SciFi reads with tech escalation that doesn’t collapse into politics?

I'm looking for series or single book recommendations along the lines of Silver Ships and Bobiverse, but specifically for the exponential tech progression and escalating scale with detailed engineering and physics if possible. Silver Ships lost me in the politics (but merging with that other series with the gate travel network in the same universe was neat) and Bobiverse lost me in the character sprawl eventually.

What I want is modern-to-godlike tech progression, humanity as the scrappy terrifying underdog that reverse engineers everything it can get its hands on and climbs the galactic ladder. Maybe even eventually getting the attention of the ancient advanced races that have been ignoring humanity as ants, who suddenly realize we're a problem (I read a series exactly like this but can't remember the name, would definitely read more like it). Adult themes welcomed.

I've also read Expeditionary Force, The Expanse, Old Man's War, and a number more that I can't remember. What are the best series out there that actually deliver on this and don't bog down in politics or relationship drama eventually?