Lazy Bird - Project Management - Broken System 1 - Employee Directory

🎯 Project Planning Session Overview

We successfully planned the development of the Lazy Bird Broken System 1: Employee Directory - the first broken system in the educational project repository designed to teach database indexing optimization through hands-on experience.

📋 Key Decisions Made

System Architecture

• Backend: FastAPI (Python) with SQLAlchemy ORM
• Frontend: React with TypeScript
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Deployment: Docker Compose setup for easy one-command startup
• Learning Focus: Single performance issue - missing database indexes on search columns

Learning Approach Strategy

• Single Branch Strategy: Only maintain the broken system (Documentation-Only Solution)
• No Solution Code: Candidates must diagnose and fix the problem themselves using standard database tools
• Realistic Learning: Forces genuine understanding rather than copying pre-written solutions

Frontend Design Philosophy

• Minimal UI: Focused solely on showcasing backend performance issues
• No Complex Dashboards: Candidates use standard database tools (psql, pgAdmin) for query analysis
• Core Components: Search interface + performance timing display only

📝 DETONADO Standard Established

Created the standardized format for optimization guides across all future broken systems:

1. 🎯 Learning Objective - What specific concept this system teaches
2. 🔍 Problem Identification - How to recognize the issue
3. 🛠️ Diagnosis Tools - Commands/techniques to analyze the problem
4. 🧠 Root Cause Analysis - Understanding why the problem exists
5. ⚡ Solution Implementation - Step-by-step fix instructions
6. ✅ Verification - How to confirm the fix worked
7. 📊 Expected Results - Specific performance improvements
8. 🚨 Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

📋 Complete Development Backlog

Generated 13 GitHub Issues organized across key development areas:

Infrastructure & Setup (1 issue)

• Setup Docker Compose Environment

Backend Development (5 issues)

• Create PostgreSQL Database Schema (intentionally missing indexes)
• Create Employee Data Seeding Script (10,000+ records)
• Implement FastAPI Backend Setup
• Create Employee Search Endpoint (the slow, problematic query)
• Add Query Performance Timing (to showcase the problem)

Frontend Development (3 issues)

• Create React Frontend Setup
• Build Employee Search Interface
• Add Performance Timing Display

Testing & Validation (2 issues)

• Create Solution Validation Tests
• Performance Baseline Tests

Documentation (2 issues)

• Create Project README
• Create DETONADO Guide (following standardized template)