Routes as Roadmap

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that using routes as a roadmap made backend development a lot easier for me.

When I started building my first backend project, my first thought was, "After setting up the server, I should probably start creating the routes." After all, that's the path every request follows.
But I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into writing code.

Creating the Roadmap (Routes)

Before I started implementing anything, I'd take a moment to think about all the features I wanted my app to have. Once I had a rough idea, I'd design the routes for those features first.

It didn't have to be perfect. Just listing out the endpoints was enough to give me a clear direction.

I found that this made a huge difference. Instead of constantly wondering what to build next, I already had a roadmap to follow. It also helped me understand how different parts of the application would connect, making the whole project feel much less overwhelming.

For me, this was one of those small habits that ended up making backend development a lot more enjoyable.