When kubeadm init sets up the master, there are six stages:

1. Generating certificate files and keys for services: Certificated files and keys are used for security management during cross-node communications. They are located in the /etc/kubernetes/pki directory. Take kubelet, for example. It cannot access the Kubernetes API server without passing the identity verification.
2. Writing kubeconfig files: The kubeconfig files define permissions, authentication, and configurations for kubectl actions. In this case, the Kubernetes controller manager and scheduler have related kubeconfig files to fulfill any API requests.

3. Creating service daemon YAML files: The service daemons under kubeadm's control are just like computing components running on the master. As with setting deployment configurations on disk, kubelet will make sure each daemon is active.
4. Waiting for kubelet to be alive, running the daemons as pods: When kubelet is alive, it will boot up the service pods described in the files under the /etc/kubernetes/manifests directory. Moreover, kubelet guarantees to keep them activated, restarting the pod automatically if it crashes.
5. Setting post-configuration for the cluster: Some cluster configurations still need to be set, such as configuring role-based accessing control (RBAC) rules, creating a namespace, and tagging the resources.
6. Applying add-ons: DNS and proxy services can be added along with the kubeadm system.

While the user enters kubeadm and joins the Kubernetes node, kubeadm will complete the first two stages like the master.

If you have faced a heavy and complicated set up procedure in earlier versions of Kubernetes, it is quite a relief to set up a Kubernetes cluster with kubeadm. kubeadm reduces the overhead of configuring each daemon and starting them one by one. Users can still do customization on kubelet and master services, by just modifying a familiar file, 10-kubeadm.conf and the YAML files under /etc/kubernetes/manifests. Kubeadm not only helps to establish the cluster but also enhances security and availability, saving you time.