Create a folder for your project npx create-react-app front-end --> A new folder is there mkdir back-end --> A new folder is there CD into back-end npm init create a .gitignore to ignore node_modules --> echo 'node_modules/' > .gitignore git init Add this k/v pair to package.json, inside "scripts" object --> "start": "node index.js" Create index.js at the root folder. Switch to nodemon for dev --> "start": "nodemon index.js"