💻 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My First Backend Project

I still remember the excitement of building my first real backend project. The idea of creating APIs, connecting to a database, and making things work "behind the scenes" felt magical. But along with the excitement came confusion, bugs, sleepless nights, and plenty of “I wish I had known that before” moments.

Now that I’ve built several backend systems using Node.js, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL, I wanted to share some lessons that would’ve made my early days so much smoother. If you’re just starting out, I hope these save you some stress!

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1. 🧠 Planning Before Coding is a Superpower

In the beginning, I’d jump straight into the code. No diagrams, no flowcharts, no clarity.

Big mistake.

Now, I always take time to:

• Understand the requirements deeply
• Map out the flow of data
• Sketch a rough architecture (even if it’s just on paper)

A little planning = a lot less debugging later.

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2. 📂 Folder Structure Matters More Than You Think

I used to throw everything into a single folder. As the project grew, finding and managing files became a nightmare.

Now I follow a clean structure:
/routes
/controllers
/services
/models
/middlewares
/utils

Organizing things from Day 1 makes scaling and debugging so much easier.

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3. 🔐 Authentication ≠ Authorization

At first, I thought logging in a user was all I needed. I didn’t consider what each user could or couldn’t do after that.

Authentication = “Who are you?”

Authorization = “What can you do?”

Now I use tools like JWT or Supertokens, and I always separate the logic for each.

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4. 🧯 Don’t Ignore Error Handling

I didn’t know how crucial error handling was—until things broke in production 😅

Now I:

• Use try-catch blocks wisely
• Create centralized error handlers
• Send meaningful error responses to the client

It saves me hours of debugging and keeps the user experience smooth.

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5. 🧪 Test Early, Not Just Before Deployment

I used to manually test every API with Postman at the very end. That’s risky.

Now I:

• Write Postman collections for each feature
• Add basic tests for critical endpoints
• Use logging to catch issues in development

Testing isn’t extra work—it’s peace of mind.

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6. 🗄️ Choose Your Database Wisely

At first, I chose the “coolest” database without understanding my needs.

Now, I:

• Understand the data model before choosing between SQL/NoSQL
• Use PostgreSQL when I need structure and relational power
• Spend time designing proper schemas and indexes

The right database choice = long-term project stability.

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7. 🌐 APIs Should Be Designed, Not Just Written

When I started, I wrote endpoints on the fly—leading to inconsistent URLs and confusion.

Now I:

• Follow RESTful conventions (/api/users/:id)
• Version my APIs (/v1/, /v2/)
• Use Swagger or Postman to document endpoints clearly

Good API design = happy frontend developers and maintainability.

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8. 🧩 Understand the "Why" Behind Every Tool You Use

In my first project, I used libraries and tools just because they were in a tutorial—without knowing why they were needed.

That led to:

• Using bulky packages for simple tasks
• Not being able to debug issues when something broke
• Relying too heavily on copy-paste code

Now, I make it a habit to:

• Read official docs (even if just the intro or quickstart)
• Understand what problem a library solves
• Pick tools that fit the project, not just the trend

Knowing “why” makes you a smarter developer—not just a faster one.

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9. 🙋 Ask for Feedback Early

I used to work in a silo, afraid of being judged. But the best feedback comes when things are still in progress.

Now I:

• Share my code with peers or mentors early
• Ask for code reviews or architectural suggestions
• Learn from others’ experiences

You don’t need to do it all alone.

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10. ✅ Done is Better Than Perfect

I would get stuck tweaking things endlessly, chasing “perfect code.” Truth is, perfection is the enemy of progress.

Now, I:

• Focus on delivering working features
• Improve in iterations
• Remember that shipped > perfect

Each project is a step forward in your learning journey.

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🧡 Final Thoughts

Backend development is an exciting and rewarding journey—but like anything, it comes with its learning curve. These lessons helped me become a more thoughtful, efficient, and confident developer. I still learn every day, and that’s the best part of being in tech.

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💬 Your Turn:

What’s something you wish you knew before starting your backend journey?

Let’s share and learn from each other—drop your thoughts in the comments!

Comments

[Raju Dandigam]

Nice one

[Prachi Gupta]

Thankyouuu

[Ernest Litsa]

Nice article. I once faced this same issues but got better at them now. The issue is every developer must embrace life long learning

[Prachi Gupta]

Absolutely agree! Lifelong learning is the key to growth as a developer. Every challenge is just another step toward getting better. Glad to hear you've overcome it too! 🚀