Tier 3: Expert
"I can architect AI systems, make strategic technology decisions, and advance organizational capability."
Prerequisites
Practitioner capability plus real deployment experience. You should have shipped multiple AI features and encountered the complexities that only emerge in production. Expert builds on that hard-won experience.
What This Level Means
Expert demonstrates that you can architect complex AI systems, make strategic technology decisions, lead AI initiatives, and elevate the capabilities of those around you.
You understand cutting-edge developments, can evaluate emerging technologies, and can guide AI direction for projects and the organization. You're the person others come to with hard AI problems.
This isn't a destination—it's a commitment to continuous growth at the frontier.
Elements to Explore
Expert-level elements are at the cutting edge. Focus on deep understanding and strategic application—knowing not just how, but when and why.
| Element | Concept | What to Master |
|---|---|---|
| Ft | Fine-tuning | Prepare datasets and fine-tune models. Know when fine-tuning beats RAG and vice versa. |
| Rt | Red Teaming | Adversarial testing, prompt injection defense, security assessment. Find vulnerabilities systematically. |
| Ma | Multi-agent | Design and implement multi-agent orchestration. Understand coordination, specialization, and failure modes. |
| Sy | Synthetic Data | Generate and validate synthetic training data. Understand quality, diversity, and contamination risks. |
| In | Interpretability | Debug model behavior, understand attention patterns, root-cause failures. Know the limits of explainability. |
| Th | Thinking Models | Architect solutions using reasoning models. Know when to invest compute in thinking vs. generation. |
| Mc | MCP/Protocols | Understand emerging standards. Evaluate and implement protocol-based architectures. |
Additional Expert Competencies
Beyond specific elements, Experts demonstrate mastery in:
Cost Modeling and Optimization
- Analyze AI costs at scale
- Optimize for cost/quality/latency tradeoffs
- Build cost-aware architectures
Architecture Reviews
- Evaluate AI system designs
- Identify risks and improvements
- Guide teams on architecture decisions
Mentorship
- Guide others through Practitioner
- Share knowledge effectively
- Build team capability
Knowledge Contribution
- Add to Jahnel Group's AI knowledge base
- Document patterns and learnings
- Advance collective understanding
Portfolio: Lead and Mentor
Expert portfolio demonstrates leadership and multiplied impact.
What to Document
1. Lead Architecture on a Complex AI System
- What made it complex?
- How did you make architectural decisions?
- What tradeoffs did you navigate?
- How did it perform in production?
2. Technical Deep-Dive Presentation
- Present to peers on an advanced topic
- Share original insights or analysis
- Advance collective understanding
3. Mentor at Least One Person Through Practitioner
- Document the mentorship process
- What did they learn? What did you learn?
- How did you adapt to their needs?
Example Contributions
Expert contributions might include:
- Architecting a multi-agent system with monitoring and fallbacks
- Conducting a red team assessment with documented findings
- Fine-tuning a model with measured improvement over baseline
- Mentoring a colleague from Foundation through Practitioner
- Publishing an internal guide on an advanced topic
Use the Expert Portfolio Template to structure your documentation.
Skills to Develop
Strategic Thinking
Can you:
- Evaluate emerging AI technologies for business fit?
- Make build vs. buy decisions for AI capabilities?
- Forecast AI costs at scale?
- Identify when AI is the wrong solution?
System Design
Can you:
- Design complex, multi-component AI systems?
- Plan for failure modes and fallbacks?
- Balance cost, latency, and quality at scale?
- Architect for observability and debugging?
Security Mindset
Can you:
- Identify security risks in AI systems?
- Conduct systematic adversarial testing?
- Design defenses against prompt injection?
- Evaluate AI-specific security tools?
Leadership
Can you:
- Guide architecture decisions for others?
- Mentor effectively across different learning styles?
- Communicate AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders?
- Lead AI initiatives from concept to production?
Assessment Approach
Expert assessment includes:
Architecture Presentation
Present a complex AI system design to a panel of existing Experts. Expect deep questions about decisions, tradeoffs, and alternatives.
Technical Assessment
Deep dive into advanced topics. You should be able to discuss cutting-edge developments and their implications.
Peer Review
Evaluation from existing Experts and leadership. They'll assess:
- Technical depth
- Strategic thinking
- Leadership and mentorship
- Knowledge contribution
What "Passing" Means
You've demonstrated the ability to lead AI initiatives, make strategic decisions, and elevate others. You're ready to guide the organization's AI direction.
The Expert Commitment
Expert isn't a final destination. The AI landscape evolves constantly. Being an Expert means:
- Staying current with emerging developments
- Sharing knowledge as you learn
- Mentoring others on their journeys
- Pushing boundaries of what's possible
- Being humble about what you don't know
The periodic table will grow. New elements will emerge. Expert-level understanding requires continuous learning.
Learning Path Suggestions
Deepen Technical Skills
- Work through emerging elements (Row 4)
- Build systems that combine multiple advanced concepts
- Study frontier research and developments
Build Leadership Skills
- Mentor someone through Practitioner
- Lead architecture reviews
- Present technical deep-dives
Contribute to the Community
- Document patterns and learnings
- Improve these resources based on your experience
- Help evolve the periodic table as AI advances
Common Questions
Q: How long does it take to reach Expert?
Varies significantly. Some reach it in 6 months with focused effort; others take longer. The journey matters more than the timeline.
Q: Do I need to know everything?
No one knows everything. Expert means you have deep knowledge, can learn quickly, and know your gaps. Humility is essential.
Q: What if AI changes dramatically?
It will. Expert includes the ability to evaluate and adapt to new developments. The mental models transfer even as specific technologies evolve.
Q: Is there something after Expert?
Expert isn't an endpoint—it's a commitment to continuous growth. You'll keep learning, contributing, and evolving. There's always more to discover.
Ready to Start?
- Assess your Practitioner-level capabilities
- Identify gaps in expert elements
- Start a significant project that stretches your abilities
- Begin mentoring someone else
- Contribute to collective knowledge