One of the things I like about self-directed learning is that the list of what to learn next is entirely mine to decide. Here's what's on it right now.
Kubernetes
I use Docker Compose for most things and it works well. But as the server host I work at grows, proper container orchestration becomes more interesting. Kubernetes is the obvious direction — it's complex, it's genuinely powerful, and understanding it properly would open up a lot. The learning curve is steep but that's never been a reason not to.
Lower-level networking
I understand networking well enough to build things that work. I want to understand it at a deeper level — how TCP/IP actually works under the hood, how routing decisions get made, what's actually happening in the packets. Not because I need it for any specific project, but because understanding the layer below what you're working at always makes you better at the layer you're working at.
More Rust — async and advanced patterns
I'm comfortable with Rust for backend work but there are parts of the async ecosystem and some of the more advanced type system patterns I want to get deeper on. Rust rewards going deep — there's always more to understand and the understanding keeps paying off.
Electronics and hardware
This one is a bit different. I'm curious about the physical layer — microcontrollers, basic electronics, how software interfaces with hardware at a low level. Raspberry Pi scratches this a bit. I want to go further — actual circuit design, understanding what's happening electrically, not just plugging things together.
Writing better
Not a tech skill but on the list. This blog is part of that — the more I write, the better I get at saying things clearly. Writing is thinking made visible and I want to get better at both. The goal isn't stylistic — it's clarity. Being able to explain complex things simply, without losing accuracy, is genuinely hard and worth getting better at.