spehesara/my-mern-project ? reverse-engineered prompt

Build me a simple full stack app that works locally with a frontend and a backend.

I want the project cleaned up so it feels like a real starter app, with the frontend talking to the backend through a basic API. Make sure it runs smoothly from a normal install, with clear setup steps and working scripts so I can start both sides easily. If there’s any broken or placeholder code in the current project, fix it and make the app actually do something visible in the browser, even if it’s just a small test feature like showing data from the server and a simple form or button.

Please keep it organized and easy to understand, and if you need current docs or best practices for anything, look them up online. Also add a short README that explains how to install, run, and test it, since this is meant to be uploaded to GitHub as a finished project.