APIs
Show where APIs affected a real decision in the project. Include the implementation, constraint, test or measurement that makes the skill verifiable.
CAREER PROJECT · Intermediate · 1–2 weekends
Production URL Shortener
Build a real URL shortener with persistence, redirects, analytics, abuse controls and deployment.
APIsDatabasesCachingTestingDeployment
WHAT THIS PROJECT PROVES
Make the engineering visible.
This brief is designed as portfolio evidence for a Software Engineer path. The goal is not to claim a hiring outcome; it is to make your implementation, judgment and tradeoffs easier to inspect.
Databases
Show where Databases affected a real decision in the project. Include the implementation, constraint, test or measurement that makes the skill verifiable.
Caching
Show where Caching affected a real decision in the project. Include the implementation, constraint, test or measurement that makes the skill verifiable.
Testing
Show where Testing affected a real decision in the project. Include the implementation, constraint, test or measurement that makes the skill verifiable.
Deployment
Show where Deployment affected a real decision in the project. Include the implementation, constraint, test or measurement that makes the skill verifiable.
BUILD PLAN
Finish the core before expanding the scope.
Use this as a project sequence, not a rigid tutorial. Your stack can change; the evidence should still show what you built, why you built it that way and how you know it works.
Define the scope and success criteria
Turn the brief into a small finishable system. Decide what the core Production URL Shortener must do, what you will deliberately leave out, and how you will show that it works.
Build the core workflow
Build a real URL shortener with persistence, redirects, analytics, abuse controls and deployment. Keep the first pass focused on the main user or system flow before adding stretch features.
Add engineering proof
Create live product and api/docs. Document the decisions, failure states, tests, performance, security or operational tradeoffs that matter for this project.
Ship and package the evidence
Publish the strongest artifacts, including schema, analytics demo, tests. Make it easy for a reviewer to understand the problem, architecture, tradeoffs and what you personally implemented.
PORTFOLIO PROOF CHECKLIST
Leave artifacts a reviewer can inspect.
A strong project page should make it possible to understand the system without guessing what you personally built.
01
Live product
02
API/docs
03
Schema
04
Analytics demo
05
Tests
06
A concise README explaining the problem, architecture and tradeoffs
07
A working demo, API example or reproducible run path
08
Evidence of testing, monitoring, performance, accessibility or reliability where relevant
RESUME / PORTFOLIO FRAMING
Describe what you actually did.
Built and deployed a URL-shortening product with persistent redirects, analytics and abuse-aware API controls.
Use this as a starting structure, then replace it with your real implementation details, metrics and constraints. Do not claim outcomes you did not measure.
INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS
Be ready to defend the decisions.
These prompts turn the project from a repository link into a technical conversation about judgment, tradeoffs and evidence.
Why did you choose your approach to APIs, and what alternative did you reject?
Answer with details from your implementation. Prefer concrete constraints, measurements and alternatives over generic best practices.
Where could Production URL Shortener fail under real usage, and how would you detect or recover from that failure?
Answer with details from your implementation. Prefer concrete constraints, measurements and alternatives over generic best practices.
How did Databases affect the rest of the design?
Answer with details from your implementation. Prefer concrete constraints, measurements and alternatives over generic best practices.
What did you measure or test to prove Deployment instead of only claiming it?
Answer with details from your implementation. Prefer concrete constraints, measurements and alternatives over generic best practices.
If you had one more week, what would you improve first and why?
Answer with details from your implementation. Prefer concrete constraints, measurements and alternatives over generic best practices.
STRETCH GOALS
Go deeper only after the core is solid.
Custom aliases
Add it only if it strengthens the engineering story instead of delaying a finished, deployable core.
Rate limiting
Add it only if it strengthens the engineering story instead of delaying a finished, deployable core.
QR codes
Add it only if it strengthens the engineering story instead of delaying a finished, deployable core.
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