How I Built My First Full-Stack Project — Mistakes, Challenges, and Learnings

When I initially wanted to work on a full-stack project, I was excited but nervous. I had used HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, Express, and MongoDB through tutorials, but utilizing them in a project for the outside world was intimidating. This is my experience — my mistakes, my troubles, and what I learned the hard way building my first full-stack application.

Why I Wanted to Create a Full-Stack Project:

I realized that mere watching of tutorials wouldn't suffice. I wished to build something real — something where I could make mistakes, debug, and put into action what I was learning. I chose to work on a project similar to an Airbnb-like website, in which users could create listings, reserve stays, and maintain accounts. I named it "Wander Lust."

Tools and Technologies Used :

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, EJS (Embedded JavaScript templates)

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js

• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose

• Authentication: Session and cookie-based custom authentication

• Other Libraries: UUID, Faker.js

The Mistakes I Made:

1. Skipping Code Planning

   I just started coding without creating a plan or a flowchart.

   Outcome: I was in the middle of code, with no idea what routes to take, what database models to apply, etc.

   Lesson: Start every project with a simple wireframe and database schema design.

2. Not Considering Error Handling

   Initially, I did not pay attention to error handling or validating user input in any way. This made crashes hard to debug.

   Lesson: Be good at handling errors. At each point, always think about what could go wrong.

3. Poor Project Structure

   My files were all loose in one directory — routes, models, views — the whole lot jumbled together. It was getting harder and harder to work with as the project grew.

   Lesson: Even on small projects, stick with a tidy MVC (Model-View-Controller) structure. It makes all that difference!

4. Not Using Environment Variables

   I had coded sensitive information (like database URIs) inside my code as I developed it.

   Lesson: Always use dot env to manage environment variables securely. The Challenges I Faced

5. Authentication and Authorization

   It was much tougher to set up login, signup, and user sessions than I had expected. Protecting routes so that only logged-in users could access them was time-consuming.

   How I Got It Done:

   •Learned about sessions and cookies in Express.

   •Wrote middleware functions to protect private routes.

6. CRUD Operations Confusion

   Firstly, I got confused about POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE routes — especially when editing or deleting listings.

   How I Got It Done:

   •learned individual CRUD operations separately on small apps before implementing them here.

7. Rendering Dynamic Data

   in EJS Rendering dynamic, accurate data in EJS templates was challenging, especially processing nested data like users and their listings.

   How I Solved It:

   • Planning feverishly backend response.

   • Applied looping and conditional rendering in EJS.

The Lessons I Learned:

• Start Small, Scale Slowly: Implement minimum functionality first. Add fancy features later.

• Keep Pushing Through Errors: Debugging teaches more than tutorials ever can.

• Learning from Documentation: Reading the docs (like Express and MongoDB) is quicker than going through random tutorials.

• Version Control: Use Git from the beginning — don't wait until the project is completed.

• Asking for Help is Okay: Stack Overflow and GitHub Discussions were my lifesavers while debugging I was unable to resolve on my own.

Final Thoughts:

Building my first full-stack project was one of the most frustrating but rewarding things I've ever done. It showed me that projects are messy — and that's okay. Every bug, every crash, every late night trying to fix a bug taught me something that I would never have learned by looking at a tutorial. If you're planning on making your first full-stack app too, here's my tip: Don't think about perfection in the beginning. Think for completion. Then get better. I’m excited to build even more projects now — and this time, I’ll be better prepared!

Thank you for reading! If you’re building your first project too, or have questions, feel free to drop a comment.