Backend / API Engineering
Build production backends: REST and GraphQL APIs, relational and cached data, auth, background jobs, testing, and system design.
Build production backends: REST and GraphQL APIs, relational and cached data, auth, background jobs, testing, and system design. Language-flexible (Node/TypeScript or Python), grounded in how real services are built and operated.
4 phases · 19 projects · v2.0.0
Target roles: Backend Engineer, API Engineer, Software Engineer (Server)
Stack: TypeScript or Python, Node/NestJS or FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker
PHASE 1 · 4 projects
Language, HTTP & Tooling
Be fluent in your server language and the HTTP request lifecycle.
01 · featured
HTTP Methods, Status Codes, Headers
A bare HTTP server that routes by method + path, no framework
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
02 · featured
JSON Request/response Handling
An echo API that validates and reshapes JSON payloads
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
03 · featured
Environment Config & Secrets
A service that loads config from env with validation and safe defaults
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
04 · featured
Logging & Error Handling
Structured request logging + a global error handler
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
PHASE 2 · 6 projects
APIs & Databases
Design and build data-backed APIs.
01 · featured
REST API Design
A CRUD REST API for a real resource (e.g. tasks) with proper routes and status codes
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
02 · featured
Relational Data Modeling (PostgreSQL)
Schema with keys, constraints, and indexes for a small domain
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
03 · featured
ORM / Query Layer
Wire the API to PostgreSQL via an ORM or query builder with migrations
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
04 · featured
Validation & Error Contracts
Schema-validate every endpoint and return a consistent error shape
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
05 · featured
Pagination, Filtering, Sorting
Add list endpoints with cursor or offset pagination
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
06 · featured
GraphQL Basics
Expose part of the domain as a GraphQL schema with resolvers
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
PHASE 3 · 5 projects
Auth, Caching & Async Work
Secure the API and move slow work off the request path.
01 · featured
Authentication (JWT/sessions)
Login + protected routes with hashed passwords and tokens
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
02 · featured
Authorization & Roles
Role-based access control on the API
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
03 · featured
Caching With Redis
Cache an expensive read and invalidate it correctly on write
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
04 · featured
Rate Limiting
Per-IP or per-key rate limiting middleware
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
05 · featured
Background Jobs / Queues
Move a slow task to a queue/worker and report status
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
PHASE 4 · 4 projects
Testing, System Design & Deployment
Make it correct, explainable, and deployable.
01 · featured
API Testing
Unit + integration tests covering the happy path and key failures
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
02 · featured
System Design Fundamentals
Design doc + diagram for scaling one endpoint to 100x traffic
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
03 · featured
Idempotency & Reliability
Make a write endpoint safe to retry (idempotency keys)
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
04 · featured
Containerization & Deployment
Dockerize the service and deploy it somewhere reachable
TypeScript or Python · Node/NestJS or FastAPI · PostgreSQL · Redis · Docker
Next step
Request Backend / API Engineering
An advisor reviews the fit and confirms terms in writing. A request is not an acceptance and nothing is charged until you agree.