This post starts a small NestJS authentication series. It is based on my original Medium article, Implementing auth flow as fast as possible using NestJS.
The first part is not about JWT logic yet. It is about creating a solid project base quickly.
Create the app
Use the NestJS CLI to generate the application:
nest g application nestjs-auth-flow-blog-post
The CLI gives you a familiar NestJS structure, default scripts, and the first module/controller/service files.
Use SWC
SWC can make development builds faster. Install the compiler dependencies and configure the Nest CLI builder:
npm install -D @swc/cli @swc/core
Then configure nest-cli.json with the SWC builder.
Tune TypeScript for your Node version
The TypeScript target should match the Node runtime. If the project runs on a modern Node version, compiling to a modern ECMAScript target avoids unnecessary output.
That keeps the build cleaner and closer to what the runtime already supports.
Deployment shape
The article also shows a simple Vercel deployment setup through vercel.json, routing requests to the NestJS entrypoint.
For real production APIs, review platform limits and runtime behavior carefully. But for a fast demo, it is a quick way to put the application online.
Takeaways
Before implementing auth logic, create a fast development base. CLI scaffolding, SWC, a suitable TypeScript target, and a known deployment path make the next steps easier.