Last year, I was graduating from medical school. Today, my "patients" are lines of code and database clusters.
I’m currently on a journey to transition into Backend Engineering
while enrolled at AltSchool Africa. But instead of just building "To-
Do" apps, I’ve decided to build something real: a full-scale online
store for my gadget business, impextech.
The Problem
Running a business like impextech involves a lot of moving parts—tracking inventory, managing sourcing, and handling customer orders. I realized that instead of using manual spreadsheets, I could build a custom solution that grows with me.
What I’ve Built This Week
I just finished the first major pillar of the backend: Database Persistence.
- Cloud Integration
I moved my product data from local memory to a live MongoDB Atlas cluster.
- Data Modeling
Using Mongoose, I built a schema that handles everything from MacBook specs to automated timestamps.
- Security
I implemented dotenv to ensure my business credentials stay private.
The "Doctor" Perspective
People often ask why I’m switching lanes. To me, medicine and engineering are cousins. Both require deep diagnosis, an understanding of complex systems, and a commitment to solving problems.
This store is just the beginning. My goal is to build a portfolio of software that solves real-world problems, and I’m documenting the entire process here.
I’d love to connect with other career-switchers or backend devs! What was the first "real" project you built?
#node #mongodb #showdev #backend #express #altschoolafrica #careerchange
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