UNRISKING
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SmashStackApr 29, 2026

The starter should remember the scars

SmashStack exists because production deployment bugs should not be rediscovered by every new SaaS repo.

Most templates look calm because they stop before the dangerous parts. SmashStack starts from the places where real teams usually lose time: auth redirects, edge deployment, CORS, environment drift, D1 constraints, route loaders, package boundaries, and the gap between local confidence and production behavior.

This blog is for the decisions behind the template. Expect notes on what was absorbed, what stayed explicit, and where the defaults are intentionally opinionated.

What belongs here

  • Production fixes that should become defaults instead of folklore.
  • Architecture decisions that help teams fork the template without guessing.
  • Stack notes for Hono, TanStack Start, Better Auth, Cloudflare, D1, Drizzle, Trigger.dev, and Fumadocs.

The promise is simple: fewer blank-page rituals, more inspectable production seams.

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