I used to build template-driven websites with Django and Django templates. It was great.

I now build back-end REST APIs using Django and DRF. I also build front-end SPAs using Vue, React, Ember etc. that talk to my Django API. It's good.

I've started building SSR JavaScript apps using the likes of Next.js and Nuxt.js. They also talk to my Django APIs but also have their own edge servers. It's not good.

I've found that these SSR apps introduce an enormous amount of complexity that I haven't been able to fully justify.

I believe that part of this complexity arises from adding your own API to the equation, instead of ditching it and going all in on the "one full-stack codebase".

But how are people creating fully featured apps with this approach? How are you stitching together a database, auth-layer, geo-spatial layer, complex querying, server-side state, session, caching etc. all into an "api/" folder within your app?

I'm not trying to start a flame-war here, I genuinely would like to drink the Kool Aid and try building an app the way "I'm supposed to".