[Work Packet]: Split frontend and backend before M1 completion

[juscghwe]

Goal

Split frontend and backend responsibilities before M1 completion so the project has a clearer development and deployment boundary.

By the end of this work, frontend and backend should be separable enough that M1 can close without carrying avoidable coupling debt.

Suggested branch name

fullstack/split-front-backend

Expected task size

Medium: a few focused sessions

Scope

• Review current frontend/backend coupling.
• Decide the minimum M1 split needed for scripts, build flow, serving model, and documentation.
• Adjust package scripts, dev workflow, Docker/deployment assumptions, or docs as needed.
• Make local development expectations clear for running frontend and backend.
• Capture any larger post-M1 deployment split work separately.

Explicit non-goals / boundaries

• Do not implement the final production deployment architecture unless it is already trivial.
• Do not add authentication or medication-domain behavior.
• Do not redesign frontend UI as part of the split.
• Do not block M1 on non-essential infrastructure polish.

Files / areas likely affected

• package.json scripts
• frontend build/dev setup
• backend server/static serving assumptions
• Dockerfile / docker-compose.yaml
• README / DOCS / frontend architecture docs
• CI workflows if the split changes validation commands

Definition of done

• Frontend and backend boundaries are clear for M1.
• Local dev flow for each side is documented.
• Build/check commands still work after the split.
• Docker/deployment assumptions are either updated or explicitly deferred.
• Post-M1 split/deployment ideas are captured separately.

Validation

• Run backend checks/build steps as available.
• Run frontend checks/build steps as available.
• Run the documented local dev flow.
• Confirm M1 docs describe the chosen frontend/backend boundary accurately.

Follow-up ideas

• Add separate deployment workflows after M1.
• Decide final reverse-proxy/static-serving strategy later.
• Add CI matrix refinements once frontend and backend are fully independent.