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Technology & Product Jargon
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Common Terms · Basic

Technology & Product Jargon

API · SaaS · agile · sprint — the tech vocabulary every operator needs
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Technology & Product Jargon

You do not need to code to understand software. You need to understand how the pieces fit.

The Stack

Every web application has layers:

  1. Frontend — what the user sees (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
  2. Backend — business logic, authentication, data processing (Node, Python, Go)
  3. Database — where data is stored and queried (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Supabase)
  4. Infrastructure — servers, hosting, CDNs (Vercel, AWS, Railway)

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) sit between layers, letting them communicate using agreed-upon contracts.

APIs in Plain English

An API is a door with rules. You call the door with the right format, the system opens it and sends back data.

REST APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) use HTTP methods: GET (read), POST (create), PUT/PATCH (update), DELETE (remove).

Agile vs. Waterfall

Waterfall: plan everything, build everything, release.

Agile: plan a bit, build a bit, release, repeat.

Agile won because markets change faster than plans.

Deployment Pipeline

  1. Developer writes code on a feature branch
  2. CI runs automated tests
  3. Code merges to main
  4. CD deploys to staging for QA
  5. Release to production

CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment) collapses this from days/weeks to minutes.

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