Step by step guide to becoming a backend developer in 2026
26 topics
JavaScript
Go
Python
Version Control Systems
Redis
More about Databases
REST
JSON APIs
Authentication
Caching
ORMs
ACID
Transactions
N+1 Problem
Testing
Github
Relational Databases
Integration Testing
Unit Testing
Functional Testing
Have a look at the detailed version
Git
Pick a Language
PostgreSQL
Learn about APIs
Legend
Core topic
Sub-topic
Done
Related roadmap
Find the detailed version of this roadmap along with other similar roadmaps
roadmap.sh
Backend
Visit the Detailed Version
If you are a frontend developer jumping into backend development, I would recommend picking JavaScript and learning Node.js. Alternatively, Go and Python are also good options.
Learn the language and build some CLI apps to practice your knowledge.
When you are following this roadmap make sure to develop as many projects as possible for each node of the roadmap.
Create your GitHub profile and start using GitHub for your future projects.
See if any of your past projects can be published on GitHub as OpenSource.
Repo hosting services
Learn about the relational databases, normalization, DB migrations, SQL, DB Indexes and Query performance analysis.
Learn how to build RESTful APIs and add JWT authentication to secure your APIs.
Develop some API and add JWT auth.
JWT
Learn about different caching strategies, including HTTP caching as well.
Learn about additional database topics including performance analysis, ORMs, limitations, common issues to keep in mind with ORMs and in general.
Use Redis in some of your projects.
Get some experience with some ORM.
Learn about differeng testing techniques and learn learn how to write automated tests.