Publication
Risk vs. Reward: A Guide to Understanding Software Containers
https://www.toptal.com/developers/devops/risk-rewards-software-container
Johnmicah is currently unavailable
Johnmicah Potter
Verified Expert in Engineering
Web Developer
Wesley Chapel, FL, United States
Toptal member since July 27, 2020
Bio
Johnmicah is a principal-level engineer and AI architect with nearly 20 years of experience building large-scale systems for Fortune 500 enterprises and high-growth startups. Anthropic-trained, he ships production agentic AI: multi-agent systems, LLM services, and MCP servers, plus the infrastructure behind them. He founded Integrally's engineering org from zero, holds a granted patent for an AI code-generation process, and has a second AI-agent patent pending.
Portfolio
Integrally LLC
JavaScript, PHP, HTML, CSS, jQuery, Git, Fractional CTO, API Development...
Elevance Health
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Python, Go, GitLab CI/CD, Single Sign-on (SSO)...
TIAA
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apache, NGINX, MySQL, Angular, React, JavaScript...
Experience
- Node.js - 12 years
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 7 years
- Architecture - 7 years
- Kubernetes - 6 years
- Python - 4 years
- Large Language Models (LLMs) - 3 years
- Multi-agent Systems - 3 years
- Agentic AI - 3 years
Preferred Environment
Rancher, Ubuntu, Slack, IntelliJ IDEA, MacOS, Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), React, Python, SQL, Best Practices, Cloud Infrastructure, Workflow Automation
The most amazing...
...thing I've built: a hierarchical multi-agent code-generation architecture at TIAA, still saving millions a year in developer costs and speeding time-to-market.
Work Experience
Principal Engineer/Fractional CTO
2022 - PRESENT
Integrally LLC
- Founded Integrally's engineering org from zero: hiring, onboarding, architecture standards, and the NestJS/TypeScript/React/GraphQL/GCP codebase foundation all product development builds on.
- Architected production multi-agent AI workflows (LangGraph, Claude, Vertex AI) powering the in-app assistant myTeg — agents plan research, invoke tools, and reply with cited web sources.
- Shipped an automated multi-agent AI code-review system analyzing every pull request — enforcing standards and catching defects before human review.
- Built a production MCP server providing speaker-attributed semantic search across millions of meeting-transcript segments, consumed by Claude and other AI clients. AI agent patent pending.
- Trained and deployed custom voice models for fast, accurate wake-word detection in the in-app assistant — data pipeline through training to low-latency production inference.
- Designed the company's ML/GPU infrastructure from the ground up, including dual NVIDIA GPU passthrough virtualization (GCP/ESXi) for in-house model training and inference.
- Engineered semantic codebase indexing that gives AI coding agents surgical search over large repos — dramatically cutting context costs and accelerating AI-assisted development.
- Implemented context-engineering and prompt-caching strategies that reduced LLM inference costs and latency across product and development workloads.
- Deployed an agentic AI project-management system automating sprint operations, ticket lifecycle, and workflow coordination across the engineering org.
- Mentored engineers on agentic design patterns, multi-agent architecture, and responsible AI deployment as principal engineer and technical decision-maker.
Technologies: JavaScript, PHP, HTML, CSS, jQuery, Git, Fractional CTO, API Development, Firebase, SQL, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Web Crawlers, Google Maps API, Maps, Scraping, Scrapy, Python, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Agentic AI, Multi-agent Systems, HTML5, Docker, Jenkins, Linux, REST APIs, Agile, PostgreSQL, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Rancher, Bamboo, Unit Testing, Pulumi, Terraform Cloud, Machine Learning, Google Cloud, System Architecture, Advisory, Best Practices, Cloud Infrastructure, Mentorship, RAG Systems, Technical Leadership, Third-party Integration, Workflow Automation
Solutions Engineer Executive Advisor
2021 - PRESENT
Elevance Health
- Led a team of cloud infrastructure/DevOps engineers to build the infrastructure for 17 AI applications to enable MML-backed IVR chatbots and call transcription processors.
- Managed all security vulnerabilities, policies, and remediations for Google Cloud Platform account.
- Decreased AWS spending across all accounts by between 30% and 50% by implementing cost-auditing solutions.
- Built a CI/CD system/platform for standardizing how Terraform is used to deploy GCP resources.
- Implemented and managed cloud tools such as Rancher, Artifactory, Auth0, etc.
- Implemented Snyk package scanning into 30 AI apps across the organization.
- Coordinated with engineering managers to provide DevOps and infrastructure-related solutions and tools to make their teams operate more efficiently.
- Led the developer experience team in serving engineering partners.
- Developed tools using technologies such as Python, Go, Bash, and Docker.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Python, Go, GitLab CI/CD, Single Sign-on (SSO), Organization, Budgeting, Automation, Docker, Kubernetes, Microsoft SQL Server, Homebrew, Artifactory, Auth0, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), APIs, Architecture, CSS, HTML, Git, DevOps, Server Administration, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Terraform, Python 3, TensorFlow, Vertex AI, Google Cloud, Amazon EC2, Amazon Elastic MapReduce (EMR), Amazon EKS, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR), Google Compute Engine (GCE), Google Cloud SQL, Google Workspace, Terragrunt, Redis, Artificial Intelligence (AI), API Integration, OpenAI, n8n, ChatGPT, Prompt Engineering, Training, Tutoring, CI/CD Pipelines, AI Automation, Agentic AI, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), TypeScript, Claude Code, AI Agents, AI Architecture, AI Native, AI OPS Engineer, Agentic AI Systems, Leadership & Coaching, Agentic RAG Systems, Data Analysis, Data Science, EventBus, Large Language Models (LLMs), MySQL, API Development, SQL, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Multi-agent Systems, HTML5, JavaScript, Jenkins, Linux, REST APIs, PostgreSQL, Rancher, Unit Testing, Terraform Cloud, System Architecture, Advisory, Best Practices, Cloud Infrastructure, Mentorship, RAG Systems, Technical Leadership, Third-party Integration, Workflow Automation
Senior IT Architect
2018 - PRESENT
TIAA
- Led a team of five architects, which included researching, documenting, communicating, and unifying the application architecture and development standards across all their respective teams.
- Architected a solution to train in-house AI models to read Figma files via REST and convert them to React code using TIAA's internally developed React component library.
- Developed an internal continuous integration tool that pulls, builds, and deploys various project prototypes and tools created by the development teams.
- Created a new asset build and deployment strategy for all lower environments using docker container builds and internal CDN servers.
- Built and released the first-ever PWA/service-worker strategy at TIAA.
- Developed an internal image optimization tool that crawled a domain on a schedule in search of images. It would report back details of images, including the savings it could have if optimized. It would also automatically optimize five types of images.
- Led research and POC projects regularly for concepts such as PWC, micro fontends, co-browse, and more.
- Maintained all servers that housed my community's internal tools and conducted an AWS migration of all related servers.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apache, NGINX, MySQL, Angular, React, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Linux, Docker, Laravel, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), APIs, Architecture, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), Adobe, Adobe Analytics, Git, Kubernetes, DevOps, Server Administration, Terraform, Python, Machine Learning, TensorFlow, Akamai, Red Hat OpenShift, ElectricFlow, Jenkins, Configuration Management Databases (CMDB), Content Delivery Networks (CDN), Artificial Intelligence (AI), API Integration, OpenAI, n8n, ChatGPT, Prompt Engineering, Training, Finance, Tutoring, CI/CD Pipelines, AI Automation, Agentic AI, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), TypeScript, Claude Code, AI Agents, AI Architecture, AI Native, AI OPS Engineer, Agentic AI Systems, Leadership & Coaching, Agentic RAG Systems, Data Analysis, Large Language Models (LLMs), Light LLMs, Open-source LLMs, API Development, SQL, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Web Crawlers, Scraping, Scrapy, Multi-agent Systems, HTML5, Sass, REST APIs, Vue, Groovy, PostgreSQL, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Rancher, Unit Testing, Symfony, Pulumi, Terraform Cloud, Google Cloud, System Architecture, Advisory, Best Practices, Cloud Infrastructure, Mentorship, RAG Systems, Technical Leadership, Third-party Integration, Workflow Automation
Senior Platform Engineer
2017 - 2018
Red Ventures
- Led a team of five platform engineers which included training them about new tech, skills, and techniques; held individual one-on-one meetings and served as a scrum master through standups, sprint planning, and retrospectives.
- Maintained a Rancher environment that housed many applications using a variety of technologies including PHP, Go, Node.js, Java, and C#.
- Developed a strategy that unified the CI/CD process for hundreds of applications with varying tech stacks.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Node.js, C#, PHP, Go, Continuous Delivery (CD), Continuous Integration (CI), Bamboo, Jenkins, Linux, Terraform, Kubernetes, Rancher, Docker, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), APIs, Architecture, CSS, HTML, Git, jQuery, DevOps, Server Administration, Python, API Integration, Training, Tutoring, CI/CD Pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), TypeScript, Leadership & Coaching, Venture Design, Data Analysis, MySQL, API Development, SQL, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, HTML5, JavaScript, Sass, REST APIs, Agile, Groovy, PostgreSQL, Unit Testing, Terraform Cloud, System Architecture, Advisory, Best Practices, Cloud Infrastructure, Mentorship, Technical Leadership, Third-party Integration, Workflow Automation
Lead JavaScript Engineer
2015 - 2016
Bank of America
- Led the team that migrated the auto loans portion of BankofAmerica.com to a static site, as well as generating the RESTful strategy.
- Integrated JavaScript performance auditing through a module inheritance modal that enabled on-demand JavaScript function performance monitoring across BankofAmerica.com.
- Led and trained a team of front-end application developers.
- Organized pair programming, code reviews, training, and team meetings.
Technologies: Performance Engineering, Spring Boot, Java, REST, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Node.js, APIs, Architecture, Git, jQuery, Training, Tutoring, CI/CD Pipelines, TypeScript, Leadership & Coaching, MySQL, API Development, HTML5, Jenkins, Sass, REST APIs, Agile, Unit Testing, Best Practices, Mentorship, Technical Leadership
Infrastructure Engineer
2015 - 2016
Lowe's
- Architected strategies for Adobe AEM and Node.js multi-data-center environments, deployments, networking, and disaster recovery.
- Conducted frequent interviews and built and led a new team to support new AEM and Node.js infrastructure.
- Enhanced the performance of Lowes.com through building the infrastructure to migrate product pages out of WebSphere Commerce and into Node.js.
Technologies: PostgreSQL, Node.js, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), F5 Networks, Atlassian Suite, Puppet, Bash, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Linux, Adobe, CSS, PHP, HTML, Git, jQuery, DevOps, Server Administration, API Integration, Training, Tutoring, CI/CD Pipelines, TypeScript, Leadership & Coaching, Data Analysis, MySQL, API Development, SQL, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, HTML5, JavaScript, Docker, Jenkins, Linux, Laravel, Sass, REST APIs, Agile, Groovy, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Vagrant, Bamboo, Unit Testing, System Architecture, Advisory, Best Practices, Mentorship, Technical Leadership, Third-party Integration, Workflow Automation
Software Engineer | Technical Lead
2012 - 2015
Lowe's
- Streamlined the development process for AEM developers and laid a foundation for a mobile-first adaptive/responsive strategy using Adobe AEM.
- Pioneered a way for developers to make uniformed service calls across multiple applications by developing Node.js modules that standardized the way Lowes.com makes RESTful API calls.
- Developed a local environment for Lowes.com developers that brought together services, WebSphere, mobile web, Adobe AEM, and static assets into one large vagrant environment; also completed it with admin panel configurations and monitoring built-in.
- Trained teams of front-end developers on using Java J2EE and Adobe Experience Manager in preparation for redesigning Lowes.com on Adobe AEM.
Technologies: MySQL, PHP, Jenkins, AIX, Linux, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), Java, Grunt, Node.js, Adobe, CSS, HTML, Git, jQuery, DevOps, Server Administration, Training, Tutoring, CI/CD Pipelines, TypeScript, Leadership & Coaching, API Development, SQL, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, HTML5, JavaScript, Docker, Less, Laravel, Sass, REST APIs, Agile, Groovy, PostgreSQL, CakePHP, Vagrant, Bamboo, Unit Testing, System Architecture, Advisory, Best Practices, Mentorship, Technical Leadership, Third-party Integration, Workflow Automation
Front-end Developer
2011 - 2012
Lowe's
- Implemented a continuous integration model for front-end assets that automated production deployments while decreasing the need for on-call developers.
- Eliminated unnecessary redundant manual testing by integrating automated tests via Saucelabs; ultimately refocusing the QA team on critical feature testing.
- Developed internal tools to that allowed UX partners to test out individual features independently rather than having to wait for them to come together in an environment.
- Create a Lowe's branded version of Eclipse that encapsulated Lowe's development specific tools which gave developers the ability to build code directly from their IDE exactly how the build servers would.
- Developed the front end for the portion of Lowes.com associated with a "MyLowe's Card."
Technologies: JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Git, jQuery, Server Administration, CI/CD Pipelines, TypeScript, MySQL, API Development, HTML5, Jenkins, Less, Linux, Laravel, Sass, REST APIs, Agile, Unit Testing, Best Practices, Mentorship, Technical Leadership, Workflow Automation
Web Developer
2008 - 2011
Masonite International
- Developed interactive product configurators used by Home Depot and Lowe's.
- Developed localization solution that allowed product configuration catalogs to be used in English, French, and Spanish.
- Conducted learning sessions at home improvement store corporate headquarters to train IT employees on new software releases.
Technologies: C, Visual Basic, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, jQuery, Server Administration, MySQL, SQL, Full-stack Development, HTML5, Mentorship, Technical Leadership
Experience
ContentLaunch Web App
ContentLaunch is a Laravel/Vue.js-based application used to plan, create, collaborate on, and release content to websites and social media outlets.
I was the lead full-stack developer on this project and organized work efforts across a dispersed team with members in California, North Carolina, Brazil, and Croatia. The project uses Stripe for its payments system and has multiple third-party API integrations for features such as content ordering and topic generating. It also integrates with Google Docs, Dropbox, WordPress, and all social media sites to enable importing and deploying content.
I was the lead full-stack developer on this project and organized work efforts across a dispersed team with members in California, North Carolina, Brazil, and Croatia. The project uses Stripe for its payments system and has multiple third-party API integrations for features such as content ordering and topic generating. It also integrates with Google Docs, Dropbox, WordPress, and all social media sites to enable importing and deploying content.
2015 Lowes.com Redesign
Lowes.com is an online home improvement eCommerce site. In 2015, I led the mid-to-front-end migration away from a WebSphere monolithic application to delivering pages using a blend of Node.js, Adobe AEM, and back-end service layers.
Platform Engineering for AI Healthcare Applications
https://www.elevancehealth.com/I have the pleasure of building and maintaining AWS and GCP-backed cloud environments for a plethora of creative AI-based applications, including Kubernetes, GPUs, model training, RAG, CI/CD, monitoring, etc. I can't publicly share much more.
Education
2006 - 2008
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Science
FMU | Florida Metropolitan University - Brandon, FL, USA
Certifications
APRIL 2022 - APRIL 2024
Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud
FEBRUARY 2015 - PRESENT
Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Alliance
FEBRUARY 2015 - PRESENT
Red Hat Certified Administrator
Red Hat
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Node.js, React, API Development, Vue, REST APIs, jQuery, TensorFlow, Terragrunt, Google Maps API
Tools
IntelliJ IDEA, Slack, Atlassian Suite, Terraform, NGINX, GitLab CI/CD, Homebrew, Git, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Vagrant, Jenkins, Grunt, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), VMware vSphere, Apache, Adobe, Adobe Analytics, n8n, Bamboo, Puppet, Artifactory, Auth0, Amazon Elastic MapReduce (EMR), Amazon EKS, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR), Google Compute Engine (GCE), Google Workspace, ElectricFlow
Languages
PHP, HTML5, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Bash, Python, TypeScript, SQL, Sass, Less, Java, Groovy, C++, Visual Basic, C, Go, C#, Python 3
Frameworks
Laravel, Symfony, Scrapy, CakePHP, Spring Boot, Angular
Paradigms
REST, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), Automation, DevOps, Model Context Protocol (MCP), Best Practices, Agile, Unit Testing
Platforms
Docker, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Linux, MacOS, Kubernetes, Red Hat Linux, Rancher, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ubuntu, Firebase, AIX, NVIDIA CUDA, Vertex AI, Amazon EC2, Red Hat OpenShift
Storage
MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Google Cloud, PostgreSQL, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Redis, Google Cloud SQL, Configuration Management Databases (CMDB)
Other
Web Development, Performance Engineering, CI/CD Pipelines, APIs, Architecture, Server Administration, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Pulumi, API Integration, OpenAI, Prompt Engineering, Tutoring, AI Automation, Agentic AI, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), AI Agents, AI Architecture, AI Native, AI OPS Engineer, Agentic AI Systems, Agentic RAG Systems, Large Language Models (LLMs), Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Scraping, Multi-agent Systems, Infrastructure, Security, Data Migration, System Architecture, Advisory, Cloud Infrastructure, RAG Systems, Technical Leadership, Workflow Automation, Organization, Terraform Cloud, Machine Learning, Training, Finance, Leadership & Coaching, Data Analysis, Open-source LLMs, Fractional CTO, Web Crawlers, Mentorship, Third-party Integration, Networking, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), F5 Networks, Single Sign-on (SSO), Budgeting, DocumentDB, FastAPI, GPU Computing, Akamai, Content Delivery Networks (CDN), Venture Design, Data Science, EventBus, Light LLMs, Maps
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