Johannes Jordan
About me
I'm Johannes, a lead software engineer with a full-stack focus based in Germany. Over the past eight years, I've worked on high-traffic web applications in automotive, logistics, and public transport. I care a lot about developer experience, mentoring, and finding the right level of AI tooling. Currently on parental leave, building things like
- a gif wall for parties,
- a homepage for one of my choirs
- my home server with NixOS, Impermanence, SecureBoot, Headscale, and Caddy.
Some of my explorations with AI:
- MacOS Tools
- Wheel city, a map displaying the accessibility of Bamberg's streets
- finding the best AI agent by use case
- security practices building an AI-Chatbot
In the past, I had the pleasure of working with companies like Volkswagen, o2, ADAC, MINI, Kuehne+Nagel, and Deutsche Bahn.
AI: Quo vadis?
Some of my beliefs when it comes to AI. Come back in a few weeks, they might have changed.
- The importance of Observability has only increased. With humans losing their institutionalised knowledge of code (written by AI), Application Performance Monitoring (APM) is key to having a proper understanding of your system.1
- AI Security continues to be an unsolved topic. Since guardrails and other current approaches to AI security are unreliable2, conventional security gets even more important: Principle of least privilege, separation of concerns, shifting left (and probably not relying solely on authentication3). The question is: If a user can trick the AI into outputting anything, what is the worst that can happen?4 We have to plan for that.
- We're all figuring this out.5 Yes, you can vibe code a Figma clone in two weeks. Don't get me wrong, this is seriously impressive. But it still isn't Figma. In the past, we had at least a year or two to let shiny and hyped things settle. These days, everyone is trying to use AI anytime, anywhere - and I think we haven't even reached the trough of disillusionment.6
- Learning is more important than ever. And harder. Not just learning how to use AI effectively, but keeping fundamentals sharp enough to catch its mistakes, and staying critical enough to know when it's subtly wrong. Prompting and hoping is not a strategy.
What others say
His ability to convey knowledge clearly and understandably, combined with his constant willingness to support and advise, made him an indispensable mentor for me.
He is not afraid to challenge the status quo when necessary, always striving for excellence and pushing boundaries to achieve the best possible results.
I particularly admire the way he articulates concepts and delivers presentations. His ability to remain composed in challenging situations is truly commendable.
See LinkedIn for more testimonials.
How to get in touch
Feel free to contact me. Encryption always appreciated.