learningpodcasts.io

Free courses that explain hard topics properly

Deep-dive podcast courses on software, systems, and more. Watch here or on YouTube. No paywall. No signup.

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The catalog

Courses

System Design

22 chapters · 5h 15m

Requirements-first design case studies. Real systems, real constraints, and the tradeoffs behind autocomplete, feeds, queues, and more.

Algorithms

14 chapters · 2h 42m

Production-focused algorithms, not interview prep. Why the sort your language ships actually wins, and where the textbook version breaks.

Protocol Buffers

10 chapters · 2h 18m

Protobuf as the main character: schemas, wire format, code generation, and how to evolve messages without breaking production.

gRPC

4 chapters · 1h 01m

From first principles: function calls to RPC to gRPC. What the framework actually does for you and what it costs.

RTS Game Design

11 chapters · 1h 52m

Playable systems-design case studies from AoE2, StarCraft II, and Company of Heroes. Balance, economy, and pacing as engineering problems.

Claude Code

5 chapters · 1h 02m

How the agentic coding CLI actually works and how to get real leverage from it, for engineers who already ship software.

Rust

6 chapters · 1h 43m

Rust for engineers coming from Python and Java. Ownership, borrowing, and why the compiler argues with you, explained with familiar analogies.

Advanced Apache Spark

4 chapters · 45m

Advanced Spark for data infrastructure engineers: execution model, shuffles, memory, and the failure modes that only show up at scale.

BigQuery

3 chapters · 38m

How BigQuery actually works under the hood: storage, slots, shuffles, and what that means for your queries and your bill.

OpenTelemetry

2 chapters · 19m

How engineers figure out what is wrong with systems they did not write: traces, metrics, logs, and the plumbing that connects them.

LeetCode Patterns

1 episode · 18m

Standalone pattern deep dives built around real problems. Each episode stands alone; watch the ones that match your gaps.

Systems in the Open

3 episodes · 1h 05m

Source-backed deep dives into real codebases and tools. Each episode is a self-contained implementation walkthrough.

Web Design for Software Engineers

2 chapters · 22m

Diagnose-and-fix design on real product surfaces, for engineers who can build anything except something that looks right.

ChatGPT

4 chapters · 50m

What ChatGPT is actually doing and how to use it well. No technical background needed.

Working Knowledge

1 episode · 16m

Deep, careful explanations of everyday-life topics for curious adults. Each episode stands alone.

AI Recap

4 episodes · 42m

Source-backed recaps of what actually changed in AI, filtered for engineers who build with it.

One-offs