Cohort
Guided path through the IndexZero modules
Part 1 (M0–M4) is complete. The first beta cohort is forming. You keep the same Python codebase, but move with reviews, deadlines, and discussion as you build from tokenizer through evaluation.
What the cohort is
A guided build path for developers who want more than self-paced reading. You move from the index to ranking, then into evaluation, query processing, vector retrieval, hybrid retrieval, index maintenance, and the final API layer.
Who it is for
- Developers who want structure, deadlines, and review cycles
- Engineers who use search systems at work and want to understand the mechanics
- People comfortable reading Python who do better with a guided path than a loose repo tour
What you get
Code reviews
Submit work from the cohort modules and get review on implementation choices, tests, and retrieval behavior.
Deadline structure
Move through later modules with dates that keep the codebase progressing from index to ranked system.
Workshop
After the ranking modules, join a workshop focused on inspecting results, metrics, and next-step design choices.
Discussion
Use the shared discussion channel to compare failures, query edge cases, and trade-offs in retrieval design.
Free vs beta path
| Path | Modules | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | M0 and M1 (self-paced) | Course overview, ranking audit, tokenizer, vocabulary, repo access |
| Beta | M0 through M4 (with code reviews) | Full Part 1 path, code reviews, deadlines, discussion, Part 1 ceremony on 150 movie plots |
Get early access
Part 1 is ready and the first beta cohort is forming. Reach out for early access or if you want to use IndexZero in a classroom setting.
FAQ
Who is this for
Developers who want to understand retrieval systems by building one. It fits search-curious backend engineers, ML engineers, and product engineers who work near search or recommendation systems.
What Python background do I need
You should be comfortable reading and writing Python functions, using dictionaries and lists, and running tests from the command line.
Is it self-paced
The free path is self-paced. The cohort adds dates and review cycles for the later modules.
What is free
M0 and M1 are free. They cover the ranking problem, tokenizer design, and the first reusable text processing artifacts.