I Passed the AWS Developer Associate Exam… Now What?!?

This past week, I passed the AWS Developer Associate exam, and it felt amazing. Months of late nights, labs, and practice tests finally paid off.
But the truth is, the more confident I got with AWS, the more I noticed the gaps in my foundation.

That “I passed!” moment quickly turned into: Okay, now what?

I could tell you what Lambda does, but not always why it was the best choice. I understood DynamoDB and API Gateway, but I wasn’t yet thinking like a developer, someone who sees the bigger picture and designs systems with intention.

So instead of jumping into another cert or bootcamp milestone, I’m doing something unexpected.

I’m hitting pause for the rest of this month.

Slowing Down to Build Smarter

In tech, it’s easy to believe that progress only counts when it’s visible when you’re shipping projects, stacking certs, or posting wins on LinkedIn. But some of the most critical growth? It happens offscreen.

If I wanted to go from cloud-certified to cloud-capable, I had to stop skipping steps. So this November, I'm going back to the basics and making Python my priority.

I’m working through “Python for DevOps: Learn Ruthlessly Effective Automation” by Noah Gift, Kennedy Behrman, Alfredo Deza, and Grig Gheorghiu. This book bridges development, automation, and cloud engineering in a way that clicks. I’m pairing it with the Udemy course “Python for DevOps: Mastering Real-World Automation” by Lauro Fialho Müller.

Together, they’re shifting how I think not just about syntax, but also about systems, how things work, why they break, and how to build with scale and automation in mind.

I also started using ChatGPT as a coding partner, not to write my code, but to help me think through it. It helped me create a Cloud Architecture Workbook —a personal playbook in which I design AWS solutions from scratch, from single Lambda apps to full-blown multi-tier infrastructures.

Now, every project starts in this workbook. I map out services, define how they’ll interact, and solve architecture problems before writing a single line of code.

When it’s ready, I run it past ChatGPT, not for answers, but for feedback. I ask it to stress-test my design, flag risks, and point out inefficiencies until I can recognize these traits on my own.

That flipped everything. I’m not just building random projects anymore, I’m designing, iterating, and learning from the process.

AI is no longer the shortcut. It’s my second set of eyes until I land my first engineering role and work with a team.

The Real Learning Starts After the Exam

Certifications give you structure but not fluency. They provide you with vocabulary, not intuition.

The real learning happens when you sit down to build something from scratch, no walkthroughs, no copy-paste, no autopilot.

That’s where I am now.

For the rest of the year, I’m building my projects from the ground up. And I’m starting with my boilerplate project. The one I started a month ago, and I am rebuilding it from zero. I want to understand every line. Every decision. From IAM permissions to API design.

No hand-holding. Just deep focus and absolute ownership.

Mastery Isn’t Flashy, It’s Repetitive

The hardest part of this journey isn’t learning new things; it’s being patient with the slow grind of true mastery.

Confidence doesn’t come from passing a test. It comes from debugging something at 2 a.m., finally fixing it, and realizing you understand why it works now. It comes from building a system that doesn’t just run; it scales, recovers, and makes sense.

This season of learning is quieter. There are fewer highlight reels. But it’s intentional, and it’s deep.

I’m not chasing momentum, I’m building mastery. And honestly? That feels like the biggest win so far.

If You’re in the Same Season

If you’ve passed an exam and still feel unsure, that’s not failure. That’s awareness. It means you’ve grown enough to see the next gap.

So take the pause. Rethink the foundation. Rebuild your confidence, this time from the inside out.

The next version of you, the one who builds fearlessly, is already on the way.

If you’re into Python, DevOps, and real-world cloud development, let’s connect. I’m not here to pass exams, I’m here to build.

Want a copy of my Cloud Architecture Workbook? Drop a comment below and I’ll send you the PDF.