I Got Tired of Rebuilding Backend Systems, So I Automated My Job
How I Turned Repetitive Backend Work Into an Automated Platform That Saves Development Teams Months of Time
Chris Lawson
March 12, 2025
For the past decade, I've been the person companies call when they need to build backend systems from scratch. Whether it was authentication, user management, database setups, API integrations, or handling scaling issues, my job was to piece everything together, often under tight deadlines. Every company had it's unique needs, but at the core, I was solving the same problems over and over again.
At some point, I started asking myself: Why am I doing this manually every time?
The Repetitive Backend Problem
Every backend system I built relied on the same core components. I had to connect and manage both internal and external data sources, ensuring seamless integration across databases and third-party services. CRUD APIs were always necessary to handle basic resource operations, while databases and caching layers had to be set up with the right technology for each project. On top of that, server management and security critical-handling infrastructure provisioning, automating deployments, encrypting data, and mitigating vulnerabilities. Finally, logging and monitoring had to be in place to keep everything running smoothly and avoid DevOps nightmares when issues cropped up. No matter the company's specific needs, these building blocks were always there.
The Moment It Clicked
During backend development of another project at a previous company, my now co-founder I worked with asked, "What would it take to build a system like this in a week instead of months?" I brushed it off, but the question stuck with me.
So a few weeks later in my free time I started automating small, repetitive backend tasks, writing scripts to handle database interaction, API integrations, and common infrastructure setups. Over time, these automations grew more sophisticated.
What Happened Next
After using it internally for personal projects, I realized this wasn't just saving me time-it could save entire teams months of work. Around the same time the company I was working for went into liquidation, I decided to go all in on building this out further. So I turned it into a full platform, and now we have B2B clients adopting it because of the massive productivity boost it provides.
I know many developers are skeptical about full backend automation (I was too). So I built it with flexibility in mind-letting devs extend, tweak, and override when needed, without locking them into a rigid system. The goal isn't to replace developers (although my title might indicate that), it's to let them skip the boring parts and focus on the actually bringing the product to life. If I had my own platform when working for these companies, I would be building the much more exciting parts whilst looking like a champion with everyone wondering how I did it so quick (small gloat).
Why This Matters
We keep rebuilding the same backend foundations, often without questioning why. How much developer time is wasted on work that could be automated? If frontend devs have tools like to accelerate UI work, why isn't backend development moving fast in the same direction?
This is my attempt to change that.
I'd love to hear from other devs: Have you felt this pain? We already have clients successfully using this approach, proving that backend automation isn't just theoretical-it works.