The latest articles on DEV Community by Jewoola Favour (@favourlop). https://dev.to/favourlop https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3570760%2F880b3b2b-4deb-477a-800a-e1851230c1d0.jpg https://dev.to/favourlop en Jewoola Favour Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:01:18 +0000 https://dev.to/favourlop/my-stage-0-backend-task-building-a-dynamic-profile-endpoint-with-nodejs-and-express-2a5i https://dev.to/favourlop/my-stage-0-backend-task-building-a-dynamic-profile-endpoint-with-nodejs-and-express-2a5i <p>I recently completed the Stage 0 backend task for the Backend Wizards program, and it was a really nice refresher on how small backend details matter. The task was to build a simple API endpoint /me using Node.js and Express that returns my profile information, a live timestamp, and a random cat fact from the Cat Facts API.</p> <p>At first, it looked straightforward, but it reminded me how important things like clean response structure, error handling, and external API integration are in real projects. I also made a few corrections along the way — ensuring the route path was correct, adding timeout and error handling for the external API, and keeping my TypeScript structure neat and reusable.</p> <p>In the end, the endpoint returns a new cat fact and a fresh timestamp every time it’s called. It was a small task, but it reinforced some big lessons about reliability and simplicity in backend development — exactly the kind of mindset I want to keep as I grow as a developer.</p> typescript api node backend