From Idea to Production: My Development Workflow

Every developer has their own approach to building software. Over the years, I’ve refined my workflow to balance speed, quality, and maintainability. Here’s how I take projects from initial concept to production-ready applications.

Phase 1: Ideation and Planning

The Spark

Ideas can come from anywhere—a frustrating user experience, a gap in existing tools, or simply curiosity about a new technology. I keep a running list of ideas in Notion, rating them by:

• Impact: How many people would this help?
• Effort: How complex would this be to build?
• Learning: What new skills would I gain?

Research and Validation

Before writing any code, I spend time understanding:

## Research Checklist
- [ ] What similar solutions exist?
- [ ] What would make this different/better?
- [ ] Who is the target audience?
- [ ] What's the MVP feature set?
- [ ] What technologies make sense?

Technical Planning

I create a simple architecture diagram and define:

• Core features for MVP
• Technology stack choices
• Database schema (if applicable)
• API endpoints (if building an API)
• Deployment strategy

Phase 2: Setup and Foundation

Project Initialization

I use templates and CLI tools to get started quickly:

# For web apps
npm create svelte@latest my-project
cd my-project
npm install

# Setup development environment
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Create GitHub repo and push
gh repo create my-project --public --push

Development Environment

Essential tools I set up for every project:

{
  "devDependencies": {
    "prettier": "^3.0.0",
    "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^6.0.0",
    "vitest": "^0.34.0",
    "@playwright/test": "^1.40.0"
  }
}

Project Structure

I follow a consistent folder structure:

src/
├── lib/
│   ├── components/    # Reusable components
│   ├── stores/        # State management
│   ├── utils/         # Helper functions
│   └── types/         # TypeScript definitions
├── routes/            # Pages and API routes
├── tests/             # Test files
└── static/            # Static assets

Phase 3: Development Process

Feature Development Cycle

For each feature, I follow this process:

1. Write a failing test (TDD approach)
2. Implement the minimal code to make it pass
3. Refactor for clarity and performance
4. Update documentation
5. Create pull request (even for solo projects)

Git Workflow

I use conventional commits for clear history:

# Feature development
git checkout -b feature/user-authentication
git commit -m "feat: add user login form"
git commit -m "test: add authentication tests"
git commit -m "docs: update API documentation"

# Merge back to main
git checkout main
git merge feature/user-authentication
git branch -d feature/user-authentication

Code Quality Checks

Automated checks run on every commit:

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npm run lint
      - run: npm run test
      - run: npm run build

Phase 4: Testing Strategy

Testing Pyramid

I implement tests at multiple levels:

// Unit tests - utils/formatDate.test.js
import { formatDate } from './formatDate.js';

test('formats date correctly', () => {
  const date = new Date('2024-01-15');
  expect(formatDate(date)).toBe('January 15, 2024');
});

// Integration tests - api/users.test.js
test('POST /api/users creates new user', async () => {
  const response = await fetch('/api/users', {
    method: 'POST',
    body: JSON.stringify({ name: 'Test User' })
  });
  expect(response.status).toBe(201);
});

// E2E tests - tests/login.spec.js
test('user can log in', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/login');
  await page.fill('[data-testid=email]', 'user@example.com');
  await page.fill('[data-testid=password]', 'password');
  await page.click('[data-testid=submit]');
  await expect(page).toHaveURL('/dashboard');
});

Manual Testing Checklist

Before deployment, I manually test:

• All user flows work as expected
• Responsive design on different devices
• Accessibility with screen readers
• Performance with slow connections
• Error handling and edge cases

Phase 5: Deployment and Monitoring

Deployment Strategy

I prefer platforms that make deployment simple:

// vercel.json
{
  "buildCommand": "npm run build",
  "outputDirectory": "build",
  "framework": "sveltekit"
}

Environment Management

Different configs for different environments:

// config/index.js
const config = {
  development: {
    apiUrl: 'http://localhost:5000',
    dbUrl: 'postgres://localhost:5432/myapp_dev'
  },
  production: {
    apiUrl: process.env.API_URL,
    dbUrl: process.env.DATABASE_URL
  }
};

export default config[process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development'];

Monitoring and Analytics

I set up basic monitoring from day one:

// Simple error tracking
window.addEventListener('error', (event) => {
  fetch('/api/errors', {
    method: 'POST',
    body: JSON.stringify({
      message: event.error.message,
      stack: event.error.stack,
      url: window.location.href,
      userAgent: navigator.userAgent
    })
  });
});

// Performance monitoring
new PerformanceObserver((list) => {
  const entries = list.getEntries();
  entries.forEach(entry => {
    if (entry.entryType === 'navigation') {
      console.log('Page load time:', entry.loadEventEnd - entry.fetchStart);
    }
  });
}).observe({ entryTypes: ['navigation'] });

Phase 6: Maintenance and Iteration

User Feedback Loop

I collect feedback through:

• Analytics to understand user behavior
• Error monitoring to catch issues early
• User surveys for qualitative insights
• Support channels for direct feedback

Continuous Improvement

Regular maintenance tasks:

# Weekly dependency updates
npm update
npm audit fix

# Monthly security checks
npm audit
npm outdated

# Performance monitoring
npm run build --analyze
lighthouse https://myapp.com --view

Feature Iteration

Based on usage data and feedback, I prioritize:

1. Bug fixes - Always highest priority
2. Performance improvements - Impact all users
3. New features - Based on user requests
4. Technical debt - Maintain code quality

Tools That Make the Difference

Essential Development Tools

• VS Code with extensions for the tech stack
• GitHub CLI for repository management
• Figma for design and prototyping
• Notion for documentation and planning
• Linear for issue tracking

Automation Tools

• GitHub Actions for CI/CD
• Dependabot for dependency updates
• Prettier and ESLint for code formatting
• Commitizen for consistent commit messages

Lessons Learned

What Works Well

• Start small - MVP first, then iterate
• Automate everything - Tests, deployment, monitoring
• Document decisions - Future you will thank you
• Get feedback early - Don’t build in isolation

Common Pitfalls

• Over-engineering - Simple solutions often work best
• Skipping tests - Technical debt accumulates quickly
• Ignoring performance - Users notice slow apps
• Feature creep - Stay focused on core value

Conclusion

A good development workflow isn’t just about the tools—it’s about creating sustainable practices that scale with your projects and your career. The key is finding a balance between:

• Speed and quality
• Planning and flexibility
• Automation and manual oversight
• Individual and team needs

Start with the basics, automate what you can, and continuously refine your process. The time invested in setting up good workflows pays dividends throughout the entire project lifecycle.

Remember: the best workflow is the one you’ll actually follow consistently. Start simple, measure what works, and evolve your process over time.