Est. 1985 Software Architecture • Engineering • Leadership 40 Years of Excellence

Fred Lackey

Software Architect, Engineer & Leader

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New Release+

Bringing AWS Kiro to Buzz, Block’s Hive-Mind Workspace

Buzz, the open source workspace from Jack Dorsey and the team at Block, treats AI agents as true teammates. I love it, and I want every organization to be able to use it, including the ones where AWS Kiro is the only approved agent provider. So I contributed a pull request that makes Kiro a first-class Buzz runtime, and published a signed, notarized preview build for Apple Silicon you can download today.

Community Contribution • block/buzz PR #2914 • Read the Story →

Fred Lackey

Fredrick “Fred” Lackey

Software Architect, Engineer & Leader

Secure AI Integration AI Implementation Strategy Technical Leadership Architecture Full-Stack Development Legacy Modernization Product Innovation Executive Leadership Secure AI Integration AI Implementation Strategy Technical Leadership Architecture Full-Stack Development Legacy Modernization Product Innovation Executive Leadership

Latest Articles

Opinion & Insight
Opinion

AI Doesn’t Replace Developers — It Replaces Bad Developers

A candid look at the real impact AI has on the software industry, and why the best developers have nothing to fear.

July 15, 2025 • 8 min read
Opinion

Stop Getting Screwed by Microsoft — Why Spring Boot Is Your Way Out

An argument for breaking free from vendor lock-in, with a practical roadmap to modern, open-source alternatives.

July 30, 2025 • 12 min read
AI Project

AI Knowledge Builder Platform

Transforms deep domain expertise into structured, searchable knowledge using GPT-4, Claude, and custom models.

Ongoing • AI / Knowledge Management

Notable Engagements

Four Decades of Practice
~3 Years

Director of Software Engineering, Travelers Insurance

Reshaped and led the engineering team at one of America’s largest property casualty insurers, driving modernization and raising the bar on development practices.

~5 Years

Architect & Technical Lead, CISA / DHS

Created CVLE (Common Vulnerability and Lifecycle Engine) for the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, strengthening national cyber defense capabilities.

~12 Years

Managing Partner & Lead Architect, Spotless Software

Co-founded and helped lead a software incubator, serving as the lead architect and visionary for 50+ development teams across diverse industries.

~2 Years

Founding Developer, Arcada Software

Part of the founding team that created Backup Exec, a backup and recovery solution still in widespread use today.

“Equal comfort writing code or collaborating with C-level executives — that duality is what transforms complex challenges into elegant solutions.”
Fredrick Lackey — 40 Years of Software Excellence

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Projects & Life
Project

AI-Powered Career Coach

Helps professionals reconstruct and articulate career achievements through intelligent conversation and structured analysis.

AI • Career Development
Expertise

Legacy Modernization

Decades of experience transforming outdated systems into modern, maintainable architectures without disrupting operations.

Architecture • Strategy
Life

Beyond the Keyboard

From 10,000+ skydives to martial arts since age 5, motorcycling, woodworking, DJing, and a passion for horology.

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