No degree needed to start. Go from a blank page to shipping full-stack apps in about five months — built around real projects you can show employers.
Reading docs without building is wasted time. Every concept below ships as something live on the internet. Put every project on GitHub and deploy it free.
Who it suits: You like building things people can see and use, and enjoy fast, visible feedback.
Indicative 2026 starting ranges in India — actual pay varies widely by city, company, and skill. Salary is an outcome of skill and a strong project portfolio, not a guarantee.
Structure and style the web — HTML, CSS, and Git.
Semantic tags, forms, links, images, accessibility.
The box model, Flexbox, and CSS Grid.
Media queries, variables, transitions, mobile-first.
Git, GitHub, VS Code; deploy a static site free.
Make pages interactive with real JavaScript.
Variables, functions, arrays, objects, loops.
Manipulate the page, handle clicks and input.
Promises, fetch, JSON, calling real APIs.
ES6+, modules, npm, array methods.
Build a weather or to-do app using an API.
Build modern single-page apps with React.
Components, JSX, props, rendering.
useState, useEffect, lifting state.
React Router, controlled inputs, validation.
Call APIs, handle loading and error states.
Tailwind or a component library.
Ship a movie or product browser app.
Add a server, a database, and deploy the whole thing.
Servers, routes, building REST APIs.
SQL vs NoSQL; MongoDB or PostgreSQL.
JWT, sessions, password hashing.
Connect the React front end to your API.
Vercel/Render, env vars, basic CI.
Error handling, validation, cleanup.
Ship a complete deployed MERN/PERN app.
Projects beat certificates. Do them in order — each builds on the last. Put every one on GitHub with a clear README.
Pure HTML/CSS/JS. Your first live site — deploy it on GitHub Pages.
A weather or to-do app that fetches live data from a public API.
A movie or product browser with routing, search, and API data.
A notes or blog app with login, a database, and REST API.
A complete MERN/PERN app, live on the internet with auth.
Click any resource to open it — free and well-known first, then build something with it.
Universal (any field): roadmap.sh · freeCodeCamp · GitHub Student Pack · Coursera
Download the free editor and the Live Server extension. That's your whole setup.
github.com — host your code and deploy sites free with GitHub Pages.
Make a simple 'About Me' page today. That's step one — you've started.
PathAhead helps you choose the career that fits you — with guidance built for Intermediate students. Explore every roadmap in one place.
This roadmap is a free educational resource. Timelines are a guide — everyone learns at a different pace. Referenced resources (freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, MDN Web Docs, JavaScript.info, Full Stack Open) are for learning only and are not affiliated with PathAhead.