Field IntelligenceContact
Module 05 / The Operator

The coordination layer, by hand.

Eight years compressing the same constraints the research names as broken. The variability, the tacit knowledge, the coordination, the rework. Plus a 1M-user platform on the software side. Evidence, not adjectives.


The field

What I have physically built.

The user your copilot is designed for, I have been him.

  • Luxury retail TIs for Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Beverly Loan Co, with millimeter tolerances and seasonal deadlines.
  • Commercial kitchens end to end: Type I and II hoods, Ansul suppression, grease interceptors, walk-ins, makeup-air balancing, heavy-power electrical.
  • RFI triage at 1.8-day turnaround against a 7 to 14 day industry norm. Change-order rate held at 3% versus 8 to 12%.
  • 20+ consultants and 4 general contractors coordinated, submittals on a 5-day cycle, zero litigation across the portfolio.
The platform

What I have shipped.

The system that supports him, I have owned one at scale.

  • Product owner on a 1M-user platform across the US, Canada, and UK at 99.98% uptime.
  • Led a release train of 10 engineers and 2 designers, aligning engineering, finance, and operations on one schedule.
  • Consolidated 12 APIs into a unified surface, cutting reconciliation time by 60%.
  • Stood up a production facility from zero and scaled output 460%, authoring the SOPs for every station.
Career timeline · David T Phung
  1. 2023 to Present
    Project Development and Advisor · NLT143 Research

    Owner’s representative, feasibility through turnover. Advised legislative working groups on energy infrastructure and digital-asset frameworks.

  2. 2023 to 2025
    Founding Team · Happy Friday Coffee

    Built a production facility from the ground up, scaled 250 to 1,400 units per week, kept OTIF at or above 98%, cut energy 65% and water 70%.

  3. 2022 to 2023
    Product Owner · Entertainment Partners

    1M-user platform, 99.98% uptime, 12 APIs consolidated. Led a release train of 10 engineers and 2 designers, cut reconciliation time by 60%.

  4. 2017 to 2022
    Project Manager · Gruen Associates

    Four simultaneous retail and civic projects, $25M+, 95% on-time, zero litigation. Three agencies cleared in one review cycle, 7 weeks and $50K to $70K saved.

  5. 2019 to 2021
    Associate Director · AIACA

    13 California regions, 40+ executive summits, 18% delivery-efficiency gain.

Why this fits

I have lived both halves of what NavigateAI is building, in order. I will not need to be onboarded into the problem.

The field side is where I learned what an actually-useful copilot would feel like. The platform side is where I learned how to ship software that survives in someone’s hands.