I’m aiming for Golden Kubestronaut next year.#
I just like having a hard, clear target to chase in this time period. It is one of those challenges that forces me to tighten the basics, notice the gaps I may sometimes work around, and then zoom out into the rest of the CNCF ecosystem.
If I only learn what the current sprint needs, I get really good at a narrow slice of the stack. If I only follow whatever catches my attention, I end up with a pile of half-finished experiments. This plan is my attempt to get the best of both worlds: stay sharp for work, and still keep exploring in a structured way.
And yes, the “Golden” part is tempting too. Passing every CNCF certification means you get the Golden Kubestronaut title for life, joining a group achieving the highest level of CNCF certification, plus additional benefits such as free KCD tickets, discounted KubeCon registrations, and ongoing discounts for future professional trainings.
My current status and timeline#
The core “Kubestronaut” path has 5 exams:
- CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer)
- CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator)
- CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist)
- KCNA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate)
- KCSA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate)
I already have CKAD and CKA.
Next are KCNA and KCSA that will be done very soon. Before CKS, I am considering LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator) first—the extra Linux depth should make the security specialist exam easier. I plan to take CKS this summer, which should complete the core set and get me to Kubestronaut.
Once Kubestronaut is done, I’ll do the remaining exams and have one more year to finish the full Golden track, intentionally doing “core first, breadth second.”
For clarity, the other exams are:
- LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator) - as mentioned, I will do it before CKS
- CCA (Cilium Certified Associate)
- ICA (Istio Certified Associate)
- KCA (Kyverno Certified Associate)
- CBA (Certified Backstage Associate)
- CGOA (Certified GitOps Associate)
- CAPA (Certified Argo Project Associate)
- PCA (Prometheus Certified Associate)
- OTCA (OpenTelemetry Certified Associate)
- CNPA (Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate)
- CNPE (Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer)
How this fits my work and life#
Kubernetes is becoming central to my work, which makes this plan realistic. Work gives me the real constraints: clusters with trade-offs, competing priorities, and the kind of problems only met in production. In the evenings, I use the study time to turn those experiences into deliberate reps, and to train this: being fast and correct under time pressure.
I’ll prepare only in the evenings and keep it simple: visit some key topics, run hands-on labs, and explain concepts in my own words. To avoid spreading myself too thin, I will stick with the materials that already worked well for me: KodeKloud, Killer Shell, and Cloudastic.
My home cluster is where I go wide#
I use it to try tools, connect them, break things safely, fix them, and document the sharp edges while they’re still fresh. While building a production-grade home cluster, I try to gain as much hands-on experience as possible.
Why I will keep blogging#
I write these posts first for myself. Sometimes they are architecture notes or implementation details. Sometimes they are just deep dives into a specific topic I ran into.
Next to the blog posts, I am also building a docs section. Over time it will become the detailed, step-by-step reference for things I have tried and know work, so I do not have to rediscover the same solutions later.
If it also helps someone else who finds my website, that is a nice bonus.
Cost plan#
These exams are expensive, so I’ll buy them intentionally. I already bought the first half of the bundle. For the second half, attending KubeCon Europe 2026 in Amsterdam gives me quite a decent discount on the purchase.
I am joining KubeCon Europe 2026 in Amsterdam#
If you’re attending, I’d love to connect—say hi, and let’s share experiences, production tips, and lessons learned in person.
