ASCAlejandro Saez CastellsBlockchain / Backend / Full-stack

Early full-stack proof

MERN Project - OpenBootcamp Intensive

A MERN-stack web application that allowed users to register, create katas, and interact with them.

RoleFull-Stack Developer
Timeline2022
FocusEarly full-stack proof

Problem, context, and constraints

The project was built as a practical full-stack application to demonstrate user registration, content creation, and interaction workflows in a MERN architecture.

It provided hands-on experience with the full request lifecycle across frontend, backend, and database layers.

Context
  • This is an older learning project and should support the growth narrative rather than lead the portfolio.
Constraints
  • The project was intended for practical full-stack learning.
  • It would need stronger production hardening before being positioned as a mature production system.

Solution

  • Built a MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js web app.
  • Supported user registration.
  • Supported kata creation.
  • Supported user interaction with stored content.
  • Connected frontend, backend, and persistence in an end-to-end workflow.

Before

Theoretical MERN knowledge.

After

A working full-stack application.

Architecture

A classic MERN application where the React frontend communicated with an Express/Node backend backed by MongoDB for persistence.

MERN Project - OpenBootcamp Intensive system architecture
01Frontend
  • React
02Backend
  • Node.js
  • Express
03Database
  • MongoDB
04Delivery
  • GitLab
  • Deployment details TBD

Key technical decisions

End-to-end MERN architecture
Context
The goal was practical full-stack learning.
Choice
Build the full request lifecycle across React, Express, Node.js, and MongoDB.
Tradeoff
This enabled rapid learning and feature delivery but was not intended as a highly differentiated production system.

Security, scaling, and reliability

  • Suitable for demonstrating full-stack fluency.
  • Would need stronger production hardening for scale.
  • Auth, validation, testing, and deployment details should be improved if featured publicly.

Testing

  • Testing details are not yet documented in the brief.

Impact

  • Demonstrated full-stack development ability.
  • Built practical experience across frontend, backend, and persistence.

What I learned and would improve next

The value of shipping end-to-end features and thinking across the full product surface.

Connecting frontend, backend, and persistence cleanly while learning the stack in practice.

  • Upgrade authentication.
  • Improve UI polish.
  • Add tests.
  • Add deployment.
  • Improve production readiness.