Monorepos have been making waves in the tech world, and for good reason. If you're managing multiple projects or shared resources within your startup, trying to juggle separate repositories can feel like herding cats; messy, chaotic, and full of duplication.
That's where monorepos step in, offering a streamlined way to organize and manage everything under one roof. They're especially popular among teams working with JavaScript and TypeScript, where dependency management and code sharing can quickly become unwieldy without a solid system.
Here's the thing: while monorepos solve a lot of headaches, they can also introduce their own challenges.
Coordinating builds, avoiding slowdowns, and keeping projects in sync isn't exactly a walk in the park. But this is where tools like Turborepo shine. It's purpose-built to make monorepo management faster, smarter, and, dare we say, enjoyable.
Turborepo simplifies the hard stuff, think caching builds, orchestrating tasks, and cutting through the usual chaos, so you can focus on what really matters: building and scaling your products.
For startups aiming to disrupt their industries, a well-structured monorepo delivers both time savings and a strong foundation for scalable, efficient growth.
Setting up a monorepo with Turborepo is simpler than you might think, and it all starts with a clean slate. First, run npx create-turbo@latest to initialize your monorepo. This command generates the basic structure you'll need, saving you the headache of setting everything up manually.
Inside your new repo, you'll notice two main directories: apps/ and packages/. Think of apps/ as the home for your main projects, like your frontend and backend, while packages/ is the hub for shared utilities and libraries.
This clear separation keeps things organized and helps avoid that tangled mess of dependencies no one likes dealing with.
Now let's focus on the root of the project. Your package.json file should be set to "private": true to signal that this isn't meant for publication. You'll also define your workspaces here by pointing to apps/* and packages/*. Add scripts for common tasks like build, dev, and lint, utilizing Turborepo's turbo run to handle them efficiently.
Next, configure your turbo.json file to define pipelines, dependencies, and caching rules. Tasks like build leverage Turborepo's intelligent caching system, which remembers previous outputs to dramatically speed up subsequent runs.
With the groundwork laid, install dependencies using npm install. Then, make sure each project in apps/ and packages/ has its own package.json for localized dependencies.
It's a small detail, but it's necessary for keeping things modular and manageable.
Set up linting and build processes for consistency across teams. Add tools like ESLint and tailor them to your needs. This structure streamlines workflows and makes onboarding new developers a breeze.
Everything is where it should be, with no guesswork required.
When organizing your Turborepo monorepo, maintaining tidiness and intuitive structure matters significantly. Start by splitting your codebase into two main directories: apps/ for standalone applications and packages/ for shared libraries. This clean separation ensures your projects remain modular and easy to manage as they grow.
Each application within apps/ should have its own package.json. This file defines dependencies, entry points, and scripts specific to that app. For example, a frontend app might include React and Vite, while a backend app could rely on Express and Prisma.
The goal is to ensure every app can run independently without relying on others.
Shared libraries, like UI components or utility functions, belong in the packages/ directory. Here's a pro tip, structure your libraries with clear APIs so other apps can import exactly what they need; use the exports field in the package.json to define specific entry points, this promotes reusability and keeps things efficient.
For example, a library like @repo/ui can export individual components, such as buttons or modals, directly.
To streamline development across the monorepo, centralize your scripts in the root package.json. Tasks like building, developing, or linting can be executed across all workspaces using Turborepo's turbo run. It's a small step that saves massive amounts of time.
Don't forget your turbo.json configuration. This is where you define task pipelines, dependencies, and caching rules. For instance, you might configure builds to depend on prior builds while storing outputs like dist/** for faster future runs.
This setup keeps everything running like clockwork.
By organizing your monorepo this way, you create a system that keeps your code clean and scales with your startup's ambitions.
Sharing code and configurations across projects in a monorepo is a major advantage for consistency and efficiency. By centralizing tools like TypeScript, ESLint, and Prettier into shared configuration packages, you can eliminate redundant setup, streamline updates, and keep every project on the same page.
Start by creating a configuration package in your packages directory, something like @repo/config. This will house your base configurations. For TypeScript, define a tsconfig.base.json with shared compiler options. ESLint? Build a reusable ruleset in .eslintrc.base.js. And for Prettier, drop your preferred formatting rules into a .prettierrc file. Export these configurations through the @repo/config package's package.json so they're easy to access.
Next, install this configuration package as a dev dependency in each app. From there, extend it. For example, in an app's tsconfig.json, pull in the shared TypeScript settings with the extends property,
You can do the same for ESLint and Prettier, ensuring every project aligns with the same standards.
But shared configurations are just the beginning. You can also build shared libraries for reusable code, like UI components or utility functions. Create these libraries in packages/, and set up a tsconfig.json file that references your base configuration. After adding build scripts, include the library as a dependency in any app that needs it.
Suddenly, importing a shared component like a button is as simple as import { Button } from '@repo/ui';.
To tie it all together, configure TypeScript path aliases in your root tsconfig.base.json. This way, all your apps and packages can reference each other cleanly. And don't forget to define efficient build pipelines in your turbo.json. See our guide on developing multi-platform applications for a broader look at setting up a shared Turborepo monorepo.
This approach streamlines setup time and provides a solid foundation for future-proofing. As your startup scales, having a centralized system for code and configurations makes collaboration seamless and maintenance a breeze.
It's the kind of structure that sets you up to win.
Turborepo pipelines take the guesswork out of managing complex builds in a monorepo. By defining build, lint, and development scripts in the root package.json, you centralize tasks, making it easier to maintain consistency across all apps and packages.
Instead of juggling multiple processes manually, Turborepo automates task execution, ensuring everything runs in the right order, even when dependencies pile up.
Here's how it works: Turborepo's pipeline system maps out task relationships, so builds that depend on others will wait until the prerequisites are complete. Say your backend build depends on shared utilities in packages/. Turborepo handles this sequencing for you, cutting down on errors and wasted time. Tasks like linting or testing can also benefit from this logic, ensuring a smooth and reliable workflow.
When it's time to deploy, managing environment variables becomes critical. Define these in your turbo.json file under env or globalEnv. This keeps your builds consistent across environments. You can also leverage Vercel's free tier benefits to deploy your pipeline without incurring costs during early development stages.
For example, you might specify API credentials or access tokens to avoid hiccups during deployment. Configure your deployment platform, whether it's Vercel's build system or Heroku's buildpacks, and you've got a streamlined process ready to go.
Here's an example configuration for your pipeline:
{
"$schema": "https://turborepo.com/schema.json",
"pipeline": {
"build": {
"dependsOn": ["^build"],
"env": ["SOME_ENV_VAR"],
"outputs": ["dist/**"]
},
"web#build": {
"dependsOn": ["^build"],
"env": ["SOME_OTHER_ENV_VAR"],
"outputs": [".next/**", "!.next/cache/**"]
}
},
"globalEnv": ["GITHUB_TOKEN"]
}
This setup ensures tasks like building and caching are optimized for speed.
Outputs are tracked, so unchanged files don't get rebuilt unnecessarily. This significantly improves cloud deployments where every second counts.
Turborepo's pipeline features enable you to build faster and smarter, giving your startup the edge to iterate quickly and stay ahead of the competition.
At its core, a Turborepo-powered monorepo is all about scalability and simplicity. By centralizing dependencies, configurations, and shared code, you’re organizing your projects while also building a system designed to grow with your startup.
Adding new apps, packages, or features becomes straightforward, thanks to Turborepo's intelligent task orchestration and caching. Maintenance is a breeze, with everything neatly managed under one roof.
The real magic happens when you start layering on advanced features. Think CI pipelines that automate testing and deployment or caching strategies that make builds lightning fast.
As your codebase expands, Turborepo's flexibility ensures that complexity doesn't slow you down. It's a structure built for speed and long-term efficiency, exactly what startups need when looking to disrupt and scale confidently.
If you're ready to take your startup's idea from concept to reality and need an app built fast, we can help. Get in touch with us today and let's turn your vision into a functional MVP that sets you apart from the competition.
Your product deserves to get in front of customers and investors fast. Let's work to build you a bold MVP in just 4 weeks—without sacrificing quality or flexibility.
