Building in Public: CV Analyzer - Act 6 · Scene 2: Making Sure Auth Is Solid Before Integration

Before connecting my React frontend to the Nodejs backend, I paused to make sure authentication was actually solid, so I wouldn’t be guessing later or fixing things under pressure.

Click here for Act 6 · Scene 1

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Symmetry With Act 4 · Scene 2
• What I’m Really Doing Here
• Mental Model
• Why this scene matters

Act 6 · Scene 2: Making Sure Auth Is Solid Before Integration

At this point, the backend works.
Users can register, log in, and log out. As demonstrated with Postman.

But working once isn’t enough. So I did a couple of tests off screen.

This scene is about slowing down on purpose to make sure the backend behaves clearly and predictably before anything depends on it.

Overview

In the previous scene, I finished setting up authentication on the backend. Even registered the first user in our database, logged in and logged out the user, all with the aid of Postman.

I could have jumped straight into the frontend in this Scene.

But NAAAAAA!!!I didn’t.

Instead, I stopped to ask a simple question:

• If another part of the app starts using this tomorrow, will it behave the way we expect?

This scene is about answering that question.

Walk with me…

Symmetry With Act 4 · Scene 2

There’s an intentional mirror here:

• Act 4 · Scene 2 = Frontend contract stabilization Click here for Act 4 · Scene 2

• Act 6 · Scene 2 = Backend contract stabilization

Now I’m doing the same thing, just on the backend. [Done off screen, didn't document what happened. Just sharing my thoughts]

What I’m Really Doing Here

I’m not adding new features.

I’m making sure:

• Successful actions behave the same every time
• Errors are clear and predictable
• User data is handled safely
• Nothing depends on guesswork
• By testing everything without a UI, I know the backend stands on its own.

And yes, everything works good and feels good. Now let's revisit the frontend and continue working there.

Mental Model

Right now:

• User data is saved correctly
• Passwords are protected
• Login and logout behave reliably
• The backend works even without a screen

Why This Scene Matters

This scene shows that I:

• Don’t rush integration
• Think about how systems will be used later
• Validate behavior before things break
• Build with real users in mind

Thanks for reading.
Let’s move on to the Next Act.

We in the Building…
Building in Progress…