_Timeline
Dev Journey
From a kid writing HTML after watching The Matrix to building production AI systems, tracking the milestones along the way.
28
Milestones
4+
Years in AI
∞
Passion
Personal project
Entity resolution across two UK government registers that share no common key. Around 9,700 lines across 21 modules, and it publishes a 95% lower bound next to the headline precision rather than just the headline. The most technically serious thing I've built.
- >Two registers, no shared identifier, and real consequences for a wrong match
- >An evaluation harness: gate certificate, Clopper-Pearson bounds, provenance per label, a recall canary
- >Splink and DuckDB, with Python doing the heavy lifting
- >Private repo for now. A write-up is coming.
Local models
Over a year now of running open models on my own machine: Ollama, private RAG over my own documents, and contributing to Odysseus, an open source local AI project. Sanctuary is built the same way, fully on-device. Personal use, not client work.
- >Ollama and open models on my own machine, over a year now
- >Private RAG over my own documents
- >Contributing to Odysseus, an open source local AI project
- >Sanctuary: fully offline and on-device
CodeCademy
Completed intensive bootcamp focused on mastering AI development, advanced machine learning techniques, and building production-ready AI applications.
- >Mastered generative AI and LLM development
- >Built production-ready AI applications
- >Advanced machine learning implementation techniques
- >AI ethics and responsible AI development
Personal Project
Successfully migrated my commercial portfolio website to React v2.0 with significant improvements. A key feature of this update is the comprehensive Web Agency Showcase - detailed documentation of 10+ commercial projects specifically designed for employers and recruiters to review my professional work.
- >Migrated from v1.x to v2.0 framework with complete refactor
- >Achieved 95+ Lighthouse scores for performance
- >Implemented SEO optimisations and accessibility features
- >Added multilingual support (EN, FR, RU, JA)
- >Published comprehensive Web Agency Showcase documenting 10+ commercial projects
Professional Development
Successfully completed an intensive ICT bootcamp, gaining comprehensive knowledge in hardware, cloud computing, networking, and Azure services. This certification has significantly expanded my technical skillset.
- >Mastered hardware troubleshooting and system administration
- >Achieved Azure Fundamentals certification
- >Learnt advanced networking concepts and protocols
- >Gained hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure deployment
Personal Project
Created an innovative platform to compare responses from multiple AI models side-by-side in real-time. Features GPT-4, Claude 3.5, DeepSeek, and Perplexity with performance metrics and visualisations.
- >Integrated multiple AI APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, Perplexity)
- >Built with Next.js 15 and TypeScript for optimal performance
- >Implemented real-time response streaming and comparison
- >Created beautiful data visualisations for performance metrics
Personal Project
Developed NewsPerspective, an innovative application that uses Azure and OpenAI to analyse news articles and rewrite headlines based on actual content to combat misinformation.
- >Integrated Azure Cognitive Services for content analysis
- >Implemented OpenAI API for intelligent headline generation
- >Built Python backend with Flask for API endpoints
- >Created system to detect and flag misleading headlines
Personal Project
Built an advanced football data analytics platform with natural language queries and AI insights. RAG-powered NL-to-SQL using a custom collated dataset of European football results.
- >Integrated Supabase and PostgreSQL for data management
- >Implemented LangChain for natural language processing
- >Built RAG system for intelligent query generation
- >Created React frontend with data visualisations
Personal Project
Created The Premier League Oracle, a comprehensive football prediction platform that uses data science and machine learning to provide objective match predictions.
- >Built with Python, Svelte, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL
- >Integrated historical match data from Football-Data.co.uk
- >Implemented statistical anomaly detection algorithms
- >Designed responsive UI with data visualisations
Personal Project
Created a production-ready code generation tool with AI assistance. Built with LangChain and React to generate code, unit tests, and documentation across multiple programming languages.
- >Integrated LangChain with GPT-4o for code generation
- >Built Python Flask backend with React frontend
- >Implemented multi-language support (Python, JavaScript, Java, etc.)
- >Added automated unit test and documentation generation
Personal Project
Expanded the Matrix Arcade project with new games including Matrix Invaders. The arcade now features a comprehensive collection of retro-style games built with modern web technologies.
- >Added Matrix Invaders - a space invaders clone with Matrix theme
- >Improved game performance and responsiveness
- >Enhanced UI/UX with better navigation between games
- >Implemented high score tracking and leaderboards
AiTomatic
Made redundant from Fuelius in December. Started building under AiTomatic the same month: solo, self-funded, no clients yet. Two years of shipping things nobody asked for, which is where most of what I now know came from. Also the month this site was built from scratch.
- >Made redundant from Fuelius, December 2024
- >Started building under AiTomatic. Solo, self-funded, no clients yet.
- >Built this site from scratch, Matrix theme and all
- >Started the commercial portfolio at thomasjbutler.me for the paid work
Personal Project
Built my first portfolio website from scratch using custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Designed with a Matrix theme inspired by my favourite films, this became my primary showcase until transitioning to this professional commercial site.
- >Custom-built with pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- >Matrix-themed design with green digital rain effects
- >Served as main portfolio and skills practice ground
- >Features interactive elements and smooth animations
Personal Project
Finished development of CSS Showcase, an interactive demonstration of advanced CSS animations and effects. This project serves as both a learning resource and a portfolio piece showcasing modern CSS capabilities.
- >Created 20+ unique CSS animation demonstrations
- >Implemented pure CSS solutions without JavaScript
- >Built responsive design that works on all devices
- >Added interactive tutorials for each animation technique
Personal Project
Developed a comprehensive suite of Python applications showcasing various backend development skills. This collection demonstrates proficiency in API development, data processing, and machine learning implementations.
- >Created RESTful APIs using Flask and FastAPI frameworks
- >Implemented data processing pipelines and ETL workflows
- >Built machine learning models for predictive analytics
- >Demonstrated best practices in Python backend development
Personal Project
Built a creative image gallery inspired by the big bang. This visual gallery showcases design work and creative experiments with stunning animations and interactive elements.
- >Implemented canvas-based animations and particle effects
- >Created responsive gallery layout with smooth transitions
- >Built interactive visual experiments and design showcases
- >Optimised performance for smooth 60fps animations
Personal Project
Created a full-stack calendar application using .NET and React. Initially started as a code assessment, continued development to master .NET backend development and C# programming.
- >Built .NET backend with Fast Endpoints architecture
- >Implemented React frontend with modern UI/UX
- >Integrated C# backend with React SPA
- >Deployed to Vercel with live demo
AI Development
Started creating custom AI models and applying machine learning knowledge practically. This marked a significant milestone in my AI journey, moving from theory to hands-on implementation.
- >Developed custom AI models for various use cases
- >Applied machine learning concepts to real-world problems
- >Created AI-powered solutions and integrations
- >Built the foundations for the AI work that came after
Personal Project
Built a minimal Reddit app using React, Redux, and Reddit API to aggregate the latest transfer rumours across various football subreddits. Showcases state management and API integration skills.
- >Implemented Redux for state management
- >Integrated Reddit API for real-time news aggregation
- >Built responsive React UI for news display
- >Created multi-subreddit aggregation system
Self-Study
Began an intensive self-study programme focused on Machine Learning and advanced Python programming. Currently working through comprehensive courses and building practical ML projects.
- >Studying neural networks and deep learning fundamentals
- >Working with TensorFlow and PyTorch frameworks
- >Building predictive models using scikit-learn
- >Exploring natural language processing and computer vision
Creative Coding
Joined CodePen to practise and showcase creative coding experiments. This platform became my playground for exploring ideas beyond client requirements and CMS limitations encountered at work.
- >Created custom CSS animations and interactive components
- >Practised skills learnt in professional environment
- >Experimented with creative coding beyond work constraints
- >Still actively creating and sharing code snippets
Self-Study
Began deep exploration of AI tools and models, staying on top of the rapidly evolving AI industry. This period marked the beginning of my journey into practical AI implementation and understanding.
- >Explored various AI platforms and models extensively
- >Kept current with latest AI industry trends and developments
- >Experimented with prompt engineering and model fine-tuning
- >Started integrating AI tools into development workflow
Fuelius
First job in software, at a HubSpot partner agency. Eighteen months, twelve named clients, and a Level 4 Software Developer apprenticeship with Estio studied alongside it. Umbraco, HubSpot, C# and .NET, SCSS, and a lot of client calls.
- >Twelve named clients in eighteen months, an NHS trust and two arena venues among them
- >Implementation lead under a senior architect on a seven-brand HubSpot migration
- >Level 4 Software Developer apprenticeship with Estio, studied 2023-24
- >Umbraco, HubSpot and HubL, C#/.NET, SCSS, Azure DevOps
Personal Projects
Focused intensively on Python development, creating my first scripts and web applications. This period marked significant growth in practical programming skills and creative exploration with AI tools.
- >Practised Python and created automation scripts
- >Built and launched first website using GoDaddy (now retired)
- >Explored AI creative tools like Midjourney and DALL-E
- >Developed understanding of web development fundamentals
Professional Training
Enrolled in an intensive Cloud and Data Engineering bootcamp from February to April 2023. This comprehensive programme provided hands-on experience with modern cloud technologies and data processing frameworks.
- >Learnt cloud infrastructure fundamentals on AWS and Azure
- >Studied data engineering principles and ETL pipelines
- >Built projects using Python for data processing
- >Gained experience with SQL and NoSQL databases
Self-Directed Learning
Started teaching myself to code from a standing start, while still at the DWP. Evenings and weekends around a full-time job, and the beginning of the career change.
- >Began learning programming fundamentals and computer science basics
- >Studied online through various platforms and tutorials
- >AI tools arrived later that year and changed how fast I could learn
- >Started exploring game development concepts and engines
Department for Work and Pensions
Two years in the Civil Service supporting young people on Universal Credit through the pandemic. Twenty face-to-face appointments a day and a caseload of 150. You can only help one person at a time in that job, which is where the idea of building tools instead came from.
- >Caseload of 150 young claimants through COVID-19
- >Twenty appointments a day, with case notes and referrals between them
- >Single point of contact for Diversity and Inclusion, running monthly sessions on hidden disabilities
- >Co-delivered a Teams live event to over 1,000 colleagues across Greater Manchester
Life Experience
From childhood, I was fascinated by technology and gaming, loving the simplicity and UI design of classic games. Despite this passion, life took me on different paths: professional cricket, commercial diving, then financial paraplanning. It wasn't until AI emerged that I realised I could finally pursue my true calling.
- >Childhood obsession with tech: jailbreaking an iPod Touch, installing Cydia repos
- >Professional cricket, commercial diving, then paraplanning in financial services
- >Always the person with the app ideas and no way to build them
- >AI tools closed that gap, and I've been making up for it since
_what's next?