Why We Built Pure Dev

In an era where "no-code" and "low-code" platforms dominate discussions about development tooling, we chose a different path. We built Pure Dev not to abstract away code, but to make coding itself more enjoyable, immediate, and natural. Here's why.

The False Promise of No-Code Backend Development

The appeal of no-code solutions is understandable. Drag-and-drop interfaces promise to democratize software development, making it accessible to everyone. But here's the reality: backend development is fundamentally about logic, data relationships, and business rules. These concepts don't translate well to visual programming.

JavaScript (and by extension, TypeScript) already provides us with something remarkable: a programming language that reads almost like English while producing deterministic output. Consider these examples:

// Get users over 18
users.filter(user => user.age >= 18)

// Calculate the sum of order totals
orders.map(order => order.total).reduce((sum, total) => sum + total, 0)

// Get the user's name
users.find(user => user.id === userId)?.name

// Get the user's name
users.find(user => user.id === userId)?.name

Even if you're not a programmer, you can probably guess what these lines do.

Why Pure Dev Exists

We built Pure Dev because we identified a different problem: the disconnect between writing code and seeing its effects. Traditional backend development feels like shouting into a void:

1. Write some code
2. Deploy it
3. Wait
4. Test it
5. Find issues
6. Start over

This cycle kills creativity, slows learning, and makes development feel more like archaeology than engineering. Every minute spent waiting for feedback is a minute where your mental context is degrading.

The Pure Dev Difference

Instead of trying to eliminate code, Pure Dev makes coding more immediate and interactive. Every keystroke can trigger an evaluation, showing you exactly what your code is doing. It's like having a conversation with your backend:

// You write this
function async handler(pure: Pure) {
  const { id } = pure.req.params;
  const user = await pure.db
    .selectFrom("users")
    .select(["username","bio","location"])
    .where('id', '=', id)
    .executeOrTakeFirst();

  return pure.json(user);
}

And immediately see:

• The SQL query being generated
• The actual data being returned
• Any potential performance issues
• Type safety warnings
• Security considerations

All of this happens in real-time, before you even save the file.

The Power of Immediate Feedback

This immediate feedback loop transforms how developers work:

1. Learning Becomes Natural: Junior developers can see cause and effect instantly, accelerating their understanding.
2. Debugging Becomes Proactive: Issues are caught before they make it to production.
3. Performance Becomes Visible: You can see and optimize database queries as you write them.
4. Security Becomes Tangible: Potential vulnerabilities are highlighted immediately.

Beyond Tools: A New Development Philosophy

Pure Dev isn't just a tool; it's a philosophy about how backend development should feel. We believe:

1. Code is the Right Abstraction: JavaScript/TypeScript already provides a nearly perfect balance between human readability and machine execution.
2. Feedback Should Be Immediate: The shorter the feedback loop, the better the development experience.
3. Types Are Your Friends: TypeScript's type system isn't a burden; it's a superpower that catches errors before they happen.
4. Developer Joy Matters: Making backend development more enjoyable leads to better code and more productive developers.

Looking Forward

The future of backend development isn't about eliminating code – it's about making coding itself more powerful and enjoyable. Pure Dev is our contribution to this future. We're building a world where:

• Developers can stay in flow state longer
• Teams can collaborate more effectively
• Code quality improves naturally
• Learning curves become less steep
• Backend development becomes as interactive as frontend development

Join us

We're just getting started. Pure Dev is more than a product; it's a movement to make backend development more joyful and productive. We believe that by making the development experience more immediate and interactive, we can help developers build better software faster.

The best part? You don't have to learn a new language or abandon your existing skills. If you know JavaScript/TypeScript, you already know Pure Dev. We've just made it more powerful, more immediate, and more enjoyable.

Because at the end of the day, code isn't the problem. Bad development experiences are. And that's exactly what we're here to fix.