CodeCanary: My First SaaS Venture

Designing and building a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution from the ground up provided one of the most in-depth and instructive challenges of my career. CodeCanary emerged from a vision to offer automated static application security testing (SAST) directly from GitHub repositories—enabling developers to pinpoint and address vulnerabilities early in the development cycle. Below is an overview of how the project came together and the key lessons I learned along the way.

Overview of CodeCanary

CodeCanary is centered on proactive security. The idea was to let users integrate their GitHub repositories seamlessly, initiate automated scans in the background, and receive actionable alerts on potential risks before they made it to production.

The Tech Stack

• Front End:
  Next.js, React, TypeScript
  Leveraging Next.js for server-side rendering, React for a dynamic user interface, and TypeScript for type safety ensured a responsive, maintainable front-end.

• Back End:
  Rust, Actix API (for application endpoints, checkout flows, and Stripe webhooks), Postgres (for data persistence), Docker (for containerization)
  Rust was chosen to maximize performance, reliability, and memory safety. Actix’s asynchronous model provided efficient request handling, while Postgres offered a robust, scalable data layer. Docker containers streamlined the backend deployment and orchestration.

• Infrastructure:
  Distributed Docker backend & Cloud hosting on a few VPS with automated deployment pipelines
  The deployment architecture was designed for scalability and resilience. Docker containers were distributed across virtual machines, with automated CI/CD pipelines ensuring minimal downtime and friction when shipping new features or fixes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Architecture & Infrastructure

   • Conceived the overall system design to accommodate distributed Docker containers and efficient auto-deploy pipelines.
   • Deployed and managed VPS instances, configured DNS, and ensured SSL certification for secure connections.
   • Implemented monitoring and logging systems to maintain visibility over service health and performance.

2. Back-End Development

   • Built a Rust-based backend with Actix for the core API, handling everything from user onboarding to payment integrations (Stripe).
   • Created database schemas and wrote queries for Postgres, optimizing for speed and reliability.
   • Set up Dockerized environments to simplify local and production deployments.

3. Front-End Implementation

   • Implemented the user interface with Next.js, React, and TypeScript, emphasizing clarity, responsiveness, and accessibility.
   • Developed key flows—from account registration to results dashboards—that showcased security insights in real time.
   • Integrated with the backend APIs, ensuring seamless data exchanges and a cohesive user experience.

4. Security Analysis Module

   • Developed core logic in Rust to analyze GitHub repositories for security vulnerabilities, leveraging static code analysis techniques.
   • Ensured secure handling of repository data and results, maintaining strict data permissions and encryption standards.

5. Subscription & Payment Handling

   • Established a checkout process and subscription management system using Stripe.
   • Built Stripe webhooks to handle events such as successful payments, subscription updates, and account cancellations.

6. Business & Product Strategy

   • Chose a pricing model conducive to both small teams and larger enterprises.
   • Crafted the marketing site and documentation to communicate the product’s value proposition effectively.
   • Collected feedback from early adopters to refine features and user flows.

Lessons Learned

1. Rust for High-Performance Services
   Adopting Rust was a deliberate choice to achieve both speed and safety. Building the SAST engine in Rust improved my understanding of memory management, concurrency, and error handling—core elements in high-performance backend services.

2. Distributed Systems & Scalability
   Containerizing the application and distributing it across multiple Docker instances offered hands-on experience with designing and managing distributed systems. This architecture proved critical for handling spikes in demand without service degradation.

3. DevOps & Automation
   Setting up auto-deploy pipelines significantly reduced the friction between development and production releases. Embracing infrastructure-as-code practices streamlined scalability, monitoring, and maintenance.

4. Security-Focused Development
   Working on a security tool brought a heightened appreciation for end-to-end secure coding practices. It underscored how vigilant one must be about data flows, storage, and third-party integrations (like GitHub and Stripe).

5. Robust Monitoring & Logging
   Implementing comprehensive logs, real-time dashboards, and performance metrics proved essential for diagnosing bottlenecks, analyzing usage patterns, and continuously refining the service’s reliability.

6. User-Centric Product Design
   Interacting with early adopters highlighted the importance of understanding user needs deeply. Effective UX/UI design and transparent communication about security findings can make the difference between a trusted solution and one that remains overlooked.

7. Time Management & Prioritization
   Balancing feature development, infrastructure tasks, and ongoing improvements required disciplined project planning. Focusing on the most critical components at each stage helped maintain consistent progress.

Essential Software Engineering Skills in Action

• Rust & Actix Mastery: Developing production-grade APIs in Rust, handling concurrency, and ensuring safe memory usage.
• Distributed Docker Deployments: Designing a network of containers for horizontal scaling and minimized downtime.
• Full-Stack Proficiency: Building a cohesive application that integrates Next.js/React on the front end with a Rust-based backend.
• DevOps & CI/CD: Automating deployments and operational checks for faster iteration cycles.
• Secure Architecture: Integrating SAST capabilities and adopting secure-by-design principles across every layer.
• Performance Tuning & Observability: Monitoring resource usage, refining queries, and adjusting infrastructure for consistent, rapid responses.

Final Thoughts

The journey of building CodeCanary from concept to deployment was an invaluable opportunity to sharpen my expertise in Rust, distributed systems, and full-stack development. Balancing backend engineering, front-end design, and infrastructure orchestration underlined the multifaceted nature of modern software engineering.

By combining high-performance Rust services, a streamlined Next.js/React interface, and a robust Docker-based infrastructure, CodeCanary served as both a practical product and a proving ground for essential engineering skills. I remain enthusiastic about the potential of security-driven SaaS solutions and look forward to applying these learnings in future projects.

Feel free to explore CodeCanary to see the project in action. If you have any questions or want to discuss potential collaborations, I’d be happy to connect.