My Journey to a Web App Platform | EP.0 The Beginning

3 min readAug 15, 2024

It all began with an inside joke among my friends that one day, I would create my own platform.

TL;DR

In this introductory episode, I share my background to kick-starting this project, my objectives, expectations, and reasons for wanting to create my own platform. Note that it’s a non-technical backstory.

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My Background

I’m a backend software engineer with 4 years of experience working with Java, Node.js, and other similar technologies. I also have a strong understanding of infrastructure and DevOps. However, I haven’t delved deeply into frontend development since my university days.

The Idea

The initial idea sparked during a conversation about the niche group of people who often hire artists to create custom art pieces. For example, let’s say someone wants to change the color scheme of a specific sticker on Telegram. Normally, they would need to contact an artist and ask them to make the changes. This is where I imagined a different scenario — a website that could streamline and simplify these personalized modifications.

The concept then developed even further. It wasn’t just about creating an easy mechanism for individuals to modify their favorite pieces; I also glimpsed a potential business opportunity. I thought, why not earn a commission from every artwork transaction that takes place on the platform?

Moreover, the possibilities are limitless when we consider the variety of media types that could be involved in this process. Users wouldn’t be confined to images alone. Gifs, animations, stickers, and other digital media could also be customized and shared through this platform.

With this idea, we’re looking at a platform that both simplifies personalization and opens a new revenue stream for artists. This could attract a broad audience and offer diverse forms of artwork customization.

This is the essence of my idea. UwU

When did I start

This idea came to me while I was still working full-time. At the same time, I applied for a Work and Holiday Australia visa and was lucky to secure a spot. Alongside this, I was facing some challenges at work which pushed me to reconsider my career. This combination of events prompted me to quit my job and focus on preparing for this new opportunity before heading to Australia.

My team

Mostly I coded it myself, but I also hired university students to help write some parts.

My design approach

This platform operates solely by me, and each component is designed with cost optimization as the primary goal.

The features and requirements are not fixed; they are subject to change over time as we continue coding.

Timeline

As I write this blog, the platform I am developing has not yet been launched. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to share the backstory and steps involved in building my platform.

My Plan

Apart from sharing the progression of my journey and the behind-the-scenes of building the platform, I will also be sharing separate articles that touch upon specific technical topics related to this project.

These articles will not only document the challenges I encounter along the way but also serve as a learning resource for anyone interested in the same field. This would include details about various programming languages, tools, and methodologies I have used and my insight on them.

This journey is not just about coming up with a profitable venture; it’s also about personal growth and expanding my knowledge and skills.

My Journey Index

Each episode of my journey will be here for easy access.

Technical topics

Exploring TiDB Serverless: How Much Can You Achieve with the Free Tier?Nx NestJs | Autogenerate OpenApi/Swagger from DTO
Generete type for Frontend from OpenApi/Swagger
Deploying a Service on AWS ECS Without Load Balancing