Stage 10: Mastery¶

10 Own a complete AI system end to end.

Goal¶

Integrate product judgment, LLM understanding, applications, agents, infrastructure, optimization, security, and communication into a capstone portfolio project.

Roadmap to Master This Stage¶

Read the stage goal and diagram before opening the parts.
Move through the parts in order unless you can already pass the exit criteria.
Study each sub-part folder: overview, deep dive, and examples/practice.
Build the stage artifact in small slices and measure the listed metrics.
Use the part exam after each part, or open the global Exam tab to test across the roadmap.

Stage Structure Diagram¶

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flowchart LR
  P1["<b>10.1</b><br/>Capstone Problem and<br/>Architecture"]
  P2["<b>10.2</b><br/>Capstone Build Execution"]
  P1 --> P2
  P3["<b>10.3</b><br/>Portfolio Communication"]
  P2 --> P3
  P4["<b>10.4</b><br/>Interview and<br/>Collaboration Readiness"]
  P3 --> P4
  P5["<b>10.5</b><br/>Specialization and<br/>Research Frontiers"]
  P4 --> P5

Parts¶

Part	Simple explanation	Build focus
10.1 Capstone Problem and Architecture	Choose a narrow but real system and design it before coding.	Write a capstone architecture document.
10.2 Capstone Build Execution	Build the capstone in vertical slices that integrate product, model, data, and deployment early.	Implement milestone slices.
10.3 Portfolio Communication	Explain your work through READMEs, diagrams, eval reports, demos, and failure analysis.	Create README, demo script, diagram, and results report.
10.4 Interview and Collaboration Readiness	Turn project experience into clear debugging stories, design reviews, and collaboration habits.	Prepare a portfolio walkthrough.
10.5 Specialization and Research Frontiers	Choose a deeper direction after the core architecture is complete.	Write a specialization plan with an advanced project.

Sub-Part Map¶

Part	Sub-part	Why it matters
10.1	10.1.1 Problem Selection	Problem Selection is the working skill inside Capstone Problem and Architecture that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.1	10.1.2 Requirements and Constraints	Requirements and Constraints is the working skill inside Capstone Problem and Architecture that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.1	10.1.3 Architecture Decision Records	Architecture Decision Records is the working skill inside Capstone Problem and Architecture that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.1	10.1.4 Evaluation and Risk Plan	Evaluation and Risk Plan is the working skill inside Capstone Problem and Architecture that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.2	10.2.1 Vertical Slice Planning	Vertical Slice Planning is the working skill inside Capstone Build Execution that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.2	10.2.2 Integration Testing	Integration Testing is the working skill inside Capstone Build Execution that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.2	10.2.3 Deployment and Observability	Deployment and Observability is the working skill inside Capstone Build Execution that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.2	10.2.4 Failure Analysis	Failure Analysis is the working skill inside Capstone Build Execution that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.3	10.3.1 Technical Writing	Technical Writing is the working skill inside Portfolio Communication that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.3	10.3.2 Architecture Diagrams	Architecture Diagrams is the working skill inside Portfolio Communication that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.3	10.3.3 Demo and Result Narrative	Demo and Result Narrative is the working skill inside Portfolio Communication that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.4	10.4.1 Debugging Stories	Debugging Stories is the working skill inside Interview and Collaboration Readiness that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.4	10.4.2 Design Review Practice	Design Review Practice is the working skill inside Interview and Collaboration Readiness that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.4	10.4.3 Code Walkthroughs	Code Walkthroughs is the working skill inside Interview and Collaboration Readiness that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.5	10.5.1 Choosing a Direction	Choosing a Direction is the working skill inside Specialization and Research Frontiers that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.5	10.5.2 Reading Papers	Reading Papers is the working skill inside Specialization and Research Frontiers that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.5	10.5.3 Reproducing Systems	Reproducing Systems is the working skill inside Specialization and Research Frontiers that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.
10.5	10.5.4 Advanced Project Roadmaps	Advanced Project Roadmaps is the working skill inside Specialization and Research Frontiers that helps you build the stage artifact, A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative, while collecting enough evidence to trust the result.

Stage Artifact¶

A capstone AI system with architecture, implementation, evaluation, deployment, observability, cost, security review, and portfolio narrative.

What to Measure¶

milestones complete
eval pass rate
latency and cost targets
security review
documentation quality
demo reliability

Exit Criteria¶

design before coding
build, evaluate, deploy, secure, and monitor
debug across the stack
communicate work through docs, demos, and interviews

Previous: Stage 9: AI Security, Blockchain, and ZKML