01
API contracts
Define endpoints, payloads, status states, and error responses before implementation.
/be
Backend Engineering
Build reliable server-side workflows that survive real product use.
Overview
What this track proves.
BE
This track is for people who like systems, data, integrations, and the parts of software users do not always see. You will design API contracts, model data, handle background work, and use AI to move faster while still owning correctness.
Pace
6-10 hrs/week
Capstone
Deployed API, worker, integration, or approval workflow.
Review
Async review on contracts, data flow, validation, and failure modes.
Good fit
This is for you if...
Use this section as a practical gut check before you apply.
You like understanding how data moves through a product.
You care about validation, audit trails, authorization, and failure handling.
You want to build services that other people or interfaces can depend on.
Outcomes
What you can leave with.
The goal is proof of work, not passive course completion.
Design and implement a small API or workflow with clear inputs and outputs.
Model the data needed to support a real feature.
Add validation, idempotency, and basic observability where they matter.
Write verification notes that explain expected behavior and edge cases.
Curriculum
The work, in order.
02
Data modeling
Map entities, relationships, and constraints so your backend reflects the workflow accurately.
03
Integrations and jobs
Connect external services and background processing without hiding failure modes.
04
Operational judgment
Think through auth, retries, audit logs, rollback, and what you would monitor in production.
Capstone examples
The artifact can take a few shapes.
A deployed API with persistence, validation, and a short integration guide.
A background job or approval workflow with audit logging and retry notes.
A service integration that turns an external event into a reliable internal action.
Builder signal
What Builder-level work looks like.
Builder means you have shipped a deployed backend, API, worker, or integration and can explain where AI saved time and where it needed correction.
Next.js route handlersSupabasePostgresZodREST APIsVercel cron