Aspiring ML Platform, Data and Feature Infrastructure Engineer
Building production-grade ML systems from first principles — publicly documented, relentlessly executed.
I'm Nico Ostermann, 24 years old, originally from Germany, now based in Pitești, Romania.
Earlier this year I made a deliberate decision: leave everything comfortable behind and go all in on building a career in ML Platform and Data & Feature Infrastructure engineering. No CS degree. No prior industry experience. Just a structured roadmap, daily discipline, and the belief that what you can prove matters more than what you claim.
I document everything here! The roadmap, the projects, the certifications, the honest failures, and the incremental wins. If you're a recruiter, an engineer, or someone on a similar path: this repository is the most accurate picture of who I am and what I'm building.
ML Platform Engineering — Feature stores, experiment tracking, model serving, ML workflow orchestration
Data Infrastructure — Distributed batch and real-time streaming pipelines at production scale
Cloud Architecture — AWS-native design, Infrastructure as Code, cost-aware system thinking
Software Engineering Fundamentals — Clean APIs, testable systems, reproducible pipelines
Stack actively being built. See monthly updates for current proficiency levels.
Jikan Feature Pipeline | API ingestion, validation, feature engineering, and JSON output pipeline built with Python.
Projects Overview | Collection of current infrastructure and data projects.
| Area | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Python | Angela Yu Bootcamp · OOP, APIs, Data Structures | ✅ Completed |
| SQL | Window Functions · CTEs · Query Optimization | 🔄 In Progress |
| Git & GitHub | Branching · PRs · Clean commit hygiene | ✅ Active |
| AWS CLF-C02 | Cloud Practitioner Certification Prep | 🔄 In Progress |
| Docker | Dockerfile · Compose · Networking · Volumes | 🔄 In Progress |
| Functional Programming | map · filter · reduce · Pure Functions | 🔄 In Progress |
| Spark + Scala literacy | Distributed computing · Reading JVM code | 📅 Month 3 |
| Kafka · Airflow · Feast · MLflow · Metaflow | Full ML platform stack | 📅 Months 3–6 |
| Month | Primary Focus | Key Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · April 2026 | Python · SQL · Git · Linux | Foundation complete |
| 2 · May 2026 | AWS CLF-C02 · Docker · Functional Programming | First AWS certification |
| 3 · June 2026 | AWS DEA-C01 · Apache Spark · Scala literacy | Data Engineering foundation |
| 4 · July 2026 | Kafka · Airflow · System Design | Streaming pipeline fundamentals |
| 5 · August 2026 | AWS SAA-C03 · Project 1 launch | Feature Store live and documented |
| 6 · September 2026 | MLflow · Metaflow · Open Source contribution | ML Platform layer complete |
| 7 · October 2026 | AWS MLA-C01 · Project 2 · Interview prep | Streaming pipeline live |
| 8 · November 2026 | Project 3 · Application | Application submitted |
| # | Project | Stack | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Production-Grade Feature Store | Feast · Spark · AWS S3 · Python · GitHub Actions | 📅 Month 5 |
| 2 | Real-Time Streaming Pipeline | Kafka · Flink · AWS · Schema Registry · Monitoring | 📅 Month 7 |
| 3 | End-to-End ML Workflow | Metaflow · MLflow · AWS · Reproducible training pipeline | 📅 Month 8 |
Every project ships with architecture diagrams, full test coverage, CI/CD, and a reproducible local setup. No toy examples.
| Certification | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Practitioner · CLF-C02 | Month 2 · May 2026 | 📅 Upcoming |
| Data Engineer Associate · DEA-C01 | Month 3–4 · June/July 2026 | 📅 Upcoming |
| Solutions Architect Associate · SAA-C03 | Month 5–6 · Aug/Sep 2026 | 📅 Upcoming |
| ML Engineer Associate · MLA-C01 | Month 7 · October 2026 | 📅 Upcoming |
The tech industry rewards demonstrated ability over stated credentials. This repository is the demonstration.
Everything is open — every commit, every architectural decision, every honest reflection on what broke and why. The goal is not to look good. The goal is to build real systems and let the work speak.
If this kind of trajectory is relevant to your team, I would be glad to connect.
🇩🇪 From Germany · 🇷🇴 Based in Pitești, Romania
🌍 Open to remote positions worldwide
🏋️ Consistent physical training is part of my performance system, not a footnote
Last updated: April 2026 · Everything here reflects real progress, not aspirational claims.
