startup
intermediate
Startup: Python Monolith on VM
Solution Components
startup
python
django
fastapi
nginx
vm
Architecture Visual
%% Autogenerated startup-vm-python
graph TD
classDef standard fill:#1e293b,stroke:#38bdf8,stroke-width:1px,color:#e5e7eb;
classDef c-actor fill:#1e293b,stroke:#e5e7eb,stroke-width:1px,stroke-dasharray: 5 5,color:#e5e7eb;
classDef c-compute fill:#422006,stroke:#fb923c,stroke-width:1px,color:#fed7aa;
classDef c-database fill:#064e3b,stroke:#34d399,stroke-width:1px,color:#d1fae5;
classDef c-network fill:#2e1065,stroke:#a855f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#f3e8ff;
classDef c-storage fill:#450a0a,stroke:#f87171,stroke-width:1px,color:#fee2e2;
classDef c-security fill:#450a0a,stroke:#f87171,stroke-width:1px,color:#fee2e2;
classDef c-gateway fill:#2e1065,stroke:#a855f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#f3e8ff;
classDef c-container fill:#422006,stroke:#facc15,stroke-width:1px,color:#fef9c3;
subgraph vm-layer ["Virtual Machine"]
direction TB
nginx(("<img src="/icons/inframap/edge.png" width="32" height="32" /><br/><b>Nginx</b><br/><i>gateway</i><br/><span style='font-size:0.8em'>Reverse Proxy & SSL</span>"))
class nginx c-network
app("<img src="/icons/inframap/compute.png" width="32" height="32" /><br/><b>Python App (Gunicorn)</b><br/><i>service</i>")
class app c-compute
db[("<img src="/icons/inframap/database.png" width="32" height="32" /><br/><b>PostgreSQL</b><br/><i>database</i><br/><span style='font-size:0.8em'>Local or Managed</span>")]
class db c-database
redis("<b>Redis</b><br/><i>cache</i><br/><span style='font-size:0.8em'>Cache & Broker</span>")
class redis standard
end
%% Orphans
user(("<img src="/icons/inframap/user.png" width="32" height="32" /><br/><b>User / Client</b><br/><i>actor</i>"))
class user c-actor
host("<img src="/icons/inframap/compute.png" width="32" height="32" /><br/><b>Virtual Machine (Linux)</b><br/><i>compute</i><br/><span style='font-size:0.8em'>Ubuntu / Debian</span>")
class host c-compute
%% Edges
nginx -.-> app
app -.-> db
app -.-> redis
Startup: Python Monolith on VM
This architecture is optimized for speed of iteration and simplicity. It avoids complex orchestration frameworks in favor of a reliable, well-understood "Monolith on a Box" pattern.
Core Components:
- Virtual Machine: A single compute instance (AWS EC2, Google Compute, Azure VM, or DigitalOcean Droplet) hosts the entire stack.
- Nginx: Acts as the reverse proxy, handling SSL termination, static file serving, and forwarding traffic to the application server.
- Application Server: Runs the Python code (e.g., Gunicorn for Django/FastAPI).
- Database: A local or managed PostgreSQL instance provides relational data storage.
- Redis: Used for caching and background tasks (e.g., Celery) to keep the main thread responsive.
Why this stack? For a new project, "boring" technology is a competitive advantage. This stack scales vertically for a long time before needing horizontal breakdown.
Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Segment | startup |
| Deployment | vm-monolith |
| Language | python |
| Web Server | nginx |
| Database | postgres |
| Cache | redis |
Cloud Cost Estimator
Dynamic Pricing Calculator
$0 / month
MVP (1x) Startup (5x) Growth (20x) Scale (100x)
MVP Level
Compute Resources
$ 15
Database Storage
$ 25
Load Balancer
$ 10
CDN / Bandwidth
$ 5
* Estimates vary by provider & region