The latest articles on DEV Community by David Adeyemi (@lazycode). https://dev.to/lazycode 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%2F3843379%2Ff7d289f7-9b41-4a31-81ee-d44600abddc5.jpeg https://dev.to/lazycode en David Adeyemi Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:12:09 +0000 https://dev.to/lazycode/i-got-tired-of-setting-up-mern-apps-so-i-built-this-12kp https://dev.to/lazycode/i-got-tired-of-setting-up-mern-apps-so-i-built-this-12kp <p>If you’ve ever built a MERN app, you probably know the drill.</p> <p>You start with an idea…<br> Then spend hours setting up:</p> <ul> <li>Folder structure</li> <li>Express server</li> <li>Database connection</li> <li>Authentication</li> <li>Environment variables</li> <li>And sometimes integrations like Stripe or email</li> </ul> <p>Before you even write your first real feature.</p> <p>I found myself doing this over and over again.</p> <p>Same setup. Different project.</p> <h2> The problem </h2> <p>Tools like <code>create-react-app</code> or even Vite are great, but they only solve the <strong>frontend</strong> side.</p> <p>You still have to:</p> <ul> <li>wire up your backend</li> <li>structure your API</li> <li>connect your database</li> <li>set up auth</li> <li>configure everything manually</li> </ul> <p>It adds up quickly.</p> <h2> What I built </h2> <p>So I built something to remove that friction.</p> <p>It’s called <strong>MERN Genie</strong>.</p> <p>Instead of starting from scratch, you can generate a <strong>production-ready full-stack app</strong> with:</p> <ul> <li>React or Next.js frontend</li> <li>Express backend</li> <li>MongoDB setup</li> <li> <p>Optional features like:</p> <ul> <li>Authentication</li> <li>Stripe integration</li> <li>Docker setup</li> <li>Email system</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>All scaffolded in seconds, and actually runnable.</p> <h2> Why I’m building this </h2> <p>I didn’t want another boilerplate repo.</p> <p>I wanted something that:</p> <ul> <li>works out of the box</li> <li>is customizable</li> <li>saves real time</li> <li>and lets you focus on building the product itself</li> </ul> <p>Not repeating setup.</p> <h2> Current state </h2> <p>I’ve been testing it end-to-end recently:</p> <ul> <li>frontend boots instantly</li> <li>backend runs clean</li> <li>feature toggles work</li> <li>generated projects don’t need manual fixes</li> </ul> <p>Still refining things, but it’s at a point where I feel comfortable sharing it.</p> <h2> What I’d love from you </h2> <p>I’m opening up a waitlist and looking for early feedback from developers.</p> <p>If this sounds useful, I’d genuinely love your thoughts:</p> <p>🧞‍♂️: <a href="https://merngenie.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://merngenie.com</a></p> <p>What would you expect from a tool like this?<br> What would make it actually useful for your workflow?</p> <p>Thanks for reading 💜</p> webdev mern react node