Revision · Learning Paths

This is the recap for Learning Paths — the hub that threads the standalone First-Principles books into ordered itineraries so each step you take earns the next.

What this part covered

• The books stand alone, but they’re stronger in sequence — every path is an ordered itinerary that walks you across two or three books part by part, and every step links straight to where it lives.
• The Web3 Path — understand why Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana made their tradeoffs, then prove it by building all three in miniature in Rust (Bitcoin → Rust), finishing ready for real Solana/Anchor work.
• The AI Path — go from LLM mechanics (how inference runs and what it costs) to product design around those costs to building an AI CLI yourself (AI Systems → System Design → Rust).
• The Systems Path — design a real system from first principles, then ship and operate it in production (System Design → DevOps).
• Getting Started — if you’re new to all of it, this page helps you pick a first book: Bitcoin for money/crypto curiosity, System Design to think like an engineer, Rust to code hands-on, or AI Systems / DevOps to jump straight in.
• Build along, don’t just read — every book has worked examples, “check your understanding” questions, and (for Rust) runnable crates; the path tells you what order, the books do the teaching.
• Follow the why — each page explains why before how, and there’s no wrong door, since the books connect wherever you begin.

The takeaway

Pick the path that matches what you’re most curious about today, then let it sequence the books for you — reading the why and building along as you go. The itineraries exist to remove the “where do I start?” friction so you can spend your energy actually understanding and building.