“Back-End Developer — the engine behind every great digital product.”

A Back-End Developer builds and maintains the server-side logic of applications — everything users don’t see but rely on. They create APIs, connect to databases, ensure secure data handling, and make sure everything “under the hood” works fast and reliably.

Barrier to Entry: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Key Responsibilities of a Back-end Developer

  1. Build Server Logic - Develop features like authentication, payment processing, and notifications using languages such as Node.js, Python, Java, or PHP.

  2. Design and Maintain APIs - Create RESTful APIs or GraphQL APIs (interfaces that let the frontend request and send data to the server).

  3. Database Integration - Connect the app to relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) or NoSQL options (e.g., MongoDB) and write optimized queries.

  4. Implement Security Protocols - Use authentication (e.g., JWT, OAuth) and validation to protect user data and system integrity.

  5. Optimize Performance - Improve response time, reduce memory usage, and cache frequent requests (e.g., with Redis).

  6. Write Tests and Debug - Build unit tests and integration tests to ensure reliability; trace and fix bugs efficiently.

  7. Deploy and Monitor Applications - Use CI/CD pipelines (automated delivery processes) and tools like Docker to ship code safely.

  8. Collaborate Across Teams - Work with frontend developers, DevOps, and product managers to build complete solutions.

Key Skills Required

Languages: e.g, JavaScript (Node.js), Python, Java, Go, Ruby, PHP

Databases: e.g, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis

API Design: e.g, REST, GraphQL, Swagger/OpenAPI

Authentication & Security: e.g, JWT, OAuth2, password hashing, input validation

DevOps & Deployment: e.g, Docker, CI/CD (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI), Nginx, Linux CLI

Testing: e.g, Unit & integration testing with Jest, Mocha, Pytest, JUnit

Performance Optimization: e.g, Caching, database indexing, load balancing

Version Control: e.g, Git, GitHub/GitLab

Architecture: e.g, MVC, microservices, clean architecture

Soft Skills: e.g, Analytical thinking, debugging, communication with frontend and product teams

PROS AND CONS

“From Code to Cloud — The Back-End Engineer’s Climb to CTO”

Inside a Back-end Developer’s Daily Routine

8:30 AM Code Review & Logs Check
• Review merge requests and run through production logs to ensure everything deployed overnight is working correctly.

9:30 AM Daily Stand‑Up
• Meet with frontend, QA, and PM to discuss progress, blockers, and priorities.

10:00 AM Feature Development
• Build server logic for new features like authentication, search, or notifications.

Noon Database Work
• Write and optimize SQL queries. Set up new tables and relationships, or refactor legacy queries.

1:30 PM API Development
• Design new REST or GraphQL endpoints. Ensure data is validated, secured, and formatted properly.

3:00 PM Testing & Debugging
• Write unit tests and fix bugs found in staging or flagged by QA.

4:00 PM DevOps & Deployment Tasks
• Update CI/CD pipeline config, monitor container health, or debug staging environments.

5:30 PM Wrap-Up & Planning
• Push changes, update JIRA tickets, and jot down tomorrow’s priorities or unresolved blockers.