Most developers open VS Code too early.
For years I did the same.
A client explained the idea, and within hours I was creating Laravel controllers, React components, and database tables. Two months later the project became messy, requirements changed, and I realized:
The real problem was not my coding skill — it was my thinking structure.
Now I follow a strict pre-coding process. I don’t write a single line until the project is mentally engineered.
1. Understand the Problem — Not the Feature
Clients talk in features:
- “I need a dashboard”
- “Add payment system”
- “Make it like this website”
But engineers must think in problems.
I ask:
- Who will use this system?
- What decision will this software help them make?
- What pain exists today?
I write a one-line statement:
This project helps [user] achieve [goal] by solving [problem].
2. Define the Core Entities
Before tables, before APIs, I list entities like a researcher:
For example, in an e-commerce project:
- User
- Product
- Order
- Payment
- Shipment
Then I describe relationships in plain English:
- A User places many Orders
- An Order contains many Products
- A Payment belongs to an Order
This becomes my mental database — long before MySQL appears.
3. API-First Thinking
I don’t start with UI.
I start with questions:
- What data will the frontend need?
- Which actions must be possible?
- What should fail securely?
I draft endpoints like:
POST /api/orders
GET /api/orders/{id}
POST /api/payments
GET /api/products
No framework yet — just contracts.
This protects me from becoming “framework dependent.”
4. Data Flow Mapping
I draw a simple flow:
User → Frontend → API → Database → API → User
For each step I note:
- validation
- authentication
- business rules
- possible errors
This becomes my future middleware and services.
5. Non-Functional Requirements
Most tutorials ignore this, but real projects live here:
- performance
- security
- scalability
- logging
- backups
I write a small section:
- 2 second response time
- role-based access
- daily DB backup
- API rate limiting
Now the project looks like engineering — not a CRUD toy.
6. Folder & Architecture Plan
Only now I think about structure:
- controllers
- services
- repositories
- DTOs
- tests
Whether Laravel, Node, or Django — the thinking stays same.
7. THEN I Open the Editor
When I finally write code:
- endpoints are already known
- entities are clear
- validations decided
- security planned
Coding becomes translation — not confusion.
What Changed for Me
Since following this process:
- fewer rewrites
- cleaner APIs
- confident estimates
- happier clients
I moved from:
“Let’s start and see”
to
“Let’s design and then build.”
Final Thought
A real full stack developer is not someone who knows many frameworks.
It’s someone who knows how to think before coding.
About the Author
Sain Bux is a Full Stack Developer and Technology Researcher focused on API-first architecture, scalable systems, and evidence-based software engineering.
Top comments (0)