Build Distributed Systems That Actually Work
Most microservices courses teach you what to build. We teach you why things break and how to fix them before they do. Real architecture problems solved through hands-on practice with actual distributed systems.
Explore Programs
Your Path Through Distributed Architecture
We structure learning around real problems you'll face when building systems that need to scale. Each phase builds on practical experience with increasing complexity.
Foundation Phase
Start with monolithic architecture and learn exactly where it breaks. You'll build a working system, watch it struggle under load, and understand why distribution becomes necessary.
- Design patterns for single-process applications
- Database scaling challenges and when they appear
- Network fundamentals that matter in distributed systems
- Authentication and state management basics
Service Decomposition
Break apart your monolith thoughtfully. Learn boundary identification, data ownership, and communication patterns between services that won't cause headaches later.
- Domain-driven design for service boundaries
- API gateway patterns and when to use them
- Synchronous vs asynchronous communication trade-offs
- Managing distributed transactions and eventual consistency
Operational Reality
Services in production face problems you can't predict in development. Learn observability, debugging distributed failures, and building systems that tell you what's wrong.
- Distributed tracing across service boundaries
- Metrics that reveal bottlenecks before users complain
- Circuit breakers and retry strategies that work
- Deployment patterns that minimize risk
Scale and Resilience
Handle growth without rebuilding everything. Learn caching strategies, load balancing approaches, and how to make architectural decisions that support future scale.
- Horizontal scaling patterns for stateless and stateful services
- Caching layers and invalidation strategies
- Database replication and consistency trade-offs
- Cost optimization for cloud infrastructure
Learn Through Breaking Things
Our labs give you working systems and ask you to push them until something fails. Then you fix it properly.
You'll deploy services, overload them, watch cascading failures happen, and implement patterns that prevent those failures in production. It's more valuable than following tutorials that work perfectly every time.
- Deploy microservices on actual cloud infrastructure
- Simulate production-level traffic and failure scenarios
- Debug distributed systems with real monitoring tools
- Refactor architectures based on performance data
Theory When It Matters
We cover CAP theorem, consensus algorithms, and distributed systems theory—but only when you've already experienced the problem they solve.
Theory makes sense when you've debugged a split-brain scenario or lost data during a network partition. We introduce concepts right after you need them, not before.
- Consistency models explained through real examples
- Partition tolerance strategies you've already used
- Consensus algorithms after dealing with coordination problems
- Service mesh concepts after struggling with observability
What You'll Actually Build
Three substantial projects that demonstrate different architectural approaches and scaling patterns.
E-commerce Platform
Handle inventory, payments, and order processing across distributed services. Deal with consistency requirements and transaction boundaries in a realistic business context.
Messaging System
Build real-time communication with WebSocket connections, message queues, and presence tracking. Learn to handle connection failures and ensure message delivery.
Analytics Pipeline
Process high-volume event streams with batch and real-time components. Implement data aggregation, storage strategies, and query optimization at scale.
Teaching Approach That Works
I've been breaking and fixing distributed systems professionally for eight years. Started with a monolith that couldn't handle growth, made every mistake you can make splitting it apart, and learned what actually works through painful experience.
This program reflects that journey. We don't skip the hard parts or pretend everything has a clean solution. Some problems in distributed systems require trade-offs, and you'll learn to make those decisions based on actual requirements rather than theoretical ideals.
Flexible Schedule
Start in September or November 2025 with cohorts that progress together through labs and projects.
Remote Access
Cloud-based labs you can access anytime. Build and break systems without managing local infrastructure.
Ongoing Support
Discussion forums with instructors who've solved these problems in production environments.
Career Focus
Portfolio projects that demonstrate architectural thinking and problem-solving with distributed systems.
What Students Say
The failure scenarios made everything click. I'd read about circuit breakers but never understood why until I watched a cascade take down my entire system during a lab. Now I know exactly when and how to implement them.
Most helpful part was learning to make architectural decisions with incomplete information. The projects force you to choose between consistency and availability, then live with the consequences. That's exactly what my job requires.
Ready to Build Real Systems?
Next cohorts start September and November 2025. Programs run 16 weeks with hands-on labs, three major projects, and real architectural challenges to solve.