Leveling Up as a Software Engineer – Day 1

The journey to becoming a better engineer starts with a plan. On Day 1, I set up a structured routine, dividing my work into morning, afternoon, and evening shifts. This approach ensures consistency and allows me to cover multiple aspects of learning throughout the day.

Planning My Backend Learning Path

For the first day, I focused on backend development. My main objectives were:

• Implementing a small API using Flask.

• Exploring the backend roadmap on roadmap.sh.

• Understanding the differences between FastAPI and Django.

• Reviewing a Python cheatsheet to refresh my knowledge. link: https://websitesetup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Python-Cheat-Sheet.pdf

Key Takeaways

1. Flask's Popularity is Declining – While Flask remains a lightweight and flexible option, its usage trend appears to be decreasing. This made me reconsider whether it’s worth investing significant time into it.

2. FastAPI vs Django – I explored both frameworks and found that:

   • FastAPI offers a modern approach and performs well but has a higher learning curve for beginners.

   • Django, with its robust ecosystem, remains a solid choice for full-fledged applications.

   • Django Ninja is an alternative that blends some FastAPI-like features into Django.

3. FastAPI's Trade-offs – While FastAPI can be efficient, its advantages depend on project requirements. It has lower initial costs but lacks some of Django’s built-in features, making Django a more comprehensive option for larger applications.

What’s Next? (Day 4 Goals)

Since I couldn’t start my FastAPI implementation on Day 1, I’ll prioritize it on Day 4. Additionally, I plan to dive into PostgreSQL to strengthen my database skills.

The journey has just begun, and with a structured approach, I aim to build solid backend expertise one step at a time.