Registration for Cohort 1 is closed Register interest for the next cohort

Stop treating the backend as a black box

A 10-week live cohort for frontend and mobile developers. Learn what happens after the request leaves your client, and build a complete backend in a stack you already know.

Cohort 1 registration is closed. Seats are full and the cohort has begun. Tell us you are interested and we will reach out first when the next cohort opens.

Join the next cohort waitlist See what it covers
Isometric diagram of a backend system: clients and CDN talking to an API gateway, which connects to auth service, database, Redis cache, service layer, file storage, and a queue feeding three workers.
trace · cohort-1 8 Aug → 10 Oct 2026
week 01
How backend systems work
week 02
Networking fundamentals
week 03
APIs & architecture
week 04
Auth, authorization, security
week 05
Databases & data storage
week 06
Caching
week 07
Real-time updates
week 08
Queues, workers, schedules
week 09
Logging & monitoring
week 10
AI-assisted development
Spans overlap on purpose: each week's Q&A runs while the next concept starts Fri & Sat · 9:15 PM · 10 weeks
The problem

Your application does not end at the API call

Six questions this cohort answers.

401 / 403Who are you, and what are you allowed to do?
422Where does validation belong?
500What did the server actually fail at?
slowQuery, index, cache, or queue?
staleWhy is this data wrong, and when does it expire?
generatedIs the code the AI wrote correct?

Even asking the right question matters

Outcomes

What you will be able to do

Trace a full request

Client to database and back.

Talk to backend engineers

Contracts, permissions, limits.

Choose the right component

REST, cache, queue, or socket.

Debug past the client

APIs, auth, data, async work.

Judge AI output

Question it, test it, fix it.

Ship a real backend

Planned, built, documented.

Curriculum · 10 weeks

One concept a week, applied to your project

01How backend systems work8–9 Aug
  • Clients, servers, and backend services
  • The lifecycle of a request
  • Business logic and data processing
  • Common backend components

Milestone · Define your project, its users, and its high-level request flow.

02Networking fundamentals10–16 Aug
  • HTTP and HTTPS
  • DNS
  • SSH and SMTP
  • Headers, methods, status codes

Milestone · Map the network calls and external services your project needs.

03APIs and application architecture17–23 Aug
  • What an API actually is
  • REST and GraphQL
  • Monolithic architecture
  • Contracts, resources, endpoints

Milestone · Write your first endpoints and their contracts.

04Authentication, authorization, security24–30 Aug
  • Authentication vs authorization
  • Sessions, tokens, common flows
  • Roles and permissions
  • Protecting endpoints

Milestone · Design and implement your identity and access model.

05Databases and data storage31 Aug–6 Sep
  • Data modelling
  • Relationships between entities
  • Relational vs non-relational
  • Consistency and trade-offs

Milestone · Build your data model and persistence strategy.

06Caching7–13 Sep
  • Where caching belongs
  • Keys and expiration
  • Invalidation
  • When caching makes things worse

Milestone · Decide where caching helps your project, and define the strategy.

07Real-time updates14–20 Sep
  • WebSockets
  • Server-sent events
  • Long polling
  • Connections and scale

Milestone · Design a real-time feature where your project needs one.

08Queues, workers, scheduled tasks21–27 Sep
  • Background jobs
  • Message queues and workers
  • Scheduled tasks
  • Retries and failure handling

Milestone · Move slow work out of the request cycle.

09Logging, error monitoring, performance28 Sep–4 Oct
  • Application logging
  • Error monitoring
  • Performance signals
  • Finding bottlenecks

Milestone · Define how your project is observed and operated.

10AI-assisted development5–10 Oct
  • Breaking a feature into tasks
  • Giving AI real technical context
  • Reviewing and testing generated code
  • Planning AI-enabled features

Milestone · Finish and document the project.

Format

How the live cohort runs

Concept class

One idea a week, with the trade-offs.

Q&A class

A second live session, every week.

One project

Every week adds to the same build.

Discord

Questions answered between sessions.

Your stack

Build in a language you already know.

AI, reviewed

Use it, then check what it got wrong.

Included

Three more courses come with it

Every cohort seat includes the rest of the library.

Think Like a Senior Engineer course cover Live

Think Like a Senior Engineer

Decision-making, ownership, and communication.

AI Fundamentals for Software Developers course cover Live

AI Fundamentals for Developers

What you need to work with modern AI tools.

Software Engineering Fundamentals course cover Upcoming

Software Engineering Fundamentals

Core engineering principles. Access included when it launches.

BDT 3,500+ Free

All three come with a cohort seat at no extra cost. Nothing to buy separately.

Instructor
Ahmed Shamim Hassan
Ahmed Shamim Hassan
Ex-Senior Software Engineer · Kahf

Ahmed teaches the concepts behind modern backend systems, tied to the decisions developers actually make while designing and maintaining applications.

The cohort is built around how components work, why they exist, and how to reason about the trade-offs between them, not around memorising one framework's syntax.

Enrollment

Cohort 1 is closed

Registration closed
Cohort 1
Seats full
Enrollment closed 7 August 2026

Cohort 2 dates and pricing are not announced yet. Fill in the interest form and you will hear about it before it goes public.

Join the next cohort waitlist
What a seat includes
  • Full 10-week live cohort
  • Weekly concept and Q&A sessions
  • A complete cohort project
  • Dedicated Discord access
  • Two AI-assisted development sessions
  • Three complimentary courses

The same structure carries into the next cohort. The form takes a minute: your stack, your timezone, and how to reach you.

FAQ

Before the next cohort

Can I still join Cohort 1?
No. Registration is closed and the cohort has started. Fill in the interest form and you will be contacted before Cohort 2 opens.
When does the next cohort start?
Not scheduled yet. Cohort 1 runs until 10 October 2026, and the next dates are set after it finishes. Everyone on the interest list hears first.
Is this a backend programming course?
It is a backend systems course, not a framework tutorial. You learn the components, the architecture, and the decisions behind them, then apply them in a project.
Which language or framework will be used?
None specifically. Build your project in a stack you already know or one you pick. Live sessions cover concepts, architecture, and trade-offs.
Do I need backend experience?
No backend experience required. You should already program, ideally frontend or mobile.
Will this make me a backend developer?
Ten weeks gives you a solid foundation and a clear roadmap, not the depth that comes from years of backend work. It will make you far more effective at reading, discussing, and building backend systems.
When are the classes?
Friday and Saturday at 9:15 PM. A concept session and a dedicated Q&A session each week, both live.
Will recordings be available?
Yes. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up if you miss one. Live attendance is still worth it: the Q&A only happens in the room.
Cohort 1 · closed

Missed this one? Get in line for the next

Ten weeks, one project, and a full map of what happens after the request leaves your client. Cohort 1 is full — leave your details and you will be first to know when Cohort 2 opens.

Fill in the interest form

Takes a minute · no payment · you hear before it goes public

Cohort 1 closed Join the next cohort waitlist