JAMstack for Back-End Developers is a presentation repository—containing slide decks, a recorded talk, and a Gatsby-built demo site—that explains what JAMstack is, why it is gaining popularity, and what the shift to build-time rendering means for back-end developers. The project comes from Coding Blocks, a software development podcast, and pairs a downloadable PowerPoint with a live example site findTech.events.
What is JAMstack for Back-End Developers?
JAMstack for Back-End Developers is an educational resource created by the Coding Blocks podcast, packaged as a GitHub repository with presentation materials and runnable code. It takes as input a connection to a PostgreSQL database of conferences and produces a static Gatsby site that demonstrates JAMstack architecture. The repository links to a YouTube video of the full presentation and offers the slide deck as a jamstack.pptx file for anyone to reuse.
Key Features
- Gatsby static site — The demo site is built on Gatsby; use "gatsby develop" for local development and "gatsby build" to generate a production build.
- Slide deck download — The presentation is published as a PowerPoint file (jamstack.pptx) directly in the repository.
- Recorded presentation — A YouTube video embeds the full talk, making it watchable without attending the original event.
- Live demo at findTech.events — The talk references a working events site that shows real conference data displayed through JAMstack techniques.
- PostgreSQL integration — The site requires a CONFERENCES_DB_CONNECTIONSTRING environment variable to fetch conference records from a Postgres database.
- Optional Disqus comments — Setting CONFERENCES_DISQUS_KEY enables comment functionality on the demo site.
- Netlify deployment — The project is wired for Netlify, as indicated by the deployment status badge in the repository.
- Curated JAMstack resources — The repo links to JAMstack.org, StaticGen, JAMstack Radio, and the Coding Blocks JAMstack podcast episode.
Who Should Use This?
Back-end developers who want to understand JAMstack can watch the video or read the slides to learn how decoupled front-ends and managed services change their responsibilities. Front-end developers can explore the demo site's Gatsby code as a reference for building static sites that consume data from external APIs. Technical team leads and architects can use the presentation to evaluate whether JAMstack fits their next project, using findTech.events as a case study. Podcast listeners who follow Coding Blocks will recognize the style and can read the linked resources for deeper dives.
What Can You Do With It?
- Back-end developers: Learn how JAMstack shifts back-end work toward APIs and build-time data fetching by reviewing the slides and watching the video.
- Front-end developers: Study the Gatsby demo site's source, including its PostgreSQL connection setup, to see how dynamic data can be pulled into a static build.
- Event speakers: Reuse the provided PowerPoint deck as a starting point for your own talk on JAMstack, complete with example slides and resource links.
How Does It Work?
The repository is a Gatsby application that must be configured with a PostgreSQL connection string before it can fetch conference data. After setting CONFERENCES_DB_CONNECTIONSTRING (required) and optionally CONFERENCES_DISQUS_KEY, run "gatsby develop" to preview the site locally. Publishing involves running "gatsby build" and deploying the output to a static host like Netlify.
FAQ
Is the code ready to run immediately?
No. The repository explains that it requires a connection to PostgreSQL and notes that the schema has not been checked into the repository. You must contact the maintainers to get help setting up the database schema before the site will function.
Is the presentation free to access?
Yes. The slides are available as a downloadable PowerPoint file in the repository, and the full talk is posted to YouTube. No purchase or subscription is required to view these materials.
What is the demo site findTech.events?
findTech.events is a live example site used in the presentation to show how a JAMstack application can display event or conference data. Its backend relies on a PostgreSQL database configured through the CONFERENCES_DB_CONNECTIONSTRING environment variable.
Which framework is used?
The demo site is built with Gatsby, a well-known static site generator, and it is set up for deployment on Netlify. The repository also references the broader JAMstack ecosystem through links to resources like JAMstack.org and StaticGen.
Does the site require any paid services?
The main resources—the slide deck, the video, and the Gatsby source code—are all freely provided. The optional Disqus integration is an external service, and you would need to supply your own Disqus key if you want comments enabled.
