So you have decided to join the ranks of the not so elusive Node.js backend developers. This could be the best decision you’ve made or the worst depending on who you are. However, since we haven’t had a meet and greet we would assume that this leans more towards an awesome decision, because you are here, putting in the work to learn to become a backend developer and I am just in the position to let you know how with a few tips, tricks and suggestions.
A backend developer is a specialist in the art of handling data, connections and servers in software development. Backend developers do not only build APIs, they also make crucial decisions on architecture and flow. They are the wizards behind the functionality of your websites and apps, making sure that all that beautiful user interface (buttons, pages) have great functionality that allows the app or site to run smoothly. A good analogy for backend development lies in a restaurant. The frontend could be likened to the charming waiter who takes your order with a smile, in a well-lit and beautifully designed space. The kitchen though, where the meal prep happens could be the backend. The restaurant may be straight out of a fairy tale and the waiters are all beauty standard models, but if the food sucks, takes too long to be prepared or is unavailable, your experience of that place would generally suck too. With this analogy, we see the importance of backend development. If this excites rather than intimidates you, then you’re in the right place.
To be a backend developer, you must attain relative mastery of a programming language. There are several of these languages to choose from that range from Python, Rust, Java, C to even machine language (which I won’t advise you go for). JavaScript is a popular language used on the backend, even though this wasn’t always the case as you would find in this article. Due to its runtime environment - Node.js, it no longer lives simply in web browsers but can be used to build a number of apps, games and sites. Node.js, which was written by Ryan Dahl in 2009 was intended to be used to let JavaScript out of the web browser bubble so that it could breathe life into other software. This became a great success and now Node.js boasts of about 36.42% of professional developers worldwide using it to set up servers, handle databases and carry out other tasks.

There are several reasons why Node.js is a great choice for backend development, but we would be examining only a few of those here.