Aim for mastery in the Python data model, functional patterns, concurrency, typing, packaging,
testing, and performance—these form the “next level” that unlocks production-quality code
and interview depth.datacamp+1
Advanced OOP and data model
• Learn Python’s data model to make classes feel “native”: implement dunder methods for
iteration, arithmetic, context managers, comparisons, and object lifecycle, guided by the
official reference.python
• Explore rich operator overloading and protocols by implementing methods like iter,
enter/exit, add/iadd, and lt/eq, using curated dunder catalogs to understand when
they’re invoked.pythonmorsels+1
Descriptors and metaclasses
• Master descriptors to control attribute access with get, set, and delete, a core
mechanism behind properties, dataclasses, and ORM fields.python
• Learn when to use metaclasses for class customization and enforcement of class-level
contracts, referencing how the data model defines class creation hooks like
init_subclass.python+1
Functional patterns
• Go deeper with iterators/generators, generator send/throw/close, yield from, and
building lazy pipelines to process large data efficiently.python
• Use decorators for cross-cutting concerns (caching, retry, timing) and contextlib for
resource management, framing them as reusable building blocks.roadmap
Concurrency and parallelism
• Choose the right model: threads or asyncio for I/O-bound tasks; multiprocessing or
process pools for CPU-bound work, and understand the GIL implications and trade-
offs.stackademic+1
• Build practical skills with asyncio event loops, tasks, awaitables, backpressure, and
cancellation; compare to ThreadPoolExecutor and ProcessPoolExecutor
patterns.realpython+1
Async in web backends
• Apply async/await correctly in modern frameworks: write async endpoints, non-blocking
I/O, and avoid mixing blocking calls inside async routes to prevent
starvation.fastapi.tiangolo
• Understand concurrency vs parallelism semantics in request handlers and background
tasks to size worker pools and maximize throughput.realpython+1
Static typing and contracts
• Adopt gradual typing with typing, Protocol, TypedDict, generics, and type narrowing;
integrate mypy/pyright in CI for reliability without sacrificing flexibility.roadmap
• Use data model hooks like class_getitem to support generic classes and improve type
ergonomics in libraries.pythonmorsels+1
Packaging and distribution
• Learn modern packaging (pyproject.toml, build, hatch/poetry) to publish libraries,
manage dependencies, and define entry points for CLIs and apps.roadmap
• Structure src/ layouts, semantic versioning, and environment pinning to ensure
reproducible builds across dev and CI/CD.roadmap
Testing at scale
• Level up with pytest fixtures, parametrization, monkeypatch, and hypothesis for
property-based tests to expose edge cases systematically.roadmap
• Add contract tests, integration tests with containers, and async test strategies to catch
concurrency bugs early.roadmap
Profiling and optimization
• Start with cProfile to locate hot paths, then use line_profiler or Pyinstrument for deeper
call-stack insights; prefer statistically sampled profilers in production like py-spy.daily+2
• Profile memory with Scalene or memory_profiler and apply targeted fixes (algorithmic
improvements, vectorization, caching, data structure choices) rather than premature
micro-optimizations.realpython+1
Roadmaps and study plans
• Follow a progressive roadmap: after OOP and testing, focus on packaging,
databases/SQL, performance tooling, and specialization (web, data/ML, automation)
over months 5–8 and beyond.datacamp
• Use a modern developer roadmap to ensure coverage of tooling, deployment, and
ecosystem skills alongside language features.roadmap+1
Suggested 6-week plan
• Weeks 1–2: Data model deep dive, dunder methods, iterators/generators, decorators,
context managers; build a Vector, a context-managed resource, and a cached API
client.datacamp+1
• Weeks 3–4: Concurrency—threads vs asyncio vs multiprocessing; implement an async
scraper, a thread-pooled I/O worker, and a CPU-bound pipeline with process
pools.stackademic+1
• Weeks 5–6: Typing + packaging + testing + profiling; add types to prior projects, package
with pyproject.toml, write pytest suites, profile and optimize bottlenecks.python+2
