AI DIRECTED ENGINEERING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The first certification where non-engineers earn full-stack engineering credentials without writing a single line of code.
EARN YOUR CADE CERTIFICATION
Certified AI-Directed Engineer. Direct AI. Design Systems. Drive Impact. The full-stack credential for people who build with AI, not by hand.
"The 13-Layer Production Stack is a proprietary framework by Matt Murphy AI — a production-readiness methodology, not an academic architecture model. It's built for AI Directed Engineers who build with AI tools, not by hand."
FROM SIGNUP TO CADE CERTIFIED
Everyone runs the same gauntlet. No shortcuts. No skipping. Complete each tier across all 13 layers before you advance.
THIS ISN'T A FORUM. IT'S WHERE BUILDERS LIVE.
Every space has a purpose. Challenges in The Arena. Frameworks in The Forge. Daily conversation in The Pit. Merch drops when you earn them. This is what it looks like inside.
The Pit
The main feed. Daily conversation, wins, questions, real-time building talk. This is where the community hangs out.
Open to AllThe Foundation
Tier 1 certification content. Study guides, exams, and everything you need to earn your first 13 badges.
T1 — FreeThe Operation
Tier 2 practitioner content. Where the real depth starts. Unlocks after you complete all 13 T1 exams.
T2 — $77/moThe Build
Tier 3 expert content. Advanced production architecture. The final push to CADE Certified.
T3 — $77/moThe Arena
Challenges, competitions, and build sprints. Weekly and monthly events that push you and showcase your work to the community.
Open to AllThe Forge
The framework vault. 28 manuscript frameworks and reference materials. Battle-tested patterns from 100+ real deployments.
Open to AllMerch & Drops
The community store. Loyalty shirt after 3 months of membership. Tier unlock merch as you advance. Milestone drops. Founders exclusives that never get produced again.
WHAT IS AI DIRECTED ENGINEERING?
Non-engineers who use AI to build production software safely. You never write code. You direct AI. The certification proves you can do it safely at scale.
Describe
Tell the AI what you need in plain language. Specs, user stories, business logic — all in your words.
Generate
AI writes the code. You review the output. You understand the structure without reading every line.
Evaluate
Test it. Break it. Verify it works. Know what production-ready looks like before you ship.
Iterate & Ship
Refine until it's right. Deploy with guardrails. Maintain it with confidence.
Career Path 1
W-2 Employee
Get hired as an AI Directed Engineer at a company that builds with AI tools.
Career Path 2
Launch Your Business
Start your own AI deployment business. Build for clients. Certify your work.
THE 13-LAYER PRODUCTION STACK
Every layer has 3 tiers of exams. You go horizontal — all 13 at T1, then all 13 at T2, then all 13 at T3. Breadth before depth.
Frontend Foundations
What Your Users See and Touch
APIs & Backend Logic
How Your App Talks to Itself
Database & Storage
Where Your Data Lives
Auth & Permissions
Who Gets In and What They Can Do
Hosting & Deployment
Getting Your App Live
Cloud & Compute
Where Your App Runs and What It Costs
CI/CD & Version Control
Saving Work and Shipping Without Breaking
Security & RLS
Making Sure Nobody Sees Data They Shouldn't
Rate Limiting
Keeping Your API Bill from Exploding
Caching & CDN
Making Your App Load Fast Everywhere
Load Balancing & Scaling
Handling More Users Without Crashing
Error Tracking & Logs
Knowing When Something Breaks
Availability & Recovery
Making Sure Your App Stays Up
ONE SUBSCRIPTION. EVERYTHING UNLOCKED.
Community and Certification are one product, one subscription. No corporate tiers. Individual subscriptions only. The value is the value.
- All Tier 1 content across all 13 layers
- 13 complete exams — not a teaser
- Real Credly badges for every exam passed
- Full community access — The Pit, The Forge, The Arena
- Associate Builder credential (all T1 passed)
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Tier 2 + Tier 3 content and exams
- Capstone exam — cross-layer integration
- Gated rooms: The Operation (T2), The Build (T3)
- Merch store access & milestone unlocks
- Continuous curriculum updates (AI moves fast)
SUPER 77 — FOUNDING MEMBER
The first 77 people to complete all three certification tiers — T1, T2, T3, and the Capstone — earn Super 77 Founding Member status. A title that can't be bought, only earned. Physical graduation box with exclusive merch that will never be produced again.
Start Your PathTHE SUBSCRIPTION THAT COMPOUNDS
AI moves fast. The curriculum updates monthly. Your identity, reputation, and marketplace position grow every month you stay.
Living Content
AI moves fast. The curriculum updates monthly. New exams, new patterns — you never fall behind.
Arena Challenges
Weekly and monthly challenges that push your skills, showcase your work, and earn you recognition in the community.
Professional Identity
Your badge portfolio and reputation live on the platform. This becomes your professional home.
Merch Milestones
Loyalty shirt after 3 months. Tier unlock merch. Certified kit. Founders exclusives that never get produced again.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK
AI Directed Engineering is the discipline of building production software by directing AI tools — not writing code by hand. You describe what you need, AI generates the code, you evaluate and iterate until it's production-ready. The certification proves you can do this safely at scale.
No. Never. The entire certification is designed for non-engineers. You learn to evaluate code, understand production architecture, and direct AI tools — but you never write a single line of code yourself.
Tier 1 is free forever — all 13 exams, real Credly badges, full community access. $77/month unlocks Tier 2, Tier 3, the Capstone exam, gated community rooms, and the merch store. No corporate tiers. Individual subscriptions only.
Start with T1 (free) — pass all 13 layer exams sequentially to earn Associate Builder. Subscribe for T2 and T3 to advance through Certified Builder. Complete the Capstone exam to become a CADE Certified AI Directed Engineer. Everyone runs the same path.
CADE — Certified AI-Directed Engineer. It's the highest credential in the program. It means you've passed all 39 layer exams across all 3 tiers plus the cross-layer Capstone. The full-stack credential for people who build with AI, not by hand.
No. Everyone runs the same gauntlet. T1 first, all 13 layers, then T2, then T3, then Capstone. No skipping, no shortcuts. The progression is the point — it builds on itself. If you know the material, you'll move through it fast.
The Pit (daily conversation), The Foundation/Operation/Build (certification tiers), The Arena (challenges and competitions), The Forge (28 battle-tested frameworks), and Merch & Drops (milestone rewards). Spaces unlock as you advance through tiers.
No. The 13-Layer Production Stack is proprietary to Matt Murphy AI. It's a production-readiness methodology built from 100+ real AI deployments — not an academic architecture model. It's designed specifically for AI Directed Engineers who build with AI tools.
THE CERTIFICATION IS LIVE.
YOUR COMPETITORS ARE ALREADY STUDYING.
Tier 1 is free. 13 exams. Real badges. Full community. No credit card. No catch.