# r/sysadmin

**Post day/time:** Wed May 13, 2026 — 2:30 PM ET
**Flair:** "Career / Job Related" or "Resource" (check current rules)

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## Title

> Built an adaptive cert-prep platform that covers 929 exams — including the IT certs nobody else takes seriously

## Body

I'm Charles. Sysadmin-adjacent work background, bootstrapped solo founder. Web app for AccelaStudy AI launched Tuesday. r/sysadmin specifically because this is the audience that actually has to pass these certs to keep a job, get promoted, or pivot careers — not the marketing-MBA "let's add a cert to LinkedIn" crowd.

Real talk: I built the entire platform in 81 days, working with Anthropic's Claude as my only collaborator. 74 repos, 1.27 million lines of code, $0 raised. I mention that because if you're skeptical of small operations, the alternative is fair — start with the free demo (no signup) and decide for yourself.

What it does that other prep tools don't:

**Coverage that includes the unloved certs.** Sure, we have AWS / Azure / GCP / CompTIA / Cisco — but we also have ServiceNow, ITIL, RHCSA, SnowPro, TOGAF, the SAP / Oracle / IBM tracks, and the security-vendor stuff (GIAC, EC-Council, ISACA). 929 certs and exam specs total. If you're chasing a niche cert because your shop runs on niche software, we probably have it.

**Hands-on labs that aren't video.** 2196 labs that actually drive simulated consoles (AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Databricks, K8s, etc.). Real DOM, real assertions, you can fail them. AWS / Azure / GCP cloud labs are all "strict-pass" — every checkpoint scores against a real in-memory simulated SDK, not a checkbox you tick after watching.

**Adaptive engine that doesn't waste your time.** Most cert-prep tools have you do the same 500 questions whether you got the first 50 right or wrong. Ours maintains a real-time mathematical model of your knowledge updated in <2 ms per answer, and skips what you already know. If you're 70% there, you study the 30% you're missing. Not the whole exam objectives every time.

**Cross-cert credit.** Passed Network+? When you start CCNA or AZ-700 or AWS ANS, you get credit for what you've already proven. Same for the AWS/Azure/GCP cross-credit story.

**Pricing.** $39/mo for everything. Not per-cert. Not per-track. Not "Premium tier for the lab access." $39/mo for the whole catalog.

What I'd want from this thread:

1. **Sysadmin career-changers — what cert path actually got you to the next job?** I want our roadmap-builder to recommend real paths, not the LinkedIn-influencer fantasy paths.
2. **Niche certs we should have but don't.** I can synthesize a new domain in 10 minutes at a fraction of the cost of human authoring, so adding new exams is cheap. What's missing from our catalog that you actually need?
3. **War stories about prep tools that failed you.** Not for trash-talking — I want to know specifically what to NOT repeat.

Demo link in the first comment. Will be answering for as long as people are talking.

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## First comment

> Free demo (no signup): accelastudy.ai
>
> If you're sysadmin-stack, pick something that maps to your day job: Server+, Network+, ITIL, SnowPro Core, RHCSA. Test the engine on what you already know.

## Engagement strategy

- r/sysadmin is the most BS-allergic audience of the five. Be more direct, less marketing-speak. If something's an honest weakness ("we don't have Cisco DEVNET yet"), say so.
- The "I'm a solo founder using AI" framing is a double-edged sword here. Some sysadmins will love it ("finally, someone shipping"). Others will hear "AI slop" and downvote. Address it head-on: "AI generates the questions but every domain spec was reviewed by a human; here's our validation pipeline; here's the acceptance rate."
- This sub mods aggressively against promotion. **Read sub rules first.** May need to add [SP] or [Self-Promotion] tag.
- War stories from this audience can become testimonials later. Save them.
