Start here
Four essays to begin with.
A curated onramp. Read these in order for the fastest path into what this newsletter is doing — or skip around. I won't know.
- 01
Start Here — A Guide to Professional Imposter Syndrome
The opening note. What this blog is, who it's for, and the running joke that gives it its name.
Read it → - 02
CAP Theorem Explained: Beyond the "Pick Two" Myth
If you only read one technical essay here, read this. CAP retold honestly — including what nobody tells you about the 'pick two' line.
Read it → - 03
Consistent Hashing 101
The data structure that runs your cluster. We start with modulo hashing breaking under load and build up to why every distributed cache reaches for this.
Read it → - 04
Replication 101
Leader, follower, quorum, consensus. Same problem, four answers, four sets of trade-offs. The mental model that makes every paper afterwards easier.
Read it →