Foundations Learning Path
Seven lessons to take you from architecture basics to designing a simple application. Work through them in order — each builds on the last.
7 lessons · ~168 minutes total
What is System Architecture?
Understand what software architecture means, why it matters, and how the pieces of a system fit together.
22 min read
Clients, Servers & Requests
Learn how clients and servers communicate through HTTP requests and responses — the foundation of the web.
25 min read
APIs & How Systems Talk
Discover how applications communicate through APIs, with a focus on REST principles and practical design.
28 min read
Databases & Where Data Lives
Explore how databases store persistent data, the difference between SQL and NoSQL, and how to choose the right one.
28 min read
Caching — Why & When
Learn how caching speeds up applications, reduces database load, and the tradeoffs involved in cache design.
20 min read
Load Balancing & Basic Scaling
Understand how load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers to handle more users and improve reliability.
20 min read
Design a Simple App
Apply everything you have learned by architecting a production-ready todo application from scratch.
25 min read