FDE training program / crash course library
The crash course: the best free material, in the order to take it.
431 articles, videos, courses, books and papers across seven areas, every link checked. In each area, do the Must do items first; they are short and cover each topic once. Come back to Recommended and Go deeper when a lesson or project needs more.
- 01Systems and networking13 must do / 54 total
- 02Programming17 must do / 59 total
- 03Databases and data17 must do / 52 total
- 04Cloud, DevOps and integration8 must do / 60 total
- 05Security and privacy14 must do / 59 total
- 06AI, ML and LLMs14 must do / 87 total
- 07FDE role and business skills13 must do / 60 total
Part of the program: Program overview / The basics / Learning path. Lengths: video lengths are exact; reading times are estimates.
Area 01 / 54 resources / must do about 1 h 58 min
Systems and networking
How computers, operating systems and the internet work: the ground every system stands on.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 13 items, about 1 h 58 min of timed material.
- WatchRepresenting Numbers and Letters with Binary: Crash Course Computer Science #4
Shows how bits and binary represent numbers and text, the base for everything else.
- WatchOperating Systems: Crash Course Computer Science #18
Short history-led intro to what an operating system does for programs.
- Watch100+ Linux Things you Need to Know
Covers the Linux concepts and commands you meet on every client server.
- WatchThe Internet: Crash Course Computer Science #29
Clear overview of packets, routing and IP before going layer by layer.
- Watchwhat is TCP/IP and OSI? // FREE CCNA // EP 3
Friendly explanation of the OSI and TCP/IP layer models and how they map.
- WatchIP Address - IPv4 vs IPv6 Tutorial
Explains IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in plain terms with animations.
- WatchHow a DNS Server (Domain Name System) works.
Animated walkthrough of how a name lookup travels through resolvers and DNS servers.
- WatchSSL, TLS, HTTPS Explained
Concise visual explanation of how HTTPS and TLS protect traffic.
- WatchNetwork Ports Explained
Explains what ports are and the common well-known port numbers.
- WatchVPN (Virtual Private Network) Explained
Explains what a VPN does and why clients use one to reach private systems.
- WatchWhat is a Load Balancer?
Explains load balancers and the common distribution strategies.
- WatchWhat happens when you type a URL into your browser?
Five-minute end to end view of DNS, TCP, TLS and HTTP when you hit enter.
- ReadWhat Is Latency?
Explains latency, what causes it and how it differs from bandwidth.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 33 items, about 35 h 31 min of timed material.
- WatchThe Central Processing Unit (CPU): Crash Course Computer Science #7
Walks through what a CPU actually does step by step with a simple fetch-decode-execute model.
- WatchMemory & Storage: Crash Course Computer Science #19
Explains the difference between memory and storage and why each exists.
- WatchHow do CPUs read machine code? - 6502 part 2
Watching a real 6502 CPU read instructions makes machine code concrete instead of abstract.
- WatchHow CPU Memory & Caches Work - Computerphile
Explains CPU caches and why memory access speed shapes real program performance.
- WatchEvery operating system concept in one video...
Fast tour of kernels, processes, threads, memory and file systems in one sitting.
- WatchComputer Networking Course - Network Engineering [CompTIA Network+ Exam Prep]
Full free networking course for anyone who wants depth across every layer.
- WatchTCP connection walkthrough | Networking tutorial (13 of 13)
Walks through a real TCP connection setup packet by packet.
- WatchTCP vs UDP Comparison
Quick comparison of TCP and UDP and when each one is used.
- Watchwhat is an IP Address? // You SUCK at Subnetting // EP 1
First episode of a popular subnetting series that makes IP addressing approachable.
- WatchNAT and Firewall Explained
Explains NAT and firewalls together, which is how most client networks are set up.
- WatchTLS Handshake Explained - Computerphile
Goes through the TLS handshake step by step, useful when debugging certificate issues.
- WatchProxy vs Reverse Proxy (Real-world Examples)
Clear difference between forward and reverse proxies with real examples.
- WatchWhat happens when you type google.com into your browser and press enter? (Detailed Analysis)
Long, detailed walkthrough of every step from typing a URL to rendering the page.
- CourseNand2Tetris: Build a Modern Computer from First Principles
Hands-on course where you build a computer from logic gates up to an OS.
- CourseCS50's Understanding Technology
Harvard course for non-programmers covering hardware, internet, multimedia and security.
- PracticeNumbers Every Programmer Should Know By Year
Interactive chart of memory, disk and network latencies that builds intuition for where time goes.
- CourseOperating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User
Practical Windows and Linux basics: files, users, packages and processes.
- CourseThe Missing Semester of Your CS Education
Teaches the shell, scripting and command-line tools that courses usually skip.
- ReadHow does the Internet work?
Plain overview of packets, protocols and routing to start the networking section.
- CourseThe Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking
Structured beginner course on the networking stack, core services and troubleshooting.
- ReadWhat Is The OSI Model?
Clear explanation of each of the seven layers with examples.
- ReadWhat is a subnet? How subnetting works
Short explanation of subnets and subnet masks.
- ReadWhat is DNS?
Covers resolvers, root, TLD and authoritative servers and DNS caching.
- PracticeMess With DNS
Gives you a real subdomain to create records on and watch live lookups.
- DocsOverview of HTTP
The reference intro to HTTP requests, responses, headers and statelessness.
- ReadWhat is SSL?
Plain explanation of SSL/TLS, certificates and why HTTPS matters.
- ReadWhat is a Firewall?
Explains firewall types and how rules allow or block traffic.
- ReadWhat is a VPN?
Explains how VPN tunnels and encryption work and their limits.
- ReadWhat is load balancing?
Covers load balancing algorithms and health checks in plain terms.
- ReadWhat Is A Reverse Proxy?
Explains forward vs reverse proxies and why most apps sit behind one.
- DocsHow the web works
Simple first explanation of clients, servers, DNS and HTTP together.
- DocsPopulating the page: how browsers work
Follows a page load from DNS and TLS through parsing, layout and paint.
- ReadWhat happens when... (type google.com and press enter)
Community-written deep answer to the classic interview question, from keypress to render.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 8 items, about 1 h 58 min of timed material.
- BookCode: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
Builds up a computer from switches and bits in plain language, the classic for non-CS readers.
- BookOperating Systems: Three Easy Pieces
Free, readable OS textbook on processes, memory and storage.
- BookThe Linux Command Line
Free full book that takes you from first commands to shell scripts.
- BookComputer Networking: A Top-Down Approach
The standard networking textbook, with free companion lectures and labs on the site.
- BookNetworking! ACK!
Free illustrated zine that makes networking concepts friendly and memorable.
- PaperRFC 1180: A TCP/IP Tutorial
A readable classic RFC that explains how IP, ARP and routing fit together.
- PracticeThe Illustrated TLS 1.3 Connection: Every Byte Explained
Annotates every byte of a real TLS 1.3 connection for those who want full depth.
- BookHigh Performance Browser Networking
Free book on latency, TCP, TLS and HTTP performance, written for people who build web apps.
Area 02 / 59 resources / must do about 5 h 38 min
Programming
Python, clean object-oriented code, tests and Git: enough to build and read real tools.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 17 items, about 5 h 38 min of timed material.
- ReadTeach Yourself Programming in Ten Years
Sets honest expectations about how skill is built through deliberate practice over years, not weekend crash courses.
- DocsPEP 8 - Style Guide for Python Code
The shared style standard that makes Python code readable across teams and tools.
- DocsData Structures (Python Tutorial, chapter 5)
Official guide to lists, tuples, sets and dicts, the building blocks of almost every script.
- WatchIntroduction to Big O Notation and Time Complexity (Data Structures & Algorithms #7)
An intuitive explanation of big-O with simple examples, no heavy math required.
- DocsFunctional Programming HOWTO
Covers iterators, generators, map, filter and functools so learners can write small pure functions and pipelines.
- WatchPython Tutorial: File Objects - Reading and Writing to Files
Covers opening, reading and writing files safely with context managers.
- WatchPython Requests Tutorial: Request Web Pages, Download Images, POST Data, Read JSON, and More
Walks through calling web APIs from Python, the first step to integrating with any client system.
- WatchPython Tutorial: Using Try/Except Blocks for Error Handling
Short, clear explanation of try, except, else and finally with realistic examples.
- WatchPython OOP Tutorial 1: Classes and Instances
The standard starting point for classes and instances in Python, first in a short series.
- WatchUncle Bob's SOLID Principles Made Easy - In Python!
Applies each SOLID principle to one small Python codebase, step by step.
- ReadThings You Should Never Do, Part I
Explains why rewriting a working codebase from scratch is usually a mistake, a lesson that applies to every client system.
- DocsGet Started - pytest documentation
The official first steps for writing and running tests with pytest.
- ReadWhat does debugging a program look like?
A practical, encouraging look at the debugging mindset and process.
- WatchGit Explained in 100 Seconds
A quick mental model of what Git is before diving into commands.
- ReadThe Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code
A quick checklist for judging a software team's basic practices, handy when assessing a client's engineering setup.
- WatchTypeScript in 100 Seconds
A quick explanation of what TypeScript adds to JavaScript and why teams use it.
- WatchAndrej Karpathy: Software Is Changing (Again)
Frames how LLMs change what programming is, useful context for anyone building AI solutions.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 33 items, about 15 h 15 min of timed material.
- CourseCS50's Introduction to Programming with Python (CS50P)
A rigorous free course with problem sets that takes a newcomer from zero to writing real Python programs and tests.
- CoursePython for Everybody (PY4E)
A gentle, well-paced course with a free textbook that is ideal for domain experts with no programming background.
- CourseMIT 6.100L Introduction to CS and Programming using Python (Fall 2022)
University-level intro that teaches computational thinking alongside Python, with lectures, notes and problem sets.
- DocsThe Python Tutorial
The official tour of the language and the reference every Python developer comes back to.
- WatchLearn Python - Full Course for Beginners [Tutorial]
A single long walkthrough of core Python syntax for people who learn best by coding along.
- Watch25 nooby Python habits you need to ditch
A dense checklist of common beginner mistakes and the idiomatic Python to use instead.
- WatchTransforming Code into Beautiful, Idiomatic Python
Classic talk showing how to rewrite clunky loops and conditionals into clear, Pythonic code.
- WatchPython Tutorial: Comprehensions - How they work and why you should be using them
Shows list, dict and set comprehensions side by side with the loops they replace.
- WatchPython Tutorial: Working with JSON Data using the json Module
Shows how to load, transform and save JSON, the format of nearly every API an FDE touches.
- WatchPython Tutorial: CSV Module - How to Read, Parse, and Write CSV Files
Practical CSV handling, the most common way client data arrives.
- DocsRequests Quickstart
Concise official guide to GET/POST, headers, JSON bodies, timeouts and errors.
- WatchComposition Is Better Than Inheritance in Python
Refactors an inheritance hierarchy into composition and shows why the result is easier to change.
- ReadInheritance and Composition: A Python OOP Guide
An in-depth written guide to when to use inheritance versus composition, with full examples.
- WatchStop Writing Classes
A useful counterweight to OOP courses: shows when a plain function or dict is the better design.
- PracticeDesign Patterns
Illustrated catalogue of the classic patterns with intent, structure and code, much easier to digest than the original book.
- WatchRailsConf 2014 - All the Little Things by Sandi Metz
A live refactoring of messy conditionals into small objects; the lessons apply to any language.
- Readpytest Tutorial: Effective Python Testing
Covers fixtures, parametrisation and marks, the pytest features used every day.
- WatchHow To Write Unit Tests For Existing Python Code // Part 1 of 2
Shows how to add tests to code that was not written with tests in mind, the normal situation in client work.
- ReadThe Practical Test Pyramid
Explains how to balance unit, integration and end-to-end tests in a real codebase.
- ReadPython Debugging With Pdb
Hands-on guide to stepping through code, inspecting variables and setting breakpoints.
- PracticePython Tutor
Visualises code execution line by line so beginners can see what variables and references really do.
- WatchGit and GitHub for Beginners - Crash Course
End-to-end introduction to Git plus the GitHub workflow of forks, branches and pull requests.
- WatchLecture 6: Version Control (git) (2020)
Explains Git's data model from the inside so commands stop feeling like magic.
- PracticeLearn Git Branching
Visual, game-like exercises that make branching, merging and rebasing click.
- DocsGitHub flow
The simple branch, pull request, review and merge workflow most teams use.
- ReadHow to Write a Git Commit Message
Seven clear rules for commit messages that make history useful to reviewers.
- DocsGoogle Engineering Practices: Code Review
Google's public guide for both reviewers and authors on what to look for and how to give feedback.
- PracticeThe Modern JavaScript Tutorial
Thorough free tutorial from basics to async code, with tasks after each chapter.
- DocsTypeScript for JavaScript Programmers
The official short introduction to types, interfaces and inference.
- PracticePython on Exercism
Graded exercises with optional human mentoring that build fluency through repetition.
- ReadHere's how I use LLMs to help me write code
A grounded, practical account of using LLMs for coding, including where they fail and how to check their output.
- DocsBest practices for Claude Code
Concrete workflows for agentic coding: giving context, planning first, verifying with tests.
- ReadMy LLM codegen workflow atm
A step-by-step spec, plan, then execute workflow for building software with LLMs.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 9 items.
- BookAutomate the Boring Stuff with Python
Teaches Python through practical office automation (files, spreadsheets, web, PDFs), which maps directly to client work.
- BookGrokking Algorithms, Second Edition
An illustrated, friendly introduction to algorithms and big-O that suits non-CS learners.
- BookDesign Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
The original Gang of Four catalogue that gave the industry its shared pattern vocabulary.
- BookA Philosophy of Software Design
A short, practical book on managing complexity with deep modules and clear interfaces.
- BookClean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
The widely cited book on naming, small functions and readable code; best read critically.
- BookThe Pragmatic Programmer, 20th Anniversary Edition
Timeless habits for working professionally, from DRY and tracer bullets to owning your craft.
- BookRefactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code (2nd ed.)
The definitive catalogue of safe, small steps for improving code without changing behaviour.
- BookTest Driven Development: By Example
The original TDD book from its creator, worked through concrete examples.
- BookPro Git (2nd edition)
The complete, free reference book for Git.
Area 03 / 52 resources / must do about 4 h 35 min
Databases and data
SQL, data modelling, pipelines and vector search: where client data lives and how to use it.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 17 items, about 4 h 35 min of timed material.
- WatchCS50 SQL - Lecture 0 - Querying
A clear Harvard lecture that takes you from zero to confident SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY and aggregate queries.
- WatchSecret To Optimizing SQL Queries - Understand The SQL Execution Order
Shows the order a database actually runs FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY and SELECT, which fixes many beginner mistakes.
- WatchSQL Window Functions | Clearly Explained | PARTITION BY, ORDER BY, ROW_NUMBER, RANK, DENSE_RANK
A short visual explanation of window functions, the tool behind running totals, rankings and period-over-period reports.
- WatchLearn Database Normalization - 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, 4NF, 5NF
The clearest plain-language walk through normal forms, using small examples that show why messy tables cause bad data.
- Watchwhat is a database index?
A short intuitive explanation of what an index is and why it makes lookups fast.
- WatchRelational Database ACID Transactions (Explained by Example)
Walks through atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability with concrete examples of what goes wrong without them.
- Watch7 Database Paradigms
A quick tour of key-value, wide-column, document, relational, graph, search and multi-model databases with when to use each.
- WatchHow To Choose The Right Database?
Gives a practical decision frame for picking a database type to fit a client's workload.
- WatchData Lake vs. Data Warehouse vs. Data Lakehouse: Which One to Choose?
Explains the three storage patterns you will meet in client data estates and the trade-offs between them.
- WatchPython Pandas Tutorial (Part 1): Getting Started with Data Analysis - Installation and Loading Data
A calm, practical start to loading and exploring real data in pandas, the first step in most client analysis.
- WatchWhat is a Vector Database? Powering Semantic Search & AI Applications
Explains embeddings and vector search in plain terms, the core of most retrieval-based AI solutions.
- DocsAppropriate Uses For SQLite
Explains when a single-file database is the right choice, which is often the case for prototypes and edge tools.
- DocsWhat is dbt?
Explains how dbt brings version control and testing to SQL transformations in the warehouse.
- DocsExploring a database with Datasette
A gentle way to show business users their spreadsheet data as a browsable, filterable database.
- ReadEmbeddings: What they are and why they matter
A plain-English, example-driven explanation of embeddings and how they power related-content and semantic search.
- ReadWhat Is Data Quality?
Defines the common dimensions of data quality such as accuracy, completeness and timeliness in business terms.
- ReadThe AI Hierarchy of Needs
A memorable argument that reliable data collection and pipelines must come before any AI project can succeed.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 25 items, about 13 h 12 min of timed material.
- WatchSQL Tutorial - Full Database Course for Beginners
One long hands-on run through creating tables, inserting data, joins and subqueries that you can follow along with.
- WatchSQL Explained in 100 Seconds
A fast first look at what SQL is and why relational databases still run most business systems.
- WatchDatabase Design Course - Learn how to design and plan a database for beginners
Covers entities, relationships, keys and normal forms end to end, useful when turning a client's process into tables.
- CourseCS50's Introduction to Databases with SQL
A complete, well-paced university course from querying through design, optimizing and scaling, with graded exercises.
- CourseDatabases: Relational Databases and SQL
Jennifer Widom's classic Stanford course covering the relational model and SQL in depth.
- CourseIntro to SQL
Short hands-on lessons that run real SQL against BigQuery public datasets in the browser.
- CoursePandas
Bite-sized exercises on selecting, grouping and reshaping dataframes, done in browser notebooks.
- CourseData Engineering Zoomcamp
A free project-based course covering ingestion, orchestration, warehousing, dbt and batch and stream processing.
- PracticeSQLBolt - Learn SQL
Short interactive lessons with exercises right in the page, ideal for a first pass at SELECT through joins.
- PracticeSQL Tutorial (formerly Mode SQL Tutorial)
An analyst-focused SQL tutorial from basic to advanced, including window functions and performance tuning.
- PracticePostgreSQL Exercises
Graded Postgres exercises on one small schema, great for drilling joins, aggregates and recursive queries.
- PracticeSQLZoo
Classic in-browser SQL drills with instant feedback, from simple selects to self joins.
- PracticeSelect Star SQL
An interactive book that teaches SQL by working through one real dataset as a story.
- PracticePostgres Tutorials
Short Postgres tutorials that run in a browser playground, no install needed.
- DocsPostgreSQL Tutorial (Part I)
The official getting-started tutorial: create a database, tables, queries, joins, views and transactions.
- Docs3.5. Window Functions
A short official explanation of window functions with clear worked examples.
- DocsGetting started
The official pandas intro with short tutorials on reading, filtering, plotting and combining data.
- DocsComparison with SQL
Maps SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY and JOIN to pandas side by side, bridging the two tools.
- Docspgvector: Open-source vector similarity search for Postgres
The reference for adding embeddings and nearest-neighbour search to a Postgres database clients already run.
- DocsWhat is a graph database
A short introduction to nodes and relationships and when a graph model fits better than tables.
- DocsDimensional Modeling Techniques
The canonical reference for facts, dimensions and star schemas used in nearly every reporting warehouse.
- DocsGreat Expectations documentation
Shows how to write automated checks on data so pipelines catch bad inputs before they reach a model or report.
- ReadData Lake
A short, sober explanation of what a data lake is and how it is often misused.
- ReadWhat is Medallion Architecture?
Explains the bronze, silver, gold layering used in many lakehouse pipelines you will find at clients.
- ReadWhat is a Vector Database & How Does it Work?
Covers how vector indexes, similarity metrics and filtering work under the hood.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 10 items, about 1 h 19 min of timed material.
- Watch#01 - Relational Model & Algebra (CMU Intro to Database Systems)
Andy Pavlo's opening lecture explains why the relational model won and how relational algebra underlies every query.
- Docs13.2. Transaction Isolation
Explains isolation levels and the anomalies each one allows, key for anything handling money or stock.
- ReadFaiss: The Missing Manual
A multi-chapter guide to FAISS indexes such as IVF, PQ and HNSW, and the speed versus recall trade-offs.
- PaperA Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks
The founding paper of relational databases, readable and worth seeing where tables and normal forms came from.
- PaperBigtable: A Distributed Storage System for Structured Data
Shows how Google stored structured data at huge scale and inspired HBase and Cassandra.
- PaperTidy Data
Gives simple rules for shaping tabular data, the bridge between messy client spreadsheets and clean tables.
- BookSQL Antipatterns, Volume 1: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming
A practical catalogue of common schema and query mistakes and how to fix them.
- BookDatabase Internals
Explains storage engines, B-trees, LSM trees and distributed consensus for those who want the deep layer.
- BookUse The Index, Luke
A free online book that teaches indexing and query tuning from the developer's point of view.
- BookPython for Data Analysis, 3E
The pandas creator's own book, free online, covering cleaning, joining, grouping and time series.
Area 04 / 60 resources / must do about 1 h 9 min
Cloud, DevOps and integration
Cloud, containers, CI/CD, APIs, events and system design: how solutions connect and run.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 8 items, about 1 h 9 min of timed material.
- WatchWhat is Cloud Architecture? Understanding SaaS, IaaS, Cloud Delivery Models & More
Clear whiteboard walk through of the cloud service and delivery models in one sitting.
- WatchKubernetes Explained in 6 Minutes | k8s Architecture
Fast visual overview of the Kubernetes control plane and worker nodes.
- WatchCI/CD Explained in 5 Minutes
Quick framing of continuous integration and delivery before going deeper.
- DocsObservability primer
Defines logs, metrics, traces and spans in the vocabulary used by OpenTelemetry.
- ReadThe Twelve-Factor App
Twelve short rules for building cloud apps that still guide how services are deployed today.
- WatchWhat Is REST API? Examples And How To Use It: Crash Course System Design #3
Covers REST basics like resources, verbs and status codes in five minutes.
- WatchETL vs ELT: Powering Data Pipelines for AI & Analytics
Explains the two pipeline styles and why ELT is common for AI and analytics work.
- Watch8 Most Important System Design Concepts You Should Know
Quick tour of scaling, load balancing, caching and other core concepts.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 43 items, about 29 h 5 min of timed material.
- WatchWhat is Serverless?
Explains what serverless really means and when it fits, which matters for quick client prototypes.
- WatchBut What Is Cloud Native Really All About?
Ties containers, microservices, CI/CD and orchestration together into one picture.
- CourseAWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials
The official AWS starting course covering regions, core services, IAM, pricing and shared responsibility.
- CourseCourse AZ-900T00-A: Introduction to Cloud Infrastructure
Microsoft's own Azure fundamentals path, useful because many enterprise clients run on Azure.
- CourseGoogle Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure
Official tour of Google Cloud compute, storage, networking and IAM in a single course.
- WatchWhat is a Virtual Private Cloud?
Short explanation of VPCs, subnets and isolation, the first networking idea you meet in any client cloud.
- DocsWhat is Amazon VPC?
The reference page for VPC building blocks like subnets, route tables and gateways.
- DocsWhat is IAM?
Introduces users, roles and policies, which you need before touching any client account.
- WatchDocker Crash Course for Absolute Beginners [NEW]
Hands-on intro to images, containers and Docker Compose from one of the best teachers in the space.
- WatchKubernetes Crash Course for Absolute Beginners [NEW]
Covers pods, deployments, services and config with a working demo.
- PracticeLearn Kubernetes Basics
Official tutorial that walks through deploying, exposing, scaling and updating an app.
- ReadContinuous Integration
The classic explanation of CI practices and why they cut integration pain.
- DocsUnderstanding GitHub Actions
Explains workflows, jobs and runners for the CI tool most client repos already have.
- WatchWhat is Infrastructure as Code?
Explains why infrastructure should be versioned code instead of console clicks.
- WatchTerraform explained in 15 mins | Terraform Tutorial for Beginners
Covers what Terraform does, its core workflow and how it compares to other tools.
- PracticeGet Started - AWS (Terraform tutorials)
Official hands-on series to build, change and destroy real AWS infrastructure with Terraform.
- WatchWhat Is This OpenTelemetry Thing? - Martin Thwaites - GOTO 2024
Practical talk on why OpenTelemetry exists and how tracing helps debug distributed systems.
- WatchWhat is Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)?
Short intro to SRE ideas like SLOs, error budgets and automation.
- ReadService Level Objectives (SRE book chapter 4)
Teaches how to pick SLIs and SLOs, which gives clients a concrete way to define reliable.
- ReadMonitoring Distributed Systems (SRE book chapter 6)
Source of the four golden signals and sound advice on alerting.
- DocsAWS Well-Architected Framework
The six pillars AWS uses to review designs, handy as a checklist for client solutions.
- DocsCloud Design Patterns
Catalog of patterns like retry, circuit breaker and queue-based load leveling with clear trade-offs.
- ReadTimeouts, retries, and backoff with jitter
Explains how to call other services safely, a daily concern when integrating client systems.
- ReadMicroservices
The original definition of microservices and their trade-offs.
- WatchWhat Is GraphQL? REST vs. GraphQL
Shows when GraphQL helps and when plain REST is the simpler choice.
- DocsLearn GraphQL
Official guide to schemas, queries and mutations.
- WatchTop 3 Things You Should Know About Webhooks!
Explains webhooks versus polling and the reliability issues to watch for.
- DocsReceive Stripe events in your webhook endpoint
A real-world reference for receiving webhooks safely with signatures, retries and idempotency.
- WatchWhat is a Message Queue?
Explains queues, producers and consumers and why they decouple systems.
- WatchEvent-Driven Architecture(EDA) vs. Request/Response (RR): System Design Explained
Compares event-driven and request/response styles with clear use cases.
- ReadWhat do you mean by "Event-Driven"?
Separates four different patterns that all get called event-driven.
- DocsMessaging Patterns Overview
Free online catalog of the classic integration patterns like router, translator and aggregator.
- DocsBasic enterprise integration on Azure
A reference design for exposing backend and SaaS systems through API management and Logic Apps.
- WatchThree-layered Connectivity Architecture Explained | Lightboard Series
Explains MuleSoft's system, process and experience API layers used in many enterprise integrations.
- WatchIntroduction to common Salesforce integration patterns
Walks through common patterns for connecting a CRM like Salesforce to other systems.
- ReadETL vs ELT: Key differences explained
Plain comparison of ETL and ELT from the team behind a popular transform tool.
- Watchn8n Beginner Course (1/9) - Introduction to Automation
Start of the official n8n course, a low-code tool often used to wire AI into business workflows.
- Coursen8n courses
Official self-paced n8n training with hands-on workflow building.
- DocsZapier Guides
Zapier's own guides for no-code automation, useful when a client already lives in Zapier.
- WatchLoad Balancer vs Reverse Proxy (Explained by Example)
Clear explanation of two components that sit in front of almost every deployed service.
- WatchCache Systems Every Developer Should Know
Shows where caches live in a system, from browser to database.
- WatchCAP Theorem Simplified
Short, accurate take on consistency versus availability during network partitions.
- DocsThe System Design Primer
Free, well-organized reference on scalability topics with links to deeper reading.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 9 items, about 2 h 9 min of timed material.
- PaperThe NIST Definition of Cloud Computing (SP 800-145)
The short official definition behind IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and the deployment models everyone else repeats.
- BookSite Reliability Engineering (free online edition)
The book that defined SRE, free to read online chapter by chapter.
- BookThe Phoenix Project
A novel that makes DevOps ideas easy to grasp for people coming from operations, quality or finance.
- BookEnterprise Integration Patterns
The standard book on messaging-based integration between enterprise systems.
- ReadCaching challenges and strategies
Real lessons from Amazon on when caching helps and how it can hurt.
- ReadCAP Twelve Years Later: How the "Rules" Have Changed
Eric Brewer revisits his own theorem and explains the nuance most summaries miss.
- BookDesigning Data-Intensive Applications
The best single book on how data systems scale, replicate and stay correct.
- PaperDynamo: Amazon's Highly Available Key-value Store
Classic paper showing real availability trade-offs at scale.
- DocsCatalog of Patterns of Distributed Systems
Named patterns like leader election and write-ahead log, explained with code.
Area 05 / 59 resources / must do about 3 h 12 min
Security and privacy
Access, encryption, OWASP, prompt injection and privacy law: how to keep client data and systems safe.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 14 items, about 3 h 12 min of timed material.
- WatchCybersecurity Architecture: Fundamentals of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability
Clear whiteboard walk-through of the CIA triad, the vocabulary every security conversation with a client starts from.
- ReadThe Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Threat Modeling
Adam Shostack's four-question method is the simplest way to start threat modelling a client system.
- WatchReflections on Trusting Trust - Computerphile
Plain-language explanation of Thompson's compiler backdoor to pair with the paper.
- WatchCybersecurity Architecture: Who Are You? Identity and Access Management
Covers IAM end to end: authentication, authorization, SSO, MFA and privileged access.
- WatchPublic Key Cryptography - Computerphile
Short intuitive explanation of public and private keys before you meet certificates and TLS.
- WatchWhat is Secrets Management?
Explains why API keys and passwords belong in a vault, not in code or config files.
- WatchRunning an SQL Injection Attack - Computerphile
Watching an injection attack happen makes the idea of untrusted input stick, which carries straight over to prompt injection.
- WatchExplained: The OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications
Walks through the LLM Top 10 risks in plain terms before you read the full document.
- WatchWhat Is a Prompt Injection Attack?
Gentle introduction to direct and indirect prompt injection and why it is hard to fix.
- WatchSecurity vs. Privacy
Clears up the difference between protecting data and using it lawfully, which clients often blur.
- DocsSoftware Bill of Materials (SBOM)
Explains SBOMs, which clients increasingly require so they know what components ship in your software.
- DocsLogging Cheat Sheet
What to log, what never to log, and how to protect logs so they work as an audit trail.
- WatchMastering AI Risk: NIST's Risk Management Framework Explained
Short explainer of the Govern, Map, Measure and Manage functions before reading the framework.
- ReadHigh-level summary of the AI Act
Readable summary of risk categories and obligations under the EU AI Act.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 35 items, about 17 h 3 min of timed material.
- WatchCybersecurity Architecture: Five Principles to Follow (and One to Avoid)
Explains defense in depth, least privilege, separation of duties and secure by design in one sitting.
- DocsThreat Modeling Cheat Sheet
Practical steps, STRIDE and diagramming guidance you can apply directly in a design review.
- WatchWhat is Multi-Factor Authentication
Three-minute explanation of authentication factors and why MFA matters.
- WatchHow NOT to Store Passwords! - Computerphile
Shows why plain text and fast hashes fail and why salted slow hashing is the norm.
- DocsPassword Storage Cheat Sheet
Concrete guidance on Argon2id, bcrypt, salts and work factors when you must store credentials.
- WatchAn Illustrated Guide to OAuth and OpenID Connect
The friendliest visual explanation of OAuth 2.0 and OIDC, what each is for and how the flows work.
- ReadOAuth 2 Simplified
Concise reference to OAuth 2.0 roles, grant types and PKCE by one of the spec's editors.
- Watch7 Cryptography Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know
Fast tour of hashing, salting, HMAC, symmetric and asymmetric encryption, signatures and key exchange with code.
- WatchSSL, TLS, HTTP, HTTPS Explained
Animated basics of what TLS does for data in transit.
- DocsSecrets Management Cheat Sheet
Checklist for storing, rotating and auditing secrets in pipelines and cloud deployments.
- DocsOWASP Top 10
The industry baseline list of web application risks that clients and auditors will reference.
- PracticeOWASP Juice Shop
Deliberately insecure web app to practise finding OWASP Top 10 flaws hands-on.
- CourseWeb Security Academy
Free, high quality labs covering every major web vulnerability class with guided solutions.
- DocsOWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications
The standard risk list for LLM apps, the checklist to walk through for any AI build.
- WatchGenerative AI's Greatest Flaw - Computerphile
Explains indirect prompt injection with concrete examples of how agents get hijacked.
- ReadPrompt injection (series)
The best running collection of writing on prompt injection by the person who named it.
- ReadThe lethal trifecta for AI agents: private data, untrusted content, and external communication
A simple test for when an agent design is dangerous, directly usable in client design reviews.
- ReadUnderstanding prompt injections: a frontier security challenge
A model provider's own explanation of prompt injection risk and the layered defences they use.
- ReadMitigating prompt injections in browser use
Shows how a model provider measures and reduces prompt injection for agents that browse the web.
- ReadMany-shot jailbreaking
Readable research post on how long context windows open a new jailbreak technique and how it was mitigated.
- DocsLLM Prompt Injection Prevention Cheat Sheet
Practical defensive patterns for LLM apps in the familiar OWASP cheat sheet format.
- PracticeLakera Agent Breaker (successor to Gandalf)
Hands-on game where you try to trick AI agents, which teaches attacker thinking fast; gandalf.lakera.ai now redirects here.
- WatchAI Red Teaming 101 - Full Course (Episodes 1-10)
Free full course from Microsoft's AI Red Team on how to probe generative AI systems.
- WatchWhat are the 7 principles of GDPR?
Short walk through the GDPR principles that shape any design using personal data.
- DocsPrinciple (c): Data minimisation
Regulator guidance on collecting only what you need, a key rule when feeding client data to AI.
- DocsAnonymisation guidance
Explains when data is truly anonymous versus pseudonymised and still personal data under GDPR.
- WatchThe HIPAA Privacy Rule
Five-minute overview of what HIPAA protects and who it applies to.
- ReadHIPAA Explained
Readable overview of the Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules for US health data clients.
- DocsSP 800-218, Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) Version 1.1
The reference set of secure development practices that US government and regulated buyers expect.
- DocsSLSA: Supply-chain Levels for Software Artifacts
Framework for proving how build artifacts were produced, the practical side of supply chain security.
- DocsPart 11, Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures - Scope and Application
FDA guidance on how Part 11 applies to electronic records, audit trails and signatures in pharma and MedTech.
- DocsComputer Software Assurance for Production and Quality Management System Software
FDA's risk-based approach to validating software used in production and quality systems.
- DocsAI Risk Management Framework
The US reference framework for governing and managing AI risk, often cited by regulated clients.
- CourseGoogle Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
Structured beginner program covering security frameworks, networks, Linux, SQL and incident response.
- CourseIntroduction to security, compliance, and identity concepts
Short free path on core security, compliance and identity concepts, the base of SC-900.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 10 items, about 2 h 57 min of timed material.
- BookBuilding Secure and Reliable Systems
Google's free book on designing systems for security and reliability, including least privilege and recovery.
- BookSecurity Engineering, Third Edition (free chapters)
The classic reference on how real systems fail, with every chapter downloadable for free.
- PaperReflections on Trusting Trust
Short classic that shows why you cannot fully trust code you did not build, the root of supply chain security.
- PaperThe Protection of Information in Computer Systems
Origin of the design principles still quoted today, such as least privilege, fail-safe defaults and complete mediation.
- DocsNIST SP 800-63B Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication and Authenticator Management
The authoritative US standard on passwords, MFA and assurance levels that regulated clients cite.
- BookThe Web Application Hacker's Handbook, 2nd Edition
The classic deep reference on web app attacks; dated (2011) but the fundamentals still hold.
- PaperNot what you've signed up for: Compromising Real-World LLM-Integrated Applications with Indirect Prompt Injection
The paper that defined indirect prompt injection with real attacks on deployed apps.
- PaperDefeating Prompt Injections by Design (CaMeL)
Proposes a system-level design that limits what injected text can do, rather than hoping the model resists it.
- DocsMITRE ATLAS
Knowledge base of real adversary tactics against AI systems, the AI counterpart to ATT&CK.
- DocsNIST AI 600-1: Generative AI Profile
Applies the AI RMF to generative AI with specific risks and suggested actions.
Area 06 / 87 resources / must do about 5 h 25 min
AI, ML and LLMs
From neural networks to agents, RAG and evals, including the papers that started it.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 14 items, about 5 h 25 min of timed material.
- WatchBut what is a neural network? | Deep learning chapter 1
The clearest visual explanation of what a neural network actually computes.
- WatchTransformers, the tech behind LLMs | Deep Learning Chapter 5
Visual walk-through of how a GPT-style transformer turns tokens into predictions.
- WatchLarge Language Models explained briefly
An eight-minute primer on LLMs that works for non-technical domain experts too.
- WatchWord Embedding and Word2Vec, Clearly Explained!!!
Explains embeddings, the idea behind vector search and RAG.
- ReadThe Bitter Lesson
Short, influential argument that general methods plus compute beat hand-built knowledge.
- ReadLLM Powered Autonomous Agents
Widely cited overview of agent planning, memory and tool use.
- ReadPrompt Engineering
Research-backed survey of prompting techniques with references.
- ReadBuilding A Generative AI Platform
Maps the components of a production GenAI system, from context to guardrails to caching.
- ReadYour AI Product Needs Evals
The case for evals as the core of improving an AI product, with a real example.
- ReadCatching up on the weird world of LLMs
Plain-language tour of what LLMs are and how to think about using them.
- ReadEffective context engineering for AI agents
How to choose and manage what goes into the model's context window for agents.
- ReadContextual retrieval in AI systems
A concrete technique, with numbers, for cutting RAG retrieval failures.
- ReadRules of Machine Learning
Google's classic best practices for shipping ML; many rules still apply to LLM work.
- ReadUnderstanding Reasoning LLMs
Explains how reasoning models are built and when they are worth the extra cost.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 43 items, about 41 h 53 min of timed material.
- WatchGradient descent, how neural networks learn | Deep Learning Chapter 2
Shows how a network learns by nudging weights downhill on a cost function.
- WatchBackpropagation, intuitively | Deep Learning Chapter 3
Builds intuition for backpropagation without heavy math.
- WatchAttention in transformers, step-by-step | Deep Learning Chapter 6
Makes the attention mechanism concrete with queries, keys and values drawn out.
- Watch[1hr Talk] Intro to Large Language Models
The best one-hour overview of what LLMs are, how they are trained and where they are going.
- WatchDeep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT
Full pipeline from pretraining data to RLHF, explained for a general audience.
- WatchHow I use LLMs
Practical tour of how an expert uses chat models, tools and modalities day to day.
- WatchThe spelled-out intro to neural networks and backpropagation: building micrograd
Build backprop from scratch in Python so the core of deep learning stops being magic.
- WatchTransformer Neural Networks, ChatGPT's foundation, Clearly Explained!!!
A slow, step-by-step transformer explanation good for learners without an ML background.
- ReadSoftware 2.0
Classic essay on neural networks as a new way of writing software.
- ReadThe Unreasonable Effectiveness of Recurrent Neural Networks
The essay that showed how much a simple character-level model can learn.
- ReadThe Illustrated Transformer
The standard illustrated explanation of the transformer architecture.
- ReadBuilding LLM applications for production
Covers the real problems of shipping LLM apps: ambiguity, cost, latency and prompt versioning.
- ReadAgents
Clear framework for agent tools, planning and failure modes.
- ReadPatterns for Building LLM-based Systems & Products
Catalog of proven patterns: evals, RAG, fine-tuning, caching, guardrails and feedback.
- ReadUsing LLM-as-a-Judge For Evaluation: A Complete Guide
Step-by-step method for building an LLM judge that agrees with domain experts.
- ReadA Field Guide to Rapidly Improving AI Products
Practical playbook on error analysis and data review, which is daily FDE work.
- ReadWhat We've Learned From A Year of Building with LLMs
Practitioner lessons across tactics, operations and strategy for LLM products.
- ReadBuilding effective AI agents
Shows when to use simple workflows versus agents, with reusable patterns.
- ReadWriting effective tools for AI agents
Practical guidance on designing and evaluating tools that agents can use well.
- ReadA practical guide to building agents
Vendor guide to agent design, orchestration and guardrails aimed at product teams.
- DocsWhat is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?
Official starting point for MCP, the standard for connecting models to tools and data.
- DocsOpenAI Cookbook
Runnable examples for common tasks like RAG, structured output, agents and evals.
- DocsStructured model outputs
How to get reliable JSON matching a schema, essential for integrating LLMs into systems.
- DocsPrompt engineering overview
Entry point to Anthropic's practical prompting techniques with examples.
- PracticeLLM Visualization
3D walk-through of every step inside a small GPT, great for building a mental model.
- PracticeTransformer Explainer
Live in-browser GPT-2 that lets you see attention and next-token probabilities.
- PracticeA Neural Network Playground
Play with layers and neurons to see how a network fits data.
- PracticeTokenizer
See how text becomes tokens, which drives cost and context limits.
- PracticeMTEB Leaderboard
Compare embedding models by task when choosing one for a client RAG system.
- PracticeArena AI (formerly LMArena) leaderboard
Crowd-sourced head-to-head rankings of models, useful input for model selection.
- PracticeArtificial Analysis
Independent comparison of model quality, price and speed across providers.
- CourseNeural Networks: Zero To Hero
Code-first series that goes from backprop to building GPT.
- CourseMachine Learning Crash Course
Fast, practical intro to core ML concepts with interactive exercises.
- CoursePractical Deep Learning for Coders
Top-down, code-first deep learning course for people who can already program.
- CourseMachine Learning Specialization
Andrew Ng's structured foundation in supervised, unsupervised and practical ML.
- CourseGenerative AI for Everyone
Non-technical intro to what GenAI can do in a business, good for domain experts.
- CourseChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers
Short hands-on course on prompting through the API.
- CourseMCP: Build Rich-Context AI Apps with Anthropic
Build MCP servers and clients hands-on.
- CourseEvaluating AI Agents
Hands-on methods for evaluating and improving agents step by step.
- CourseFinetuning Large Language Models
Short intro to when and how to fine-tune, helping the fine-tune vs prompt decision.
- CourseAI Agents Course
Builds agents with open frameworks, covering tools, planning and evaluation.
- CourseAnthropic Courses (Anthropic Academy)
Official courses on Claude, the API, MCP and Claude Code.
- CourseMIT 6.S191: Introduction to Deep Learning
Compact, well-produced lecture series covering modern deep learning.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 30 items, about 12 h 42 min of timed material.
- WatchLet's build GPT: from scratch, in code, spelled out.
Codes a small GPT end to end, the best way to truly understand transformers.
- WatchLet's build the GPT Tokenizer
Explains byte-pair encoding and why many odd LLM behaviors come from tokenization.
- ReadExtrinsic Hallucinations in LLMs
Explains why LLMs hallucinate and the methods to detect and reduce it.
- CourseLLM Course
Hands-on course on transformers, tokenizers, datasets and fine-tuning with open models.
- CourseCS229: Machine Learning
Rigorous, math-heavy ML course for those who want depth.
- CourseCS224N: Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
The reference university course on NLP, embeddings and transformers.
- BookHands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow (3rd ed.)
The most practical book for learning classic ML and deep learning by doing.
- BookDeep Learning
The standard deep learning textbook, free to read online.
- BookAI Engineering: Building Applications with Foundation Models
The best single book on building products on top of foundation models.
- BookBuild a Large Language Model (From Scratch)
Builds a GPT-style model step by step in PyTorch, including fine-tuning.
- BookDesigning Machine Learning Systems
Covers data, deployment and monitoring for ML systems in production.
- PaperAttention Is All You Need
Introduced the transformer, the architecture behind every modern LLM.
- PaperBERT: Pre-training of Deep Bidirectional Transformers for Language Understanding
Showed pretrain-then-fine-tune works; BERT-style encoders still power search and classification.
- PaperLanguage Models are Unsupervised Multitask Learners
The GPT-2 paper showing one language model can do many tasks without task training.
- PaperLanguage Models are Few-Shot Learners
The GPT-3 paper that introduced in-context few-shot prompting at scale.
- PaperScaling Laws for Neural Language Models
Showed model quality improves predictably with size, data and compute.
- PaperTraining Compute-Optimal Large Language Models
The Chinchilla paper that reset how model size and training data are balanced.
- PaperTraining language models to follow instructions with human feedback
The InstructGPT paper behind how chat assistants are trained with RLHF.
- PaperConstitutional AI: Harmlessness from AI Feedback
Shows how models can be aligned using written principles and AI feedback.
- PaperChain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models
Showed that asking for step-by-step reasoning improves results on hard tasks.
- PaperReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models
The reason-then-act loop that most agent frameworks still follow.
- PaperToolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Tools
Early work showing models can learn when and how to call external tools.
- PaperRetrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Tasks
The paper that named and defined RAG.
- PaperLost in the Middle: How Language Models Use Long Contexts
Shows models miss information buried mid-context, which shapes RAG and prompt design.
- PaperLoRA: Low-Rank Adaptation of Large Language Models
The standard cheap fine-tuning method used across open models.
- PaperLLaMA: Open and Efficient Foundation Language Models
Kicked off the open-weight model ecosystem.
- PaperThe Llama 3 Herd of Models
A rare, thorough look at how a frontier-scale model is actually built.
- PaperDeepSeek-R1: Incentivizing Reasoning Capability in LLMs via Reinforcement Learning
Open account of training a reasoning model with reinforcement learning.
- PaperSparks of Artificial General Intelligence: Early experiments with GPT-4
Widely cited, much-debated qualitative evaluation of GPT-4's abilities.
- PaperJudging LLM-as-a-Judge with MT-Bench and Chatbot Arena
Foundational study of using LLMs as judges, including their biases.
Area 07 / 60 resources / must do about 3 h 56 min
FDE role and business skills
Discovery, requirements, consulting, product, writing and change: how to turn work into adopted solutions.
Must do
Start here. The shortest clear explanation of each topic. 13 items, about 3 h 56 min of timed material.
- WatchThe FDE Playbook for AI Startups with Bob McGrew
Former OpenAI research chief and early Palantir engineer explains where the FDE model came from and how AI startups run it today.
- WatchEric Migicovsky - How to Talk to Users
The standard YC talk on asking about past behaviour instead of pitching, with questions you can reuse at any client.
- WatchThe Only BPMN Tutorial You Will Ever Need To Watch (For Beginners)
Walks through BPMN symbols with examples so learners can draw a client process others can read.
- ReadUser Stories With Examples and a Template
Plain introduction to writing user stories with a usable template.
- WatchBusiness Model Canvas Explained
Two-minute official intro to the canvas used to describe how a client's business creates value.
- WatchConsultant Explains the Pyramid Principle
Quick, concrete walk-through of answer-first communication.
- ReadThe Four Big Risks
Value, usability, feasibility and viability: a short checklist for any solution an FDE proposes.
- ReadWrite Simply
Short essay on why plain words work better, especially for busy client readers.
- WatchTEDxEast - Nancy Duarte uncovers common structure of greatest communicators 11/11/2010
Gives a simple story structure for presenting a solution to client leaders.
- ReadStakeholder Analysis
Step-by-step method to map who has power and interest in a project and how to engage each group.
- WatchThe Prosci ADKAR Model | Tim Creasey Interview
Short explanation of ADKAR from Prosci's own research lead.
- WatchEnterprise Sales | Startup School
Plain walk-through of how large companies buy, who signs and how long it takes.
- WatchHow to build an AI-first organization | Ethan Mollick | Strange Loop | Ep 1
Wharton's Ethan Mollick on how organisations actually adopt AI and where it stalls.
Recommended
Once the must-dos are done: more depth and practice. 38 items, about 26 h 57 min of timed material.
- WatchForward Deployed Engineering 101 - Kevin Bai, Anthropic, ex Palantir & Rippling Founding FDE
A working FDE at Anthropic gives a compact, practical picture of the job across three companies.
- WatchThe Role of a Forward Deployed Software Engineer
Short first-hand description of the role from the company that coined it.
- WatchColin Jarvis | Head of Forward Deployed Engineering at OpenAI: Trust. Product. Impact.
Shows how OpenAI runs FDE engagements with enterprises and what it takes to earn trust and get to production.
- WatchThe Dirty Secret of Forward Deployed Engineering - Natalie Meurer, Sierra
An honest talk on what FDE work is really like on agent deployments, beyond the hype.
- WatchHow Palantir Scaled: Why the Best Software Is Built Backwards
Explains how embedding engineers with customers shaped Palantir's product and business model.
- ReadA Day in the Life of a Palantir Forward Deployed Software Engineer
The original first-person account of what an FDE does day to day at a client.
- ReadDev versus Delta: Demystifying Engineering Roles at Palantir
Clearly separates the product engineer and forward deployed engineer roles so learners know which job they are training for.
- ReadWhat are Forward Deployed Engineers, and why are they so in demand?
Well-researched overview of the role, its history and how companies hire for it today.
- ReadTrading Margin for Moat: Why the Forward Deployed Engineer Is the Hottest Job in Startups
Explains the business logic behind FDEs, so learners understand why clients and vendors pay for the role.
- ReadForward Deployed Engineers
A product leader's view of when FDEs help and when they turn into a services trap.
- ReadDo Things that Don't Scale
The classic case for hands-on, unscalable work with early customers, which is the heart of FDE work.
- ReadUser Interviews 101
A clear guide to planning, running and avoiding bias in user interviews.
- WatchFive User Interview Mistakes to Avoid (in 5 Minutes)
Quick fix list for the most common interview mistakes new FDEs make.
- ReadContextual Inquiry: Inspire Design by Observing and Interviewing Users in Their Context
Teaches how to watch people do their real work, which is how FDEs find how work actually happens.
- ReadStakeholder Interviews 101
How to interview the managers and sponsors who own the goals, budget and constraints of a project.
- WatchBuild better products with continuous product discovery | Teresa Torres
Teresa Torres explains weekly customer contact and opportunity mapping in plain terms.
- ReadOpportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes
A simple visual way to connect a client outcome to problems and candidate solutions.
- DocsBPMN: Business Process Model and Notation
A concise reference to the BPMN elements and how processes are modelled with them.
- ReadService Blueprints: Definition
Shows how to map front-stage and back-stage work, people and systems in one view.
- ReadCustomer Journey Maps: When and How to Create Them
Explains how to map a user's experience end to end to spot where an AI solution can help.
- ReadPainless Functional Specifications - Part 1: Why Bother?
A classic, readable argument for writing a spec before building, with clear examples.
- DocsWorking Backwards PR/FAQ Instructions & Template
Amazon's press release and FAQ method for defining a solution from the customer's view before building.
- WatchStrategyzer's Value Proposition Canvas Explained
Official short explainer for matching a solution to customer jobs, pains and gains.
- ReadA Refresher on Net Present Value
Explains NPV in plain language so engineers can build and defend a business case.
- WatchWhat Is MECE Framework? (And How To Use It In Your Case Interviews!)
Explains MECE breakdowns, the basic tool for structuring a messy client problem.
- WatchThe nature of product | Marty Cagan, Silicon Valley Product Group
Cagan explains what good product work looks like and how it differs from feature delivery.
- ReadRICE: Simple prioritization for product managers
A simple scoring method for ranking a backlog of client requests.
- CourseDigital Product Management: Modern Fundamentals
Structured intro to modern product practice that can be audited for free.
- CourseTechnical Writing One
The best free course on clear, short technical sentences and paragraphs.
- CourseTechnical Writing Two
Follow-up course on organising larger documents, illustrations and editing.
- Read2017 Letter to Shareholders
Includes Bezos's own explanation of why Amazon uses six-page narrative memos instead of slides.
- WatchHow to Speak
Patrick Winston's famous lecture on how to start, structure and close a talk.
- DocsThe 8-Step Process for Leading Change
Official summary of Kotter's eight steps for organisation-wide change.
- ReadLeading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail
The original HBR article behind Kotter's model, focused on the mistakes that sink change efforts.
- WatchHow to Sell by Tyler Bosmeny
A technical founder's practical guide to the sales process, from first call to close.
- WatchHow to nail your product positioning | April Dunford (Obviously Awesome)
Teaches how to frame a solution so buyers quickly see why it matters to them.
- CourseAI For Everyone
Non-technical course on how companies pick and run AI projects; good shared language with business stakeholders.
- ReadBuilding the AI-Powered Organization
Argues that culture and ways of working, not technology, decide whether AI scales in a company.
Go deeper
Papers, books, advanced material and long courses, when a project needs it. 9 items.
- BookThe Mom Test
Short practical book on asking questions that get honest answers even when people want to be nice to you.
- BookContinuous Discovery Habits
The full method for making discovery a weekly habit rather than a one-off phase.
- BookThe Pyramid Principle
The source of answer-first, structured writing used by consultants for client reports and decks.
- BookThe Trusted Advisor
Shows how advisors earn client trust, which decides whether an FDE's work gets adopted.
- BookThinking in Systems
Short primer on feedback loops and system behaviour, useful for seeing why a client process resists change.
- BookINSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love (2nd Edition)
The standard book on product discovery and empowered product teams.
- BookShape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters
Free online book on shaping fixed-time, variable-scope work, a good fit for client engagements.
- BookCrossing the Chasm (3rd Edition)
Explains why early pilots succeed but wider adoption stalls, and how to bridge that gap.
- BookInfluence: The Psychology of Persuasion
The classic on why people say yes, useful for ethical persuasion with stakeholders.