Learned what changes when software is built for someone else instead of just for myself: clearer workflows and more care around reliability and maintainability. This was my first paid development work so I got practical experience with git-based collaboration, logging and monitoring, API creation and integration, and drawing clean boundaries between apps.
Learned how product presentation, visual hierarchy, and checkout flow work together to make an ecommerce experience feel trustworthy. This was the first project where I defined a clear MVP, implemented it, and brainstormed ways to expand on it without losing focus on the core experience.
Monopoly game project
(server authority, websockets, Phaser visuals)
Learned how to make a game UI feel responsive while keeping the server as the source of truth. This was my first time working with a more gamified interface with Go websockets, synchronized state, and the awkward edge cases that show up when the network is not perfectly reliable.
Learned how to turn a real person's business need into a simple website that helps them receive better customer requests. This was my first client website, and it pushed me to think less like I was making a page and more like I was solving a problem for someone who needed a website in order to get more business.
