The latest articles on DEV Community by Rishikesh Kumar (@rishikesh_kumar_cf05eaf92). https://dev.to/rishikesh_kumar_cf05eaf92 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3844072%2Fa3f113ee-8421-4acd-b4b1-5d9ed14c1651.png https://dev.to/rishikesh_kumar_cf05eaf92 en Rishikesh Kumar Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:18:56 +0000 https://dev.to/rishikesh_kumar_cf05eaf92/from-zero-to-backend-beast-my-intermediate-developer-journey-j6d https://dev.to/rishikesh_kumar_cf05eaf92/from-zero-to-backend-beast-my-intermediate-developer-journey-j6d <ul> <li>After months of consistent grinding, I'm officially comfortable calling myself an intermediate Python Django Backend Developer.</li> <li>Here's what I've shipped and learned: - ---</li> <li>## What I Can Now Build &amp; Deploy</li> <li><strong>Authentication &amp; Messaging</strong></li> <li>- OTP via SMTP email — fully custom flows</li> <li>- Twilio SMS integration for OTP &amp; alerts</li> <li>- Agora for real-time voice/video features</li> <li><strong>Payments</strong></li> <li>- Razorpay payment gateway — orders, webhooks, refunds</li> <li><strong>Infrastructure</strong></li> <li>- VPS server setup from scratch (Ubuntu + Nginx + Gunicorn)</li> <li>- Auto-deployment via Git Push — push code → server pulls → restarts automatically</li> <li>- GitHub CI/CD pipeline for clean, professional delivery - ---</li> <li>## What I Learned the Hard Way</li> <li>1. Environment variables are your best friend (and biggest security risk if ignored)</li> <li>2. Webhook validation is non-negotiable in production</li> <li>3. SSH key management saves hours of frustration</li> <li>4. Always test payment flows in sandbox before going live - ---</li> <li>## What's Next?</li> <li>- Docker &amp; containerization</li> <li>- Django REST Framework + async views</li> <li>- Redis for caching &amp; task queues</li> <li>If you're on a similar path — drop a comment. Let's connect! 🤝</li> <li>#Python #Django #Backend #VPS #RazorPay #Twilio #Agora #WebDev****</li> </ul> backend devops django python