date: 2025-07-16 topics: [backend, nodejs, devflow, auth, systemdesign] day: 1

📘 Day 1 – Kickstarting DevFlow Q&A Platform

✅ What I Worked On

Set up the foundational backend using Node.js + Express
Initialized DevFlow project structure
Implemented basic authentication system with OTP and JWT
Pushed initial commit to GitHub

📚 What I Learned

How to architect a real-world backend project from scratch
Flow of OTP-based login and JWT token generation
Importance of clean modular structure for long-term scalability

❌ Blockers

Minor issues in OTP expiry logic
Handling async email service integration (EmailJS)

🧠 Reflection

Starting DevFlow from the ground up without any tutorials is challenging but exciting. I’m doing this to understand how real apps work — not just copy code. This first step already helped me grasp the authentication flow deeply.

🔗 References / Code

Backend Repo
Commit