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Julien Charton

Basic Info​

  • Location: Austin, TX (lives on Menchak)
  • Role/Occupation: Fractional CTO, Applied AI Engineer, Co-founder of engineering consultancy
  • Contact: Via text/LinkedIn (contact card exchanged)
  • Met: Supabase X DreamBase meetup via Daniel Knight introduction
  • Background: French (from region known for Frenchies in Texas), lived 12 years in Sydney, Australia

Professional Background​

  • Current Role: Leading US operations for international engineering consultancy
    • Headquarters in Sydney, offices in Brussels, opened US office in 2024
    • Took personal financial risk to establish Austin presence
  • Previous Experience:
    • Project management in construction (wind farms projects in Australia)
    • Self-taught transition to software engineering through automation work
    • Mechanical engineer by training
  • Technical Stack:
    • Frontend/backend: Angular, JavaScript
    • Efficient computing: C, some Rust
    • IoT development: C
    • AI/ML: Fine-tuning models, custom implementations

Key Projects & Interests​

Applied AI Projects:​

  1. Insurance Inventory System (Sydney): AI recognizes items from photos/video, checks online prices, builds full inventory
  2. Construction Surveying AI: Fine-tuned model for laser measurement machines, predicts and alerts for structural issues
  3. Business Awards Screening (President Production): Replaced 15-person jury with LLM for screening business award applications
  4. Manufacturing/Construction Focus: Specializes in boring but profitable industries

Business Development Strategy:​

  • Partners with IT management companies (MSPs) who refer custom software needs
  • Targets companies using legacy systems (SAP, Oracle, XSuite)
  • Focus on small-medium manufacturers, construction companies, oil/gas

Interaction History​

December 4, 2025: Initial Meeting at Supabase X DreamBase​

  • Extensive discussion about applied AI consulting
  • Shared similar business models and target markets
  • Discussed fine-tuning projects and practical AI applications
  • Offered to be featured speaker at Applied AI Society events
  • Exchanged contact information and planned follow-up

Strategic Value & Collaboration Areas​

  • Case Studies: Multiple successful applied AI implementations to showcase
  • Network Access: Connected to Association of Manufacturers around Austin
  • Client Pipeline: Works with "boring" companies with real budgets
  • Technical Expertise: Deep experience in custom AI solutions for traditional industries
  • Event Support: Willing to present and do live architecture sessions

Business Philosophy & Insights​

  • "The big models today, they're great for a lot of things. They're just not as good for a medium-sized company"
  • Targets companies that "produce boring shit but make shit ton of money"
  • Emphasizes finding team members who can communicate, not just code
  • Avoids startups with "no foes" (no funding) unless they have business momentum
  • Values coherent solutions that team members can understand

Personal Background​

  • Partner: Girlfriend is PhD in environmental science, interviewing for UT San Antonio research role
  • Living Situation: Looking to move from apartments to land/house in country
  • Community: Part of French expat community (wine importers network)
  • Lifestyle: Runs regularly but admits girlfriend is better runner

Potential Collaboration Areas​

  • Featured engineer/speaker at Applied AI Society events
  • Live architecture sessions with real business problems
  • Introduction to manufacturing associations and business networks
  • Joint consulting opportunities on applied AI projects
  • Knowledge sharing on fine-tuning and custom AI implementations

Notes & Observations​

  • Extremely practical approach to AI implementation
  • Strong business acumen with focus on profitable, established companies
  • Excellent understanding of how traditional businesses think about technology
  • Willing collaborator with complementary skills to Gary's vision
  • Has cracked the code on reaching non-tech companies through IT partners

Transcripts​

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2025-12-04-supabase-dreambase-meetup2025-12-04Applied AI consulting discussion and collaboration planning for traditional industries