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Build Your Own X

The ultimate resume differentiator. While others list “Used Redis” or “Worked with Docker”, you’ll confidently say “I built my own”. This course guides you through building three production-grade systems from scratch, each targeting a different experience level.
Languages: Java, Go, JavaScript
Target Outcome: Deep systems understanding + impressive portfolio projects
Philosophy: Learn by building, understand by implementing
Why 3 Languages?: Each language has strengths for specific domains

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Why Build Your Own?

Interview Domination

Nothing impresses more than “I built my own Redis/Git/Docker from scratch”

Deep Understanding

You’ll never forget how B-Trees work after implementing one yourself

Resume Standout

GitHub repos with working implementations speak louder than certifications

Debugging Superpowers

When you know internals, debugging production issues becomes intuitive

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The Three Projects

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         BUILD YOUR OWN X                                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                              │
│  🎓 STUDENTS/JUNIORS           🔧 MID-LEVEL ENGINEERS                       │
│  ──────────────────            ────────────────────────                      │
│  PROJECT: Build Your Own Git   PROJECT: Build Your Own Redis                │
│  LANGUAGE: JavaScript          LANGUAGE: Go                                 │
│  DURATION: 2-3 weeks           DURATION: 3-4 weeks                          │
│  SKILLS: Hashing, Trees,       SKILLS: Networking, Data                     │
│          File I/O, CLI               Structures, Protocols                  │
│                                                                              │
│  🚀 SENIOR ENGINEERS                                                        │
│  ────────────────────                                                        │
│  PROJECT: Build Your Own Docker                                             │
│  LANGUAGE: Java (with native calls)                                         │
│  DURATION: 4-6 weeks                                                        │
│  SKILLS: Linux Internals, Namespaces, Cgroups, Networking                   │
│                                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Project Overview

Why Git?
  • Every developer uses Git daily, but few understand its elegant internals
  • Teaches fundamental CS concepts: SHA-1 hashing, tree structures, content-addressable storage
  • Perfect complexity level for beginners — challenging but achievable
What You’ll Build:
  • init, add, commit, log, status, diff, branch, checkout
  • Object store (blobs, trees, commits)
  • Index/staging area
  • Branch management
Resume Impact: “Built a working Git implementation with commit history, branching, and diff functionality”
Why Redis?
  • Most popular in-memory data store — used everywhere
  • Teaches networking, protocol design, data structures at scale
  • Perfect for demonstrating systems programming skills
What You’ll Build:
  • RESP protocol parser
  • Core commands: GET, SET, DEL, EXPIRE, KEYS, PING
  • Data structures: Strings, Lists, Sets, Hashes, Sorted Sets
  • Persistence: RDB snapshots, AOF logging
  • Pub/Sub messaging
Resume Impact: “Implemented Redis clone supporting RESP protocol, multiple data structures, and persistence”
Why Docker?
  • Containers are the foundation of modern infrastructure
  • Demonstrates deep Linux internals knowledge
  • The “wow factor” project that separates seniors from staff engineers
What You’ll Build:
  • Linux namespaces (PID, NET, MNT, UTS, USER)
  • Cgroups for resource limits (CPU, Memory)
  • Overlay filesystem (UnionFS concepts)
  • Container networking (bridge, veth pairs)
  • Image format and layers
  • Basic container runtime
Resume Impact: “Built container runtime using Linux namespaces, cgroups, and overlay filesystems”

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Learning Path

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Prerequisites by Level

LevelRequired SkillsRecommended
StudentsBasic JavaScript, File I/O, CLI basicsSome Git usage experience
Mid-LevelGo fundamentals, TCP/IP basics, Data StructuresUnderstanding of Redis usage
SeniorSystems programming, Linux basics, JavaContainer usage experience

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Get Started

Build Git

Start with the fundamentals — perfect for students and juniors

Build Redis

Network programming and data structures — ideal for mid-level engineers

Build Docker

Deep Linux internals — the senior/staff engineer challenge

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Why These Languages?

ProjectLanguageReasoning
GitJavaScriptAccessible, great for learning fundamentals, Buffer API for binary data
RedisGoBuilt for networking, goroutines for concurrency, perfect for systems software
DockerJavaEnterprise-grade, demonstrates that containers aren’t “just Go”, JNI for syscalls
Each project includes implementations in all three languages so you can compare approaches and pick what resonates with your career goals.