Shipping a working app is great — keeping it working under real users is where the learning happens. Below are ten common production pitfalls I see again and again, with short, practical fixes you can apply today. If you want hands-on help turning these into code and deploy checks, consider mentor-reviewed full stack classes in Mumbai
or a project-first https://www.sevenmentor.com/full-stack-classes-in-mumbai
1. Missing health checks and smoke tests
Problem: Deploys succeed but core flows are broken.
Fix: Add GET /health and a simple smoke script that logs in, creates an item, and lists it. Run this automatically after deploys.
2. Secrets accidentally committed
Problem: API keys or DB URLs end up in git history.
Fix: Use .env files, commit only .env.example, and rotate any secret that was committed. Add a pre-commit hook (or a CI scan) that blocks credentials.
3. No deploy rollbacks or tags
Problem: Hard to revert a breaking release.
Fix: Tag releases (v1.2.0) and keep a one-line rollback procedure in your runbook (how to revert to previous tag and run smoke tests).
4. Slow list endpoints (no pagination / no indexes)
Problem: Lists time out with more data.
Fix: Implement server-side pagination (limit + cursor) and add an index matching your WHERE + ORDER BY (e.g., (user_id, created_at)).
5. Authentication edge cases
Problem: Refresh tokens, cookie domains, or SameSite flags break auth in prod.
Fix: Use secure HttpOnly cookies for refresh tokens, test the flow end-to-end in staging, and document cookie domain & SameSite settings in README.
6. No observability (logs & metrics)
Problem: You can’t tell what’s slow or failing.
Fix: Emit structured logs (reqId, route, duration_ms), capture p95 for key endpoints, and add a single alert (error rate or p95) to Slack/email.
7. Heavy synchronous work in request handlers
Problem: PDF generation, large uploads, or third-party calls slow user responses.
Fix: Move heavy work to background jobs/queues (BullMQ, Sidekiq). Keep request handlers fast and return accepted/202 for long tasks with a job ID.
8. Inconsistent API contracts between client & server
Problem: Front end crashes because the server returns a different shape than expected.
Fix: Keep a small API contract doc (/docs/api.md) and add one integration test that asserts the shape the UI depends on.
9. No rate limiting on public endpoints
Problem: Brute-force login attempts or abusive scraping.
Fix: Add IP/user rate limits to login and public APIs. Consider simple exponential backoff after repeated failures.
10. Poorly documented runbook & recovery steps
Problem: On-call becomes panic-mode because the “how to fix” is missing.
Fix: Write a one-page runbook: how to run smoke tests, how to rollback, where logs live, who to ping. Keep it in the repo as RUNBOOK.md.
Quick 7-point action list (do these right now)
Add GET /health and a CI smoke test.
Create .env.example and scan git history for secrets.
Add one DB index for your largest list query.
Add server-side pagination to all list endpoints.
Emit structured logs with reqId for every request.
Protect login with rate limiting and captcha fallback.
Write RUNBOOK.md with rollback steps and a smoke-test command.
Why mentorship speeds this up
Applying these fixes once is useful — applying them reliably across projects and explaining them in interviews is what gets you hired. If you want guided code reviews, deployment checks, and a mentor to walk through observability and runbooks, check out full stack classes in Mumbai
or enroll in a hands-on full stack classes in Mumbai
. They’ll help you add these protections to your portfolio projects so you can show production-ready work to recruiters.
Learn More: https://www.sevenmentor.com/full-stack-classes-in-mumbai
Shipping a working app is great — keeping it working under real users is where the learning happens. Below are ten common production pitfalls I see again and again, with short, practical fixes you can apply today. If you want hands-on help turning these into code and deploy checks, consider mentor-reviewed full stack classes in Mumbai
or a project-first <a href="https://www.sevenmentor.com/full-stack-classes-in-mumbai">full stack developer course in Mumbai</a>
1. Missing health checks and smoke tests
Problem: Deploys succeed but core flows are broken.
Fix: Add GET /health and a simple smoke script that logs in, creates an item, and lists it. Run this automatically after deploys.
2. Secrets accidentally committed
Problem: API keys or DB URLs end up in git history.
Fix: Use .env files, commit only .env.example, and rotate any secret that was committed. Add a pre-commit hook (or a CI scan) that blocks credentials.
3. No deploy rollbacks or tags
Problem: Hard to revert a breaking release.
Fix: Tag releases (v1.2.0) and keep a one-line rollback procedure in your runbook (how to revert to previous tag and run smoke tests).
4. Slow list endpoints (no pagination / no indexes)
Problem: Lists time out with more data.
Fix: Implement server-side pagination (limit + cursor) and add an index matching your WHERE + ORDER BY (e.g., (user_id, created_at)).
5. Authentication edge cases
Problem: Refresh tokens, cookie domains, or SameSite flags break auth in prod.
Fix: Use secure HttpOnly cookies for refresh tokens, test the flow end-to-end in staging, and document cookie domain & SameSite settings in README.
6. No observability (logs & metrics)
Problem: You can’t tell what’s slow or failing.
Fix: Emit structured logs (reqId, route, duration_ms), capture p95 for key endpoints, and add a single alert (error rate or p95) to Slack/email.
7. Heavy synchronous work in request handlers
Problem: PDF generation, large uploads, or third-party calls slow user responses.
Fix: Move heavy work to background jobs/queues (BullMQ, Sidekiq). Keep request handlers fast and return accepted/202 for long tasks with a job ID.
8. Inconsistent API contracts between client & server
Problem: Front end crashes because the server returns a different shape than expected.
Fix: Keep a small API contract doc (/docs/api.md) and add one integration test that asserts the shape the UI depends on.
9. No rate limiting on public endpoints
Problem: Brute-force login attempts or abusive scraping.
Fix: Add IP/user rate limits to login and public APIs. Consider simple exponential backoff after repeated failures.
10. Poorly documented runbook & recovery steps
Problem: On-call becomes panic-mode because the “how to fix” is missing.
Fix: Write a one-page runbook: how to run smoke tests, how to rollback, where logs live, who to ping. Keep it in the repo as RUNBOOK.md.
Quick 7-point action list (do these right now)
Add GET /health and a CI smoke test.
Create .env.example and scan git history for secrets.
Add one DB index for your largest list query.
Add server-side pagination to all list endpoints.
Emit structured logs with reqId for every request.
Protect login with rate limiting and captcha fallback.
Write RUNBOOK.md with rollback steps and a smoke-test command.
Why mentorship speeds this up
Applying these fixes once is useful — applying them reliably across projects and explaining them in interviews is what gets you hired. If you want guided code reviews, deployment checks, and a mentor to walk through observability and runbooks, check out <a href="https://www.sevenmentor.com/full-stack-classes-in-mumbai">full stack classes in Mumbai</a>
or enroll in a hands-on <a href="https://www.sevenmentor.com/full-stack-classes-in-mumbai">full stack classes in Mumbai</a>
. They’ll help you add these protections to your portfolio projects so you can show production-ready work to recruiters.
Hello there,
Thanks again to Amazon for hosting the great summer meetup!
The next Systems Meetup will be on October 2nd (Thursday 18:00-22:00)
at the Huawei office in Dresden. Mark your calendars!
A registration form will follow 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
See you soon! In the meantime, enjoy the last weeks of summer!
PS: Some attendees advocated for more "family-friendly" dates. Thank you
for that input and your feedback! Next year, we will try to look for dates
outside of the holidays, if possible. Further, events will not
always take place on a Thursday.
PPS: We are looking for hosts in 2026! 3-5 events: no more, no less.
PPPS: We had over 30+ attendees several times. That’s awesome! Thank you!
--------------------------------------------------------
Philipp Schuster
Software Engineer
E-Mail: philipp.schuster(a)cyberus-technology.de
Cyberus Technology GmbH
Zwickauer Str. 46
01069 Dresden
Deutschland/Germany
Telefon: +49 175 431 6677 (Tor Lund-Larsen)
Web: https://www.cyberus-technology.de/
Geschäftsführer: Tor Lund-Larsen
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Dresden
Amtsgericht Dresden, HRB 36573
Hello,
Please find the final information for today's Systems Meetup below.
*
⏰ 18-22 o'clock (Please be there on time!)
*
🔏 Preregister mandatory! A ID/Lichtbildausweis is required as well! In case you
haven't registered until 3pm, I'm not sure if you will get a visitor pass
at the entry.
*
Sign up: Google Forms<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe37p4tjqr6u-wGbne8U42Gc5yI3SrTVvm…>
*
So far, 32 people signed up! 🙂
*
📍 Location: AWS Development Center Germany, 01067 Dresden, Großenhainer Straße 5a
*
🍕 Food: Pizza for all
*
🍻 Drinks: Beer and non-alcoholic options available
*
How to get there? / How to reach AWS?
*
AWS is located at Großenhainer Straße 5a, near Bahnhof Neustadt.
*
By tram/train:
Get off at tram stop “Lößnitzstraße”, which is right in front of the building. Alternatively, you may also take a short walk from Bahnhof Neustadt.
*
By bike:
Enter the courtyard and feel free to use the bike parking available there.
*
By car:
You may park in the AWS garage. Please see the attached outline for directions. Use the right garage entrance and ring the bell – our security staff will let you in.
[https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/986/759/928/287/0…]
See you soon!
--------------------------------------------------------
Philipp Schuster
Software Engineer
E-Mail: philipp.schuster(a)cyberus-technology.de
Cyberus Technology GmbH
Zwickauer Str. 46
01069 Dresden
Deutschland/Germany
Telefon: +49 175 431 6677 (Tor Lund-Larsen)
Web: https://www.cyberus-technology.de/
Geschäftsführer: Tor Lund-Larsen
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Dresden
Amtsgericht Dresden, HRB 36573
To attend the upcoming Systems Meetup hosted at AWS, please register in advance using the following link:
👉 Google Forms<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe37p4tjqr6u-wGbne8U42Gc5yI3SrTVvm…>
All relevant info can also be found there!
Note on privacy
I understand that using Google Forms may not align with everyone’s privacy preferences. I chose this option over a public Dudle list to avoid exposing participant names to everyone. If you’re uncomfortable using Google, feel free to register by sending me a quick email:
📧 philipp.schuster(a)cyberus-technology.de
Looking forward to seeing you there!
--------------------------------------------------------
Philipp Schuster
Software Engineer
E-Mail: philipp.schuster(a)cyberus-technology.de
Cyberus Technology GmbH
Zwickauer Str. 46
01069 Dresden
Deutschland/Germany
Telefon: +49 175 431 6677 (Tor Lund-Larsen)
Web: https://www.cyberus-technology.de/
Geschäftsführer: Tor Lund-Larsen
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Dresden
Amtsgericht Dresden, HRB 36573