π Learning Path // My Hacker Journey
"No fake motivation. No '10 steps to success' bullshit. Just my path, my grind, my mindset."
π₯ How I built my skills
Hundreds of boxes, focus on methodology
CRTA, real AD environments, full-chain exploits
Private invites (Hackrate contacted me directly)
The right ones are game-changers
π Books that shaped my skills
Bug Bounty / Web Focus
The Web Application Hacker's Handbook (2nd Edition)
Dafydd Stuttard & Marcus Pinto
"The bible of web hacking."
Web Hacking 101 & Real-World Bug Hunting
Peter Yaworski
"Easy to read, pure practical examples."
Red Team / Advanced Exploitation
Advanced Penetration Testing
Will Allsopp
"Adversary simulation, real-world attack chains, post-exploitation."
Red Team Development & Operations
Joe Vest & James Tubberville
"The mindset and tradecraft of a professional red team operator."
π§ Mindset matters: Red Team vs Bug Bounty
Red Team Mindset
- Goal: Objectives over exploits (impact > CVEs)
- Approach: Covert, stealthy, persistent
- Skillset: AD attacks, phishing, C2, pivoting, post-exploitation
- Mentality: "What would a real threat actor do to remain undetected?"
Bug Bounty Mindset
- Goal: Report valid bugs (impact & reproducibility matter)
- Approach: Fast recon, high target coverage, automation where possible
- Skillset: Recon automation, web exploitation, chaining web bugs
- Mentality: "How can I turn a small bug into critical impact?"
π My learning rules
- 01 Grind daily β Even 30 minutes > 0.
- 02 Manual recon first β Tools don't replace thinking.
- 03 Revisit machines β After weeks, new approach = new learning.
- 04 Don't mix paths β Separate red team focus from bug bounty/web hacking.
- 05 Documentation is a weapon β Notes save hours in future ops.
π Beginner tips that actually work
Start with easy/medium HTB machines β learn methodology
Build a home lab β Kali, Windows, AD, vulnerable apps
Use books + practice together
Get visible β writeups, blog, community contribution
Join bigger communities (HTB forums, THM Discord, LinkedIn posts)