DevOpsBeginner18 min
Compose for side projects
One file that boots Postgres, Redis, and your app so onboarding stops being a scavenger hunt.
By Priya Nair · 2026-05-01
One command
docker compose up should be enough for a new contributor. Put secrets in .env.example, not the compose file.
Healthchecks
Wait for the database before the app migrates. Failed healthchecks save hours of "it works on my machine."
Keep it lean
Don't mirror production complexity on day one. Add services when pain is real.