01API platform2026
Nebula
Backend infrastructure that gets out of the way.
Role
Design & engineering
Year
2026
Stack
Node.js, Express, TypeScript, PostgreSQL
Nebula is a production-minded API starter that treats developer experience as a feature. One command gives you a typed REST API, key management, usage-aware rate limits and webhook delivery — all on top of Node.js and PostgreSQL.
Most backend starters are either too bare to be useful or too opinionated to adapt. Nebula needed a spine strong enough for real products, with enough seams to pull apart and make your own.
I designed the system around a small set of contracts: every module owns its routes, its data and its errors. Middleware handles identity, validation and limits once. The dashboard consumes the same public API it exposes, which keeps the boundaries honest.
Backend infrastructure that gets out of the way.
- 01Scoped API keys with rotation and instant revocation
- 02Sliding-window rate limiting backed by Redis
- 03Signed webhook delivery with exponential retries
- 04Typed SDK generated from a single OpenAPI source
Next project
02 / Developer tool