While I agree with your points, this one could be more nuanced:
> Infrastructure: Bare Server > Containers > Kubernetes
The problem with recommending a bare server first is that bare metal fails. Usually every couple of years a component fails - a PSU, a controller, a drive. Also, a bare metal server is more expensive than VPS.
Paradoxically, a k3s distro with 3 small nodes and a load balancer at Hetzner may cost you less than a bare metal server and will definitely give you much better availability in the long run, albeit with less performance for the same money.
In 5 years of running 3x Dell R620s 24/7 - which were already 9 years old when I got them - I had two sticks of RAM have ECC errors, and one PSU fail. The RAM technically didn’t have to be replaced, but I chose to. The PSU of course had a hot spare, so the system switched over and informed me without issue.
IME, hardware is much more reliable than people think.
Here’s the more honest one i wrote a while back:
https://aazar.me/posts/in-defense-of-boring-technology