Learning Path Overview

Beginner: Foundations (Weeks 1-4)

Topics

1. Networking Fundamentals — TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, WebSockets
2. Databases — SQL vs NoSQL, indexing, replication, sharding
3. Caching — Redis, Memcached, cache strategies
4. Load Balancing — Algorithms, L4 vs L7, health checks
5. API Design — REST, GraphQL, gRPC, versioning

Milestones

• Can explain TCP vs UDP
• Can design a simple CRUD API
• Can choose between SQL and NoSQL for a use case
• Can implement cache-aside pattern

Intermediate: Patterns (Weeks 5-12)

Topics

1. CAP Theorem — Consistency, availability, partition tolerance
2. Message Queues — Kafka, RabbitMQ, event-driven architecture
3. Microservices — Service decomposition, communication patterns
4. Consistent Hashing — Distributed cache, sharding
5. Rate Limiting — Token bucket, sliding window

Milestones

• Can explain CAP theorem with examples
• Can design a message queue-based system
• Can implement consistent hashing
• Can design a rate limiter

Advanced: Complex Systems (Weeks 13-24)

Topics

1. Distributed Transactions — Saga pattern, 2PC, outbox pattern
2. Real-Time Systems — WebSocket, SSE, long polling
3. Search Systems — Inverted index, Elasticsearch, ranking
4. Storage Systems — Blob storage, file sync, CDN
5. Observability — Logging, monitoring, tracing, alerting

Milestones

• Can design a chat system
• Can design a news feed
• Can design a search engine
• Can implement saga pattern

Expert: Architecture Leadership (Weeks 25+)

Topics

1. Architecture Decision Records — Documenting decisions
2. Cost Optimization — Right-sizing, reserved instances, spot
3. Security — Authentication, authorization, encryption
4. Compliance — GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2
5. Organizational Impact — Conway's Law, team topologies

Milestones

• Can write architecture decision records
• Can optimize system costs by 50%+
• Can design for compliance requirements
• Can lead architecture reviews

Recommended Resources

Books

• Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann
• System Design Interview by Alex Xu
• Building Microservices by Sam Newman
• The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim

Practice

• Mock interviews with peers
• Design 1 system per week
• Write architecture decision records
• Review open-source architectures

Practice Exercises

1. Self-Assessment: Where are you on this roadmap? What's your next milestone?
2. Planning: Create a personal study plan for the next 4 weeks.
3. Practice: Design one system per week using the framework from interview tips.
4. Review: After designing, review your design against published architectures.

What to Learn Next