebase isn't just a technical asset; it has become the central nervous system of your business
strategy. When it's brittle and slow, so is the business.
The Vision of a New Capability
Now, imagine your organization with a new nervous system. One built for speed and resilience.
- Instead of reacting to the market, you pioneer its next move.
- Instead of debating the risk of a new feature, you have the confidence to launch, learn, and iterate in days, not months.
- Instead of seeing your technology as a constraint, you leverage it as your primary competitive advantage.
My Role as the Architect
As a Business Velocity Architect, I don't just fix technical problems. I help you redesign the
engine.
My role is to partner with your leadership to install a new operating model - a disciplined, AI-augmented
framework that transforms how your teams build and evolve your systems. We turn AI from a source of chaos
into a precision tool for continuous evolution. We empower your developers to become true architects of your
future.
We will transform your technology from a fossilized record of past assumptions into a dynamic, living system
that drives your business forward.
What happens after you book a call?
- 30-minute strategy session — We'll discuss your specific challenges and whether TDN is a fit
- Custom proposal — If we're aligned, I'll send a tailored engagement plan within 48 hours
- Kickoff within 2 weeks — Founding clients get priority scheduling to start immediately
No pressure. No hard sell. Just a straightforward conversation about whether we can create value together.
Choose Your Starting Point
Not sure which engagement is right for you? This quick comparison helps you understand your options at a glance.
| Engagement | Best For | Duration | Time Commitment | Investment Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigating the Opportunities START HERE |
First-time clients who need clarity on what's slowing them down | 2 weeks | 10-15 hours total | $7,500-$15,000* |
| Pilot Team Accelerator | Prove ROI with one high-impact team before scaling | 6-8 weeks | 2 days/week | $35,000-$50,000 |
| Leadership & Systems Overhaul | Full organizational transformation across multiple teams | 6 months | 1 week/month + async coaching | $150,000-$250,000 |
| Strategic Advisor | Ongoing counsel for critical decisions and leadership coaching | Month-to-month | 4-8 hours/month | $8,000-$12,000/mo |
| Team Workshop Series | Intensive capability boost for specific teams or challenges | 2 days | On-site intensive | $15,000-$20,000 |
* Founding clients receive 50% discount on their first diagnostic engagement
Not Sure Where to Start?
Most clients begin with one of these two paths:
Path 1: Discovery Mode
"We know we have problems, but we're not sure what's actually causing them"
Start with: Navigating the Opportunities (2-week Diagnostic)
This gives you:
- Clear diagnostic of your velocity bottlenecks
- ROI-backed roadmap for the next 90 days
- Data to make the business case for change
Then decide: Pilot, Workshop, or Strategic Advisor based on what the diagnostic reveals
Path 2: Proof of Concept
"We want to prove this works with one team before we commit to broader change"
Start with: Pilot Team Accelerator (6-8 weeks)
This gives you:
- Hands-on TDN implementation with measurable results
- Internal success story to build momentum
- Trained champions who can spread TDN
Then scale: Leadership Overhaul or multiply with additional pilot teams
Still not sure which path is right for you?
Let's have a 30-minute strategy call. I'll help you figure out the best starting point for your specific situation — no pitch, no pressure, no obligation.
Book Your Strategy Call →Engagements Designed to Move the Needle
Your organization's challenges are unique. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions, only tailored
strategies that address your specific context. The engagements below are not a fixed menu, but rather common
starting points and examples of how we can partner to architect velocity in your organization.
Our work together will always begin with a deep-dive analysis to ensure the engagement is precisely designed
to achieve your desired outcomes.
Packages are outcome-oriented and designed to pay for themselves through reduced cycle time, lower defect
rates, and faster delivery.
Navigating the Opportunities
A short, intensive engagement to detect and analyze the sources of drag in your system. We go beyond the code to map the intersection of your technology, team dynamics, and product workflows. You come away with a clear, actionable roadmap for unlocking momentum and a C-suite-ready business case for change.
The Pilot Team Accelerator
We select a single, high-impact team to serve as a pilot for the new operating model. I work hands-on with them to implement Test-Driven Navigation (TDN), clear critical blockers, and transform their workflow. The goal is to create a lighthouse project — a resounding success story that demonstrates the new way of working and builds momentum for broader change.
The Leadership & Systems Overhaul
This is a longer-term partnership where I act as a catalyst for systemic change. We work together to redesign the core processes, upskill the technical leadership, and install the new operating model across multiple teams. This engagement focuses on building the internal capability and culture required to make business velocity a permanent, self-sustaining advantage.
The Strategic Advisor
A flexible advisory retainer that provides you and your leadership team with ongoing access for strategic guidance. Use this for navigating complex technical decisions, vetting new strategies, coaching high-potential leaders, or simply having a trusted, external expert to serve as a sounding board for your biggest challenges.
The Team Workshop Series
A customized series of intensive workshops designed to level-up your team's capabilities in specific, high-impact areas. This is not just training; it's a hands-on, collaborative session focused on solving one of your actual business problems using the principles of TDN and modern software architecture.
The Bespoke Engagement: Your Vision, Your Framework
Do none of the above perfectly match your needs? Excellent. The most impactful
engagements are often the ones we design from first principles.
This path starts with a blank slate. We begin with a deep, collaborative discussion about your specific
challenges, your desired outcomes, and the unique political and technical landscape of your
organization. From there, we co-create a completely bespoke partnership designed to deliver the precise
transformation you envision.
What Safe, Frequent Delivery Is Worth to Your Bottom Line
Estimate the value your delivery teams could unlock by shipping more often with low blast radius and AI-enabled guardrails.
ROI Summary
Quarterly (Baseline): —
Quarterly (With TDN): —
Delta Unlocked / Quarter: —
Annual (Baseline): —
Annual (With TDN): —
Delta Unlocked / Year: —
This model treats the team as the smallest unit of delivery — value grows by shipping small, safe, reversible changes frequently with AI guardrails that reduce risk and accelerate ROI.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides illustrative estimates only. Figures shown are hypothetical, for educational purposes, and should not be interpreted as guarantees, promises, or financial advice.
See Significant Potential ROI?
Let's discuss how Test-Driven Navigation could unlock this value in your specific context.
As a founding client, you receive:
- 50% discount on your first engagement
- Priority access to TDN tools and resources
- Lifetime advisory access (4 hours/quarter)
Only 2 spots remaining for Q1 2026
AI and The Future of Refactoring: Test‑Driven Navigation
Fresh from Devoxx Belgium, this talk shows how AI can pair with tests to steer refactors safely through legacy code. Ask about an in‑house version tailored to your stack.
Workshop outcomes
- Refactor confidently with executable tests as a compass
- Adopt mutation testing to harden your safety net
- Use AI to generate, explain & evolve tests
- Shorten cycle time and defect escape rate
About Alex Bunardzic
I didn't set out to create Test-Driven Navigation (TDN). I set out to solve a problem that kept showing up everywhere I worked.
Over the past 20 years, I've watched brilliant engineering teams drown in technical debt. I've seen organizations spend millions on "digital transformation" that left them slower than before. I've watched teams paralyzed by fear of breaking production, unable to ship the innovations they knew the business needed.
The pattern was always the same: Teams optimizing for speed without building the system to sustain it.
Then in 2023, generative AI arrived. Suddenly, every team had a new superpower: code that writes itself. But I watched the same pattern repeat — only faster. Teams were generating technical debt at AI speed, with no systematic way to keep their systems healthy.
That's when Test-Driven Navigation crystallized.
It's the synthesis of everything I learned:
- Leading engineering teams at Raymond James, WorkSafeBC, and enterprise platforms across fintech and healthcare
- Organizing the first International TDD Conference and evangelizing test-first thinking for decades
- Modernizing SDLCs with XP/TDD practices that actually stick
- Watching AI tools transform from theoretical to production-critical in 18 months
TDN isn't just a development technique — it's a management framework for making your technology a direct, responsive driver of your business strategy. It's the answer to the question: How do you build organizations that can evolve continuously without collapsing under their own complexity?
I'm now accepting up to 3 founding clients to prove this framework delivers transformative results.
If you're a CTO or VP of Engineering who's tired of watching your technology hold you back, let's talk. I bring decades of hands-on experience, a proven track record across industries, and a framework designed specifically for the AI era.
Most importantly: As a founing client, you'll help shape how TDN evolves while getting elite consulting at a fraction of the normal cost.
Book Your Founding Client Strategy Call →What Leaders Say About Working With Me
Important context: While Test-Driven Navigation is a new framework I formalized in 2024, it's built on decades of proven practices. These leaders have worked with me across fintech, healthcare, and enterprise platforms — implementing the core principles of continuous delivery, test-first thinking, and AI-augmented development that now form the foundation of TDN.
Testimonials
Maximiliano Contieri
Engineering Manager@Avature | CS Teacher@UBA | Book Author@O'Reilly | MaximilianoContieri.com Alex has demonstrated a deep knowledge of software engineering principles and the best practices ins software development. His presentations capture audiences with clear, insightful, and engaging content. He has a remarkable ability to break down complex concepts into understandable terms, making him an excellent mentor and speaker. Alex's expertise in Test-Driven Development (TDD) is unparalleled, consistently delivering robust and reliable code. Alex's humanist approach ensures that he not only excels technically but also pushes for collaborative and team work environment. His dedication to both the craft and the people he works with makes him an invaluable asset to any team. |
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Daniel Moka
Moka IT Engineering I am in contact with Alex for a while about pushing the boundaries of the software industry, and I have to admit that I have never met with such a skilled and professional software engineer as Alex! The level of the drive he represents about best software engineering practices is unprecedented! He puts great emphasis on producing quality software and on doing the best to make the customer happy. He has strong and solid background in agile methodologies such as Extreme Programming and Test Driven Development, and in building software in the best possible and agile way. I am convinced that Alex will provide significant value to the company he will work for and I sincerely hope to get the chance to be involved in projects together with Alex in the future. |
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Willy-Peter Schaub
Encourage and enable everyone's creativity, passion, purpose, and strengths.
Alex was a pivotal part of our common engineering team, responsible to bring together people, processes, and products to enable software engineering to consistently deliver high-quality value to end-users with a focus on efficiency, security, and innovation. He was a consistent driving force in elevating software engineering practices and quality assurance, never hesitating to challenge conventional thinking when it stands in the way of progress. His commitment to empowering users, whether through embracing emerging technologies or solving complex challenges across people, processes, or products, has made a lasting impact. I have always admired his philosophy of “think outside, no box required,” which perfectly captures his boundaryless approach to innovation. Watching engineers initially flustered by his unconventional ideas, only to have their light bulbs switch on as they grasp the depth and clarity of his insights, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of working alongside him |
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Christine Ozeroff
Manager at WorkSafeBC I had the pleasure of working with Alex at WorkSafeBC, where we partnered on designing and delivering the educational curriculum that trained nine DevOps pods in software engineering best practices. Alex is not only an excellent listener, but also genuinely curious and open to exploring new ways to strengthen team practices. Our collaboration was both enjoyable and impactful, resulting in several innovative initiatives that supported the DevOps teams in adopting best practices and delivering greater value. |
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Illya Swan
Chief Product Officer @ CoinPayments | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Alex has an indispensable trait of confirming hypotheses before developing solutions to business problems. It has saved everyone a lot of wasted efforts when the first impulse is to treat symptoms of a problem instead of getting to the root cause. Under his careful guidance, work was noticeably more effective. |
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Sean Hudson
Shopify | (prev) Tech founder Propel | Next Canada alumni | UBC Engineer Alex is an accomplished software architect, with a penchant for breaking large problems into simple solutions. He is kind, funny, honest, and a great teacher of foundational software engineering skills. I recall from working beside his desk, that the projects he led (TDD style, with full test suites) were of similar complexity and size to others at our Staples dev shop, but were managed flawlessly by his experienced hand and with much smaller teams. If you're in need of an effective software architect who loves to get in the weeds and help those around him, then Alex should be at the top of your list. |
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Aleksandar Kostic
Integration Architect Knowing Alex for number of years and enjoying and benefiting from discussions on various theoretical and practical problems, did not prevent me to be amazed during our work together with his technical and theoretical expertise in all related fields in our work. Moreover, Alex has another wonderful ability of presenting and transferring knowledge to others, making our collaboration in the team true success. |
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Eugene Lin
Certified Treasury Professional (CTP). DeFi, Web3, Blockchain When I worked with Alex on the same team, Alex led the effort on improving the team's development methodologies and did an amazing job. Alex introduced TDD to the team and set up structures to how the young team performed software engineering tasks. Alex's effort resulted in significant improvement in delivery time and quality, literally eliminated bugs in our product while meeting all requirements and deadlines. I would highly recommend Alex to any software team that is looking to optimize its practice. |
Free Field Guide: Test Driven Navigation (TDN)
A concise, 10-page PDF covering Test Driven Navigation and AI pairing patterns. Perfect for business and engineering leaders who need results in 90 days.
What You'll Learn:
- Implement Test Driven Navigation in your projects
- Leverage AI pairing patterns for better results
- Deliver measurable outcomes in 90 days
- Optimize workflows for business and engineering teams
- Apply practical examples and case studies