The latest articles on DEV Community by vincent mugondora (@vincent_mugondora_599ed60). https://dev.to/vincent_mugondora_599ed60 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3919333%2Fcc7f4ff8-9853-4b07-a0d3-0c0e643cd3b8.jpg https://dev.to/vincent_mugondora_599ed60 en vincent mugondora Mon, 11 May 2026 08:27:00 +0000 https://dev.to/vincent_mugondora_599ed60/why-im-choosing-to-upskill-in-public-3pbp https://dev.to/vincent_mugondora_599ed60/why-im-choosing-to-upskill-in-public-3pbp <h2> My 2026 Roadmap: From Software Engineer to Lead Engineer and Architect </h2> <p>The world of software engineering is changing fast because of artificial intelligence.</p> <p>A lot of code is now being written by machines.</p> <p>Frameworks are getting better and better.</p> <p>People who only know how to make new features will have a hard time keeping up.</p> <p>I do not want to be left</p> <p>So I have made a plan for myself to become a software engineer who can make an impact.</p> <p>I want to be able to design systems lead teams and make products that work well in the intelligence era.</p> <p>This is not just about learning what is popular now.</p> <p>It is about becoming the kind of software engineer who really understands how to make systems build things that work well use artificial intelligence in a good way and make things that people really need.</p> <p>Over the few months I will be sharing my progress on this website.</p> <h2> Phase 1: The Performance Architect (June – July) </h2> <h3> Focus: </h3> <p>I want to learn about frontend architecture using Astro and Svelte 5.</p> <p>I want to learn how to make applications that're really fast work well with search engines can handle a lot of users and are easy to maintain.</p> <h4> What I Will Learn </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will learn about Astro and how it can be used for content-heavy architectures</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about Svelte 5 and how it can be used for reactivity</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about rendering strategies</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about building applications with an "islands architecture"</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about ways to make my applications run faster</p></li> </ul> <h4> Projects </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will make a marketplace frontend that loads fast</p></li> <li><p>I will make a dashboard application that works well</p></li> <li><p>I will make some landing pages that are optimized for search engines</p></li> <li><p>I will make some interactive components using Svelte</p></li> </ul> <p>My goal is to learn about performance-first engineering and not just think about making traditional single-page applications.</p> <h2> Phase 2: System Design and Scalability (August – September) </h2> <h3> Focus: </h3> <p>I want to think like a systems architect, not a feature developer.</p> <p>This phase is about learning how big systems are designed and maintained.</p> <h4> What I Will Learn </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will learn about database architecture</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about how to make PostgreSQL work better</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about Row Level Security</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about how to move data between databases</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about ways to make my applications load faster</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about edge functions</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about load balancing</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about message queues</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about microservices and modular monoliths</p></li> </ul> <h4> Projects </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will make a marketplace backend that can handle users</p></li> <li><p>I will make a system that can process events</p></li> <li><p>I will make an application programming interface that can handle a lot of requests</p></li> <li><p>I will make a system that can handle background jobs</p></li> </ul> <p>I want to become designing systems that can handle a lot of users.</p> <h2> Phase 3: Becoming a Lead Developer (October – November) </h2> <h3> Focus: </h3> <p>I want to learn about leadership, automation and workflows.</p> <p>Writing code is part of being a software engineer.</p> <p>I also want to get better at communicating with people reviewing code helping others and working with teams.</p> <h4> What I Will Learn </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will learn about integration and continuous deployment pipelines</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about GitHub Actions</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about automated testing</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about infrastructure workflows</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about development systems</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about leadership</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about code review strategies</p></li> </ul> <h4> Goals </h4> <ul> <li><p>I want to automate my deployments</p></li> <li><p>I want to improve my project management workflows</p></li> <li><p>I want to learn how to lead teams</p></li> <li><p>I want to improve the quality of my engineering work</p></li> </ul> <p>This phase is about becoming someone who can lead engineering efforts, not write code.</p> <h2> Phase 4: Marketplace Launch and Optimization (December) </h2> <h3> Focus: </h3> <p>I want to launch, monitor, optimize and grow my marketplace platform.</p> <p>A product is not complete when it works.</p> <p>It is complete when it is reliable, secure and works well for users.</p> <h4> What I Will Learn </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will learn about analytics systems</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about monitoring and observability</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about error tracking</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about security auditing</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about search engine optimization</p></li> <li><p>I will learn about performance analysis</p></li> </ul> <h4> Tools </h4> <ul> <li><p>I will use Sentry</p></li> <li><p>I will use PostHog</p></li> <li><p>I will use edge infrastructure</p></li> <li><p>I will use monitoring dashboards</p></li> </ul> <h4> Final Goal </h4> <p>I want to launch a marketplace platform that's production-ready has a great developer experience and works well.</p> <h2> My 2026 Tech Stack </h2> <p>Category | Tool |</p> <p>| --------------------- | ----------------- |</p> <p>Frontend Architecture | Astro |</p> <p>| UI Framework | Svelte 5 |</p> <p>| Backend | FastAPI / Node.js |</p> <p>| Database | PostgreSQL |</p> <p>| Styling | Tailwind CSS |</p> <p>| Infrastructure | Edge Functions |</p> <p>| CI/CD | GitHub Actions |</p> <p>| Monitoring | Sentry. PostHog |</p> <h2> Why I Am Sharing This Publicly </h2> <p>I believe that growth happens faster when it is shared with others.</p> <p>I want to stay accountable, track my progress, connect with engineers, and share what I learn along the way.</p> <p>Some things will. Some will not.</p> <p>I am committed to consistently getting better.</p> <p>My goal is not to follow what is popular.</p> <p>My goal is to become a software engineer who's adaptable technically strong and valuable, in the artificial intelligence era.</p> <h2> The Bigger Vision </h2> <p>I want to become a software engineer who can build platforms design reliable systems lead technical teams and create products that solve real problems.</p> <p>Not just someone who writes code.</p> <p>This is my roadmap.</p> <p>Now it is time to make it happen.</p> webdev productivity programming beginners