Lesson 2 / 32
Gathering Requirements
Clarify users, core features, scale and constraints up front, and turn requirements into API endpoints.
Questions to ask
Who are the users? What are the core features (MVP)? Read-heavy or write-heavy? How many daily active users? What is acceptable latency and downtime?
Define the API
Turn features into endpoints early. POST /orders, GET /orders/{id}. The API shape forces you to name the data and the access patterns.
State assumptions out loud
If you can't get an answer, assume a number and say so: "I'll assume 1M DAU and 10:1 read:write." It keeps the design concrete.