What will you do if you start working on a project without the presence of a previous Backend engineer?

If I start working on a project without the presence of a previous Backend engineer, I would:

1. Study the documentation: Look for technical documentation, API specifications, architectural diagrams.
2. Analyze the code: Familiarize myself with the existing code, project structure, dependencies.
3. Check the version control system: Review commit history to understand changes and logic.
4. Set up the environment: Deploy local and test environments for running and debugging.
5. Conduct testing: Run existing tests, if available, to understand coverage and stability.
6. Communicate with the team: Discuss with colleagues and managers to get context and expectations.
7. Plan the work: Define priorities, tasks, and potential risks.

This approach will help quickly integrate into the project and continue its development without losing quality.