Module 1: Fundamentals

Lay the groundwork. Learn the language of system design, how to dissect problems, and master the art of trade-offs.

Module 1: Fundamentals

[!TIP] The Interview Secret: Most candidates fail not because they don’t know the tech, but because they dive into solutions too early. This module fixes that.

What’s Inside?

This isn’t just theory. It’s the playbook for how senior engineers approach broad, ambiguous problems.

  1. What is System Design?: Defining the game we’re playing.
  2. The Art of Requirements: How to extract the real problem from a vague prompt.
  3. The C4 Model: A standardized way to draw your ideas so others actually understand them.
  4. Trade-offs: Why “it depends” is the only correct answer (and how to explain what it depends on).
  5. Sruja Basics: Your first architecture-as-code model.

Learning Goals

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • ✅ Distinguish between Functional and Non-Functional Requirements.
  • ✅ Calculate rough capacity estimates (back-of-the-envelope math).
  • ✅ Draw a high-level System Context diagram.
  • ✅ Explain the CAP theorem in plain English.

Ready?

Let’s start your journey with Lesson 1: What is System Design?