AiMainStreets.com / NinjaAI.com
Cody Johnston
https://theweirdcanadian.ca/
Cody Johnston - Bio
Cody Johnston | Enterprise Solutions for Main Street
Cody brings 10+ years of experience building mission-critical systems for government and Fortune 500 companies directly to the businesses that need it most—startups, small companies, and nonprofits. His coding journey started at 16, but his real education came from 8+ years with Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (2016-2024) and a year building banking platforms at FIS Global (2024-2025), where he learned how enterprise-level solutions actually work.
In May 2025, Cody launched The Weird Canadian to bridge the gap he kept seeing: great businesses struggling with problems he knew how to solve. He specializes in business strategy, custom development, content creation, and coaching—all delivered with enterprise-quality standards adapted to real-world constraints.
What sets Cody apart is his understanding that small business isn't just "small enterprise." It's a different operating environment. He delivers sophisticated solutions within the actual budgets, timelines, and resource limitations that Main Street organizations face—proving that enterprise expertise doesn't require enterprise pricing.
Cody operates from a small rural town and has established a business helping local businesses with websites, automation, and applications
Uses multiple AI platforms for different purposes:
Manus IM as primary research tool: “It’s had agent for six months longer than ChatGPT has. I use it for all of my deep research tasks because it just goes out and does it on its own”
Runs personal server with own LLM model for custom solutions
Cross-validates information across multiple LLMs to check for biases and accuracy
Built conversational AI interfaces specifically for older clients who struggle with traditional technology
“AI has been great with that because I can literally have it as a talking to their phones and doing the actions that they do online”
Rural market challenges with technology adoption
Estimates 50-60% of local businesses either have no website or outdated 1990s-style sites
Facebook dominance in local business: “Facebook is the dominant place people do business out here”
Resistance from older business owners (60-70 years old) who are comfortable with current revenue levels
Infrastructure limitations in rural Canada
Limited road access to northern regions requiring flights
Ferry system constraints affecting economic development
Population concentrated along southern border with vast underutilized land
Currently developing tourism coordination role for local town
Appointed as tourism coordinator to establish and coordinate all online tourism activities
Plans to create TV show once technology advances sufficiently
Has released three albums on Spotify using AI-assisted music creation
Building applications focused on user needs rather than vendor recommendations
Developing solutions that make technology accessible through conversational interfaces
Will provide productivity increase metrics from AI usage for follow-up analysis
Plans to continue building local business solutions with emphasis on legacy value proposition
Framing technology upgrades as tools for business succession and legacy building
Targeting business owners considering retirement or succession planning
Continuing development of conversational AI solutions for non-tech-savvy users
Additional Needs and Pain PointsFuture RoadmapAgreed Next Steps
