Reference and Cross-Degree Map
This is the final reference page of the degree. It does three things:
- maps the capstone module back across every prior semester
- lists validated external references by concept
- names what is worth revisiting after graduation
All external URLs are curation-verified.
Cross-Degree Map
Module 5 is a mirror held up to the whole curriculum. Each cluster touches specific prior semesters:
| Cluster | Primary cross-semester anchors |
|---|---|
| Cluster 1 -- Capstone Case Study | S8 M05 (written-first culture); S7 M05 (ADRs as narrative scaffolding); S10 M01 (architecture design) |
| Cluster 2 -- Engineering Portfolio | S7 M05 (ADRs and reviews); S10 M02 (tests); S10 M03 (CI/CD); S10 M04 (runbooks) |
| Cluster 3 -- Written Engineering Voice | S8 M05 (communication); all prior module writing outputs |
| Cluster 4 -- Specialization Decision | S2 (algorithms); S4/S5 (systems + databases); S6 (distributed); S7/S8 (architecture + leadership); S9 (production ops) |
| Cluster 5 -- Defending the Degree | Samples explicitly from S2, S4/S5, S6, S7/S8, S9 |
If any semester in the map feels thin when you reach Cluster 4 or 5, that semester is the one to revisit briefly before shipping the specialization pick and defense.
Concept-to-Source Map
| Primary concept | Best external reference if stuck | Why this source |
|---|---|---|
| Structure of a strong capstone write-up | martinfowler.com -- patterns of distributed systems | Each pattern page is structurally a one-page case study |
| What to show, what to cut | randsinrepose.com | Short specific paragraphs; reads as "what was cut" as much as "what remains" |
| Diagrams and screenshots that carry weight | martinfowler.com -- patterns of distributed systems | Diagrams encode semantics, not aesthetics |
| Portfolio-as-artifact | kalzumeus.com/standing-invitation | One-page, reader-first personal page |
| Per-project one-pagers | staffeng.com/guides | Guide structure = repo-level scannability |
| Evidence of craft | lethain.com | Craft-as-default essays that compound into a body of work |
| Technical bio | lethain.com | Evidence-first bio pattern |
| Blog-as-thinking | lethain.com | Decades of sustainable cadence |
| Editing for clarity | randsinrepose.com | Tight paragraph-level editing in the wild |
| Strength grid | staffeng.com/guides | Archetype material prompts honest self-audit |
| Specialization options | staffeng.com/guides | Common specialization tracks and paths |
| 12-month plan | staffeng.com/guides/promo-packets | Evidence-packaging pattern at career scope |
| Feynman challenge | fs.blog -- Feynman technique | The canonical 4-step structure |
| Interview-style defense | capd.mit.edu -- STAR method | Clean STAR writeup |
| Gap list | lethain.com | Honest "what I didn't figure out yet" posture |
Read Only If Stuck
- Staff Engineer guides -- staffeng.com/guides -- open only when the specialization rubric in Cluster 4 feels abstract; read one archetype page, then return.
- Irrational Exuberance -- lethain.com -- open only when your bio or post reads aspirational; read two posts to pattern-match voice, then return.
- Standing Invitation -- kalzumeus.com -- open only when your portfolio feels decorated; read once to recalibrate toward reader-first direct voice.
- Catalog of Patterns of Distributed Systems -- martinfowler.com -- open only when the case study structure or a diagram is not carrying weight; skim three patterns and notice how they are built.
Optional Deep Dive
- Rands in Repose -- randsinrepose.com -- read three posts for the paragraph-level editing pattern. Useful before shipping the blog post (Artifact 5).
- Staff Engineer promotion packets -- staffeng.com/guides/promo-packets -- the promo packet pattern maps closely to portfolio packaging; useful before finalizing Artifact 2.
- STAR method for behavioral interviews -- capd.mit.edu -- read once before the mock defense in Practice 04 Kata 3.
- The Feynman Learning Technique -- fs.blog -- read once before writing the Feynman packet (Artifact 9).
What To Revisit After Graduation
A deliberate, short list. These are the items most likely to pay out across the first 12 months post-graduation:
- The 12-month plan and gap list. Put a calendar reminder at month 3, 6, 9, and 12. Mark what shipped, what slipped, and what the year taught you that the plan missed.
- The capstone case study. Six months after graduation, reread it cold. Edit anything that reads false to your current self. Update the outcome section if your specialization work has extended the capstone.
- The Feynman packet. Anything you can no longer explain cleanly is either a gap that reopened or a topic that deserves a full relearning pass. Both are valuable signals.
- One chapter of Staff Engineer (Will Larson) at month 6 -- specifically the chapter most relevant to your chosen track.
- One post per quarter. The cadence from Cluster 3 is the single highest-leverage habit that survives the end of the degree. Do not drop it when the calendar stops enforcing it.
Reading Policy
- You do not need to read any of the external sources in full.
- Each source has a specific, narrow job in this module.
- If a source is not helping your current artifact, close it.
- The module's deliverables come from your own work, not from new reading.