For a long time, I was searching for more than just tutorials — I wanted to learn how to think like a software engineer.
Despite completing my Master’s in Software Engineering, I recognized a gap in consistently applying concepts to build scalable, real-world systems.
Like many developers, I found myself jumping between resources, without building anything substantial end-to-end.
So, a week ago, I made a deliberate decision to change that.
I committed to a structured learning path through Coder’s Gyan by Rakesh Kohali and started building a Pizza Delivery Application from scratch using the MERN stack — with a focus on real-world implementation and engineering best practices.
🔧 What I’ve worked on this week:
Instead of just following tutorials, I focused on building with intent and making engineering decisions:
• 🏗️ Designed a microservices-based architecture for scalability
• ⚙️ Set up a Node.js backend with TypeScript for maintainability
• ✨ Enforced code quality using ESLint and Prettier
• 🔄 Automated workflows with Git hooks (Husky)
• 🧩 Structured an Express.js application with proper configuration
• 📊 Implemented centralized logging (Winston) and robust error handling
• 🧪 Applied Test-Driven Development (TDD) to guide feature development
• ✅ Wrote automated tests using Jest and Supertest
• 🐳 Containerized services using Docker (Node.js + PostgreSQL)
• 🔐 Designed and built an Authentication Service using TDD
• 🔑 Implemented secure JWT-based authentication for user management
• 📡 Tested APIs using Insomnia
💡 Key takeaway:
Understanding concepts is not enough —
real growth happens when you design, build, and justify your decisions.
🎯 I’m currently focused on becoming a Backend Engineer, specializing in Node.js and microservices architecture.
Going forward, I’ll be sharing:
- 🧠 How I’m building each component
- 🚧 The challenges I face
- ⚖️ The decisions I make and why
Building in public, one step at a time 🚀
📊 Tracking my coding progress:
For those interested in my daily commitment, here’s my WakaTime dashboard showing hours coded and projects worked on — WakaTime Profile
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