The best backend engineering feels invisible.

And that’s the point.

No one praises the API that works.
Or the system that scales under pressure.
Or the database that returns queries in milliseconds.

But behind that simplicity?

• Careful tradeoffs.
• Thoughtful architecture.

You won’t always know why something broke.

But as a backend engineer, you better know how to find out.

Because something will break:
• A deployment fails.
• An API suddenly returns 500s.
• A background job uses too much memory.

Great ones will know how to debug anything.

Good backend engineers build features.

Great ones build confidence.

Confidence that the system will scale.
Confidence that edge cases are handled.
Confidence that if something breaks, it won’t take the app down.

Because backend engineering isn’t just about building what works.

When I hire entry-level developers, I look for just 3 things:

1. Do you have strong backend fundamentals?
2. What past projects can you share?
3. Are you someone I’d want to work with every day?

If you can demonstrate these, you’ll move on to the next round.

It’s not about a perfect resume.

Average backend engineer: “I built the API endpoint. Now it’s the frontend team’s job to figure out how to use it.”

Great backend engineer:
“I collaborate with the frontend team to make sure the API is clear, efficient, and scales properly.”

Creating great software is a team sport.

A senior in one tech stack might feel like a junior in another.

But their actual experience isn’t tied to a tech stack.

It’s defined as being language-agnostic.

When you are language-agnostic, learning a new language or framework is just a matter of weeks.