Is Two Environments Enough for My Solo Next.js Project?

For a solo developer, starting with just a local dev and production environment should work fine. However, having an additional cloud staging environment can really help when you're ready. It allows you to test any configuration changes before going live, reducing risks when updating your production site.

Since you're a solo developer, investing time in automated testing tools like Jest or Cypress for your Next.js project can really help. These tools can streamline testing, giving you more confidence before deploying to production. In the long run, they'll save you a lot of headaches.

In my approach, I usually have multiple environments based on the project's needs. Ideally, I have:
1. Development (DEV)
2. Integration Testing for automated tests
3. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) before final deployment
4. Production

You've mentioned only having DEV and Prod. If your project is more than just a hobby, I’d suggest adding a UAT environment. This helps test the deployment process itself and ensures everything runs smoothly before it hits production.

Honestly, the necessity for extra environments really depends on your user base and your own risk tolerance. If it's just you working on a simple project, and there aren’t any paying customers, then you probably don't need much more than what you have. But if you're thinking about scaling or have future plans for users, starting with a staging environment might be wise.

If you aren't using containers, it might be tricky. You could make changes in Dev and forget to document the configurations, which leads to problems in Prod. A staging environment acts like a buffer, catching issues before they reach your live app. It's especially crucial if you have any users depending on your project. Consider your risk tolerance—if it's low, it's better to set up a staging environment to smooth out any bumps.