Skill Development Planner

PHASE 1: FOUNDATION BUILDING (Months 1-6)
Primary Focus: System Architecture + Basic Leadership

Month 1-2: System Design Fundamentals
├── Course: "Designing Data-Intensive Applications" book study
├── Practice: Design current system architecture documentation
├── Project: Redesign one microservice in current codebase
├── Validation: Present architecture proposal to team
└── Time allocation: 4 hours study + 3 hours practice weekly

Month 3-4: Microservices and Distributed Systems
├── Course: "Microservices Patterns" online course
├── Practice: Break down monolithic feature into microservices
├── Project: Implement service-to-service communication
├── Validation: Lead architecture discussion in team meetings
└── Time allocation: 3 hours course + 4 hours practice weekly

Month 5-6: Leadership and Communication
├── Course: "Technical Leadership" course or book
├── Practice: Mentor junior developer or intern
├── Project: Lead cross-team technical initiative
├── Validation: 360-degree feedback from mentee and peers
└── Time allocation: 2 hours reading + 5 hours practice weekly

PHASE 2: ADVANCED CAPABILITIES (Months 7-12)
Primary Focus: Cloud Architecture + Team Leadership

Month 7-8: Cloud Architecture (AWS Focus)
├── Course: AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification track
├── Practice: Migrate existing service to cloud infrastructure
├── Project: Design scalable cloud architecture for new feature
├── Validation: AWS certification exam
└── Time allocation: 4 hours study + 3 hours hands-on weekly

Month 9-10: DevOps and Infrastructure as Code
├── Course: Docker + Kubernetes practical course
├── Practice: Containerize current applications
├── Project: Set up CI/CD pipeline with automated deployment
├── Validation: Deploy production service using new pipeline
└── Time allocation: 3 hours learning + 4 hours implementation weekly

Month 11-12: Advanced Leadership and Project Management
├── Course: Agile project management and team dynamics
├── Practice: Lead quarterly planning and retrospectives
├── Project: Manage cross-functional feature development
├── Validation: Successfully deliver complex project on time
└── Time allocation: 2 hours training + 5 hours application weekly

PHASE 3: SPECIALIZATION AND MASTERY (Months 13-18)
Primary Focus: Senior-Level Expertise + Strategic Thinking

Month 13-15: Advanced System Design and Scalability
├── Course: High-scalability system design masterclass
├── Practice: Architect solution for 10x user growth scenario
├── Project: Performance optimization and monitoring implementation
├── Validation: Handle production scaling challenge
└── Time allocation: 3 hours advanced study + 4 hours application weekly

Month 16-18: Business Acumen and Strategic Leadership
├── Course: Technology strategy and business alignment
├── Practice: Participate in product strategy discussions
├── Project: Lead technical roadmap planning for team
├── Validation: Present technical strategy to senior leadership
└── Time allocation: 2 hours business learning + 5 hours strategic work weekly