Build and Deploy Your First Web App

Understand how the web works

2–4 days. This is conceptual, not code. Spend the time actually using DevTools on real sites — Twitter, GitHub, your bank. Each one teaches you something different.

Build a working frontend with HTML and CSS

2–3 weeks. The first page takes 3 days. The second takes 1 day. The third takes half a day. That's how learning compounds.

Add interactivity with JavaScript

2–3 weeks. The first interactive feature takes 3 days. The second takes 1 day. The debugging milestone within this milestone — learning to use the console — takes as long as you resist it.

Connect a backend and serve real data

2–3 weeks. The first endpoint takes a day. The fetch on the frontend takes another day. Getting them to talk to each other takes a third day. CORS will surprise you — budget half a day for it.

Deploy your app to a real URL

1–2 weeks. The code is done. Deployment always takes longer than expected — environment variables, build commands, and the difference between development and production mode will all surprise you. Budget 3 full days.