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bytebytegohq/system-design-101

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TLDR

Visual guide to how large-scale software systems work, with diagrams and real-world case studies from companies like Netflix, Twitter, and Figma.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((System Design 101))
    What it covers
      API and Web Dev
      Real-world case studies
      Scaling patterns
      Infrastructure concepts
    Learning format
      Visual diagrams
      Short explanations
      Company examples
    Use cases
      Interview prep
      Understanding systems
      Learning vocabulary
    Audience
      Interview candidates
      Curious engineers
      System learners

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Prepare for system-design interviews by studying real-world architectural patterns and trade-offs.

USE CASE 2

Learn how companies like Netflix, Twitter, and Figma solved specific scaling challenges.

USE CASE 3

Build vocabulary around distributed systems concepts like load balancing, caching, and messaging.

USE CASE 4

Understand the infrastructure and design decisions behind everyday software you use.

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
License could not be detected automatically. Check the repository's LICENSE file before use.

In plain English

System Design 101 is a learning resource, not a piece of software but a collection of visual explainers, that walks readers through how large software systems are put together. It is aimed at two audiences: people preparing for a system design interview (the open-ended whiteboard kind where a candidate is asked to sketch out something like a chat app or a video service), and anyone who wants to understand how the internet, web apps, and large platforms actually work underneath. The repository is organised as a table of contents that links out to individual articles on bytebytego.com. Topics range from the basics of how a web request travels (HTTP versions, load balancers, proxies, DNS, ports, browsers rendering pages) through API design styles (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, webhooks, polling, server-sent events, WebSocket) and into bigger-picture architecture concerns like API gateways, caching, message queues, and event-driven design. A second large section is real-world case studies, looking at how companies such as Netflix, YouTube, Twitter, Uber, Airbnb, Pinterest, Figma, Meta, and McDonald's solved specific scaling or reliability problems. Each guide leans on diagrams rather than long prose, which is the point of the project: explain complex systems with visuals and simple terms. Someone would use it as a study companion before an interview, as background reading when joining a backend or platform team, or just to fill in gaps about how cloud computing and large web architectures fit together. There is no code to install. The project is published by ByteByteGo, who also run a YouTube channel and newsletter. The full README is longer than what was provided.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I have a system-design interview coming up. Walk me through the System Design 101 guide on load balancers and reverse proxies so I understand when to use each.
Prompt 2
Show me the System Design 101 case study on how Netflix built their caching strategy and explain why they made those choices.
Prompt 3
I'm confused about REST vs GraphQL vs gRPC. Find the System Design 101 comparison and help me understand the trade-offs.
Prompt 4
Use the System Design 101 guide on how Twitter built their recommendation pipeline to explain how large-scale real-time systems handle data flow.
Prompt 5
Walk me through the System Design 101 article on how a browser renders a page, step by step.
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