diff --git a/.eslintignore b/.eslintignore
index b7c45e98..8707b748 100644
--- a/.eslintignore
+++ b/.eslintignore
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@
 scripts/install.js
 scripts/verify.js
 coverage
-cypress/examples/**
\ No newline at end of file
+cypress/examples/**
+build
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6c4077ef..589f3266 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@ build
 *.log
 npm-debug.log*
 .mongo-db
+.e2e
 cypress/videos
+dist
diff --git a/api/package.json b/api/package.json
index 20bca265..e6aaa357 100644
--- a/api/package.json
+++ b/api/package.json
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@
   "description": "conduit on node",
   "main": "app.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "babel-node ./app.js",
-    "dev": "nodemon ./app.js",
+    "start": "node ./dist",
+    "dev": "nodemon ./src",
+    "prebuild": "rimraf dist",
+    "generateData": "babel-node scripts/generate",
+    "build": "babel --copy-files --out-dir dist --ignore *.test.js,__mocks__ src",
     "test": "jest --coverage",
     "test:watch": "jest --watch"
   },
@@ -42,7 +45,8 @@
     "chalk": "^1.1.3",
     "faker": "^3.1.0",
     "jest": "^18.1.0",
-    "lodash": "^4.17.4"
+    "lodash": "^4.17.4",
+    "rimraf": "^2.5.4"
   },
   "jest": {
     "testEnvironment": "jest-environment-node",
diff --git a/api/public/.keep b/api/public/.keep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29b..00000000
diff --git a/api/scripts/generate/article.js b/api/scripts/generate/article.js
index 7315e3f4..22b585f4 100644
--- a/api/scripts/generate/article.js
+++ b/api/scripts/generate/article.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import faker from 'faker'
 import _ from 'lodash'
 import mongoose from 'mongoose'
 import {commonProps} from './utils'
-import '../../models/Article'
+import '../../src/models/Article'
 
 const Article = mongoose.model('Article')
 
diff --git a/api/scripts/generate/comment.js b/api/scripts/generate/comment.js
index e2e6ff7e..cdb9aa9a 100644
--- a/api/scripts/generate/comment.js
+++ b/api/scripts/generate/comment.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import faker from 'faker'
 import mongoose from 'mongoose'
 import {commonProps} from './utils'
-import '../../models/Comment'
+import '../../src/models/Comment'
 
 const Comment = mongoose.model('Comment')
 
diff --git a/api/scripts/generate/user.js b/api/scripts/generate/user.js
index da5fd690..a655efdd 100644
--- a/api/scripts/generate/user.js
+++ b/api/scripts/generate/user.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import crypto from 'crypto'
 import faker from 'faker'
 import mongoose from 'mongoose'
 import {commonProps} from './utils'
-import '../../models/User'
+import '../../src/models/User'
 
 const User = mongoose.model('User')
 
diff --git a/api/config/index.js b/api/src/config/index.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/config/index.js
rename to api/src/config/index.js
diff --git a/api/config/passport.js b/api/src/config/passport.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/config/passport.js
rename to api/src/config/passport.js
diff --git a/api/app.js b/api/src/index.js
similarity index 94%
rename from api/app.js
rename to api/src/index.js
index a84b35d3..bde02ec0 100644
--- a/api/app.js
+++ b/api/src/index.js
@@ -33,11 +33,13 @@ if (!isProduction) {
   app.use(errorhandler())
 }
 
-if (isProduction) {
+if (process.env.MONGODB_URI) {
   mongoose.connect(process.env.MONGODB_URI)
+  if ('MONGODB_DEBUG' in process.env) {
+    mongoose.set('debug', true)
+  }
 } else {
   mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/conduit')
-  mongoose.set('debug', true)
 }
 
 require('./models/User')
diff --git a/api/models/Article.js b/api/src/models/Article.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/models/Article.js
rename to api/src/models/Article.js
diff --git a/api/models/Comment.js b/api/src/models/Comment.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/models/Comment.js
rename to api/src/models/Comment.js
diff --git a/api/models/User.js b/api/src/models/User.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/models/User.js
rename to api/src/models/User.js
diff --git a/api/routes/api/articles.js b/api/src/routes/api/articles.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/api/articles.js
rename to api/src/routes/api/articles.js
diff --git a/api/routes/api/index.js b/api/src/routes/api/index.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/api/index.js
rename to api/src/routes/api/index.js
diff --git a/api/routes/api/profiles.js b/api/src/routes/api/profiles.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/api/profiles.js
rename to api/src/routes/api/profiles.js
diff --git a/api/routes/api/tags.js b/api/src/routes/api/tags.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/api/tags.js
rename to api/src/routes/api/tags.js
diff --git a/api/routes/api/users.js b/api/src/routes/api/users.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/api/users.js
rename to api/src/routes/api/users.js
diff --git a/api/routes/auth.js b/api/src/routes/auth.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/auth.js
rename to api/src/routes/auth.js
diff --git a/api/routes/index.js b/api/src/routes/index.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/index.js
rename to api/src/routes/index.js
diff --git a/api/routes/utils.js b/api/src/routes/utils.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/utils.js
rename to api/src/routes/utils.js
diff --git a/api/routes/utils.test.js b/api/src/routes/utils.test.js
similarity index 100%
rename from api/routes/utils.test.js
rename to api/src/routes/utils.test.js
diff --git a/api/yarn.lock b/api/yarn.lock
index 9e533592..34afcace 100644
--- a/api/yarn.lock
+++ b/api/yarn.lock
@@ -2995,7 +2995,7 @@ right-align@^0.1.1:
   dependencies:
     align-text "^0.1.1"
 
-rimraf@2, rimraf@^2.4.3, rimraf@^2.4.4, rimraf@~2.5.1, rimraf@~2.5.4:
+rimraf@2, rimraf@^2.4.3, rimraf@^2.4.4, rimraf@^2.5.4, rimraf@~2.5.1, rimraf@~2.5.4:
   version "2.5.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/rimraf/-/rimraf-2.5.4.tgz#96800093cbf1a0c86bd95b4625467535c29dfa04"
   dependencies:
diff --git a/client/package.json b/client/package.json
index 70d348fa..aaad94e4 100644
--- a/client/package.json
+++ b/client/package.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     "babel-preset-react-app": "^2.1.0",
     "cross-env": "^3.1.4",
     "jest": "^18.1.0",
+    "pushstate-server": "^2.2.1",
     "react-scripts": "0.6.1",
     "rimraf": "^2.5.4"
   },
@@ -25,8 +26,9 @@
     "superagent-promise": "^1.1.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "cross-env PORT=8080 react-scripts start",
+    "dev": "cross-env PORT=8080 react-scripts start",
     "build": "react-scripts build",
+    "start": "pushstate-server build",
     "test": "jest --coverage",
     "test:watch": "jest --watch",
     "postinstall": "echo \"removing client copy of eslint (will use root repo's version)\" && rimraf node_modules/eslint"
diff --git a/client/yarn.lock b/client/yarn.lock
index f63e113e..b7ae941c 100644
--- a/client/yarn.lock
+++ b/client/yarn.lock
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ abbrev@1, abbrev@1.0.x:
   version "1.0.9"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/abbrev/-/abbrev-1.0.9.tgz#91b4792588a7738c25f35dd6f63752a2f8776135"
 
-accepts@~1.3.3:
+accepts@^1.2.5, accepts@~1.3.3:
   version "1.3.3"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/accepts/-/accepts-1.3.3.tgz#c3ca7434938648c3e0d9c1e328dd68b622c284ca"
   dependencies:
@@ -1456,7 +1456,7 @@ compressible@~2.0.8:
   dependencies:
     mime-db ">= 1.24.0 < 2"
 
-compression@^1.5.2:
+compression@1.6.2, compression@^1.5.2:
   version "1.6.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/compression/-/compression-1.6.2.tgz#cceb121ecc9d09c52d7ad0c3350ea93ddd402bc3"
   dependencies:
@@ -1483,6 +1483,23 @@ connect-history-api-fallback@1.3.0, connect-history-api-fallback@^1.3.0:
   version "1.3.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/connect-history-api-fallback/-/connect-history-api-fallback-1.3.0.tgz#e51d17f8f0ef0db90a64fdb47de3051556e9f169"
 
+connect-static-file@1.1.2:
+  version "1.1.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/connect-static-file/-/connect-static-file-1.1.2.tgz#d1254da775c8d694dba9b0c54994b7550cc1c7a5"
+  dependencies:
+    accepts "^1.2.5"
+    mime "^1.3.4"
+    send "^0.12.2"
+
+connect@3.5.0:
+  version "3.5.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/connect/-/connect-3.5.0.tgz#b357525a0b4c1f50599cd983e1d9efeea9677198"
+  dependencies:
+    debug "~2.2.0"
+    finalhandler "0.5.0"
+    parseurl "~1.3.1"
+    utils-merge "1.0.0"
+
 console-browserify@^1.1.0:
   version "1.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/console-browserify/-/console-browserify-1.1.0.tgz#f0241c45730a9fc6323b206dbf38edc741d0bb10"
@@ -1548,6 +1565,10 @@ core-util-is@~1.0.0:
   version "1.0.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/core-util-is/-/core-util-is-1.0.2.tgz#b5fd54220aa2bc5ab57aab7140c940754503c1a7"
 
+crc@3.2.1:
+  version "3.2.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/crc/-/crc-3.2.1.tgz#5d9c8fb77a245cd5eca291e5d2d005334bab0082"
+
 cross-env@^3.1.4:
   version "3.1.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cross-env/-/cross-env-3.1.4.tgz#56e8bca96f17908a6eb1bc2012ca126f92842130"
@@ -1764,10 +1785,18 @@ delegates@^1.0.0:
   version "1.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/delegates/-/delegates-1.0.0.tgz#84c6e159b81904fdca59a0ef44cd870d31250f9a"
 
+depd@~1.0.1:
+  version "1.0.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/depd/-/depd-1.0.1.tgz#80aec64c9d6d97e65cc2a9caa93c0aa6abf73aaa"
+
 depd@~1.1.0:
   version "1.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/depd/-/depd-1.1.0.tgz#e1bd82c6aab6ced965b97b88b17ed3e528ca18c3"
 
+destroy@1.0.3:
+  version "1.0.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/destroy/-/destroy-1.0.3.tgz#b433b4724e71fd8551d9885174851c5fc377e2c9"
+
 destroy@~1.0.4:
   version "1.0.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/destroy/-/destroy-1.0.4.tgz#978857442c44749e4206613e37946205826abd80"
@@ -1859,6 +1888,10 @@ ecc-jsbn@~0.1.1:
   dependencies:
     jsbn "~0.1.0"
 
+ee-first@1.1.0:
+  version "1.1.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ee-first/-/ee-first-1.1.0.tgz#6a0d7c6221e490feefd92ec3f441c9ce8cd097f4"
+
 ee-first@1.1.1:
   version "1.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ee-first/-/ee-first-1.1.1.tgz#590c61156b0ae2f4f0255732a158b266bc56b21d"
@@ -1957,6 +1990,10 @@ es6-weak-map@^2.0.1:
     es6-iterator "2"
     es6-symbol "3"
 
+escape-html@1.0.1:
+  version "1.0.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/escape-html/-/escape-html-1.0.1.tgz#181a286ead397a39a92857cfb1d43052e356bff0"
+
 escape-html@~1.0.3:
   version "1.0.3"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/escape-html/-/escape-html-1.0.3.tgz#0258eae4d3d0c0974de1c169188ef0051d1d1988"
@@ -2125,6 +2162,12 @@ esutils@^2.0.0, esutils@^2.0.2:
   version "2.0.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/esutils/-/esutils-2.0.2.tgz#0abf4f1caa5bcb1f7a9d8acc6dea4faaa04bac9b"
 
+etag@~1.6.0:
+  version "1.6.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/etag/-/etag-1.6.0.tgz#8bcb2c6af1254c481dfc8b997c906ef4e442c207"
+  dependencies:
+    crc "3.2.1"
+
 etag@~1.7.0:
   version "1.7.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/etag/-/etag-1.7.0.tgz#03d30b5f67dd6e632d2945d30d6652731a34d5d8"
@@ -2308,6 +2351,16 @@ fill-range@^2.1.0:
     repeat-element "^1.1.2"
     repeat-string "^1.5.2"
 
+finalhandler@0.5.0:
+  version "0.5.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/finalhandler/-/finalhandler-0.5.0.tgz#e9508abece9b6dba871a6942a1d7911b91911ac7"
+  dependencies:
+    debug "~2.2.0"
+    escape-html "~1.0.3"
+    on-finished "~2.3.0"
+    statuses "~1.3.0"
+    unpipe "~1.0.0"
+
 finalhandler@0.5.1:
   version "0.5.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/finalhandler/-/finalhandler-0.5.1.tgz#2c400d8d4530935bc232549c5fa385ec07de6fcd"
@@ -2384,6 +2437,10 @@ forwarded@~0.1.0:
   version "0.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/forwarded/-/forwarded-0.1.0.tgz#19ef9874c4ae1c297bcf078fde63a09b66a84363"
 
+fresh@0.2.4:
+  version "0.2.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fresh/-/fresh-0.2.4.tgz#3582499206c9723714190edd74b4604feb4a614c"
+
 fresh@0.3.0:
   version "0.3.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fresh/-/fresh-0.3.0.tgz#651f838e22424e7566de161d8358caa199f83d4f"
@@ -4078,6 +4135,12 @@ object.omit@^2.0.0:
     for-own "^0.1.4"
     is-extendable "^0.1.1"
 
+on-finished@~2.2.1:
+  version "2.2.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/on-finished/-/on-finished-2.2.1.tgz#5c85c1cc36299f78029653f667f27b6b99ebc029"
+  dependencies:
+    ee-first "1.1.0"
+
 on-finished@~2.3.0:
   version "2.3.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/on-finished/-/on-finished-2.3.0.tgz#20f1336481b083cd75337992a16971aa2d906947"
@@ -4594,6 +4657,15 @@ punycode@^1.2.4, punycode@^1.4.1:
   version "1.4.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/punycode/-/punycode-1.4.1.tgz#c0d5a63b2718800ad8e1eb0fa5269c84dd41845e"
 
+pushstate-server@^2.2.1:
+  version "2.2.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/pushstate-server/-/pushstate-server-2.2.1.tgz#1d36dd956a7fa9f1ddbb92328ebb961b73a9b663"
+  dependencies:
+    compression "1.6.2"
+    connect "3.5.0"
+    connect-static-file "1.1.2"
+    serve-static "1.11.2"
+
 q@^1.1.2:
   version "1.4.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/q/-/q-1.4.1.tgz#55705bcd93c5f3673530c2c2cbc0c2b3addc286e"
@@ -4642,6 +4714,10 @@ range-parser@^1.0.3, range-parser@~1.2.0:
   version "1.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/range-parser/-/range-parser-1.2.0.tgz#f49be6b487894ddc40dcc94a322f611092e00d5e"
 
+range-parser@~1.0.2:
+  version "1.0.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/range-parser/-/range-parser-1.0.3.tgz#6872823535c692e2c2a0103826afd82c2e0ff175"
+
 rc@~1.1.6:
   version "1.1.6"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/rc/-/rc-1.1.6.tgz#43651b76b6ae53b5c802f1151fa3fc3b059969c9"
@@ -5085,6 +5161,21 @@ send@0.14.2:
     range-parser "~1.2.0"
     statuses "~1.3.1"
 
+send@^0.12.2:
+  version "0.12.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/send/-/send-0.12.3.tgz#cd12dc58fde21e4f91902b39b2fda05a7a6d9bdc"
+  dependencies:
+    debug "~2.2.0"
+    depd "~1.0.1"
+    destroy "1.0.3"
+    escape-html "1.0.1"
+    etag "~1.6.0"
+    fresh "0.2.4"
+    mime "1.3.4"
+    ms "0.7.1"
+    on-finished "~2.2.1"
+    range-parser "~1.0.2"
+
 sentence-case@^2.1.0:
   version "2.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/sentence-case/-/sentence-case-2.1.0.tgz#d592fbed457fd1a59e3af0ee17e99f6fd70d7efd"
@@ -5104,7 +5195,7 @@ serve-index@^1.7.2:
     mime-types "~2.1.11"
     parseurl "~1.3.1"
 
-serve-static@~1.11.2:
+serve-static@1.11.2, serve-static@~1.11.2:
   version "1.11.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/serve-static/-/serve-static-1.11.2.tgz#2cf9889bd4435a320cc36895c9aa57bd662e6ac7"
   dependencies:
@@ -5252,7 +5343,7 @@ sshpk@^1.7.0:
     jsbn "~0.1.0"
     tweetnacl "~0.14.0"
 
-"statuses@>= 1.3.1 < 2", statuses@~1.3.1:
+"statuses@>= 1.3.1 < 2", statuses@~1.3.0, statuses@~1.3.1:
   version "1.3.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/statuses/-/statuses-1.3.1.tgz#faf51b9eb74aaef3b3acf4ad5f61abf24cb7b93e"
 
diff --git a/package-scripts.js b/package-scripts.js
index 969b2205..9164923b 100644
--- a/package-scripts.js
+++ b/package-scripts.js
@@ -10,19 +10,15 @@ const concurrentTests = {
     script: 'nps client.test',
     color: 'black.bgYellow.bold.dim',
   },
-  'e2e-tests': {
-    script: 'nps e2e',
-    color: 'bgGreen.bold.dim',
-  },
 }
 
 module.exports = {
   scripts: {
     default: {
       script: series([
-        startInNewWindow('npm start mongo'),
-        startInNewWindow('npm start api'),
-        startInNewWindow('npm start client'),
+        startInNewWindow('npm start mongo --silent'),
+        startInNewWindow('npm start api --silent'),
+        startInNewWindow('npm start client --silent'),
       ]),
     },
     mongo: {
@@ -34,24 +30,35 @@ module.exports = {
       stop: 'mongo admin --eval "db.shutdownServer()"',
     },
     api: {
-      script: series(['cd api', 'npm start']),
+      script: series(['cd api', 'npm start --silent']),
       description: 'start the api server',
       test: {
-        script: series(['cd api', 'npm test']),
+        script: series(['cd api', 'npm test --silent']),
         description: 'run the api tests',
       },
     },
     client: {
-      script: series(['cd client', 'cross-env PORT=8080 npm start']),
+      script: series(['cd client', 'npm start --silent -- 8080']),
       description: 'start the client dev server',
       test: {
-        script: series(['cd client', 'npm test']),
+        script: series(['cd client', 'npm test --silent']),
         description: 'run the client tests',
       },
     },
+    dev: {
+      script: series([
+        startInNewWindow('npm start dev.mongo --silent'),
+        startInNewWindow('npm start dev.client --silent'),
+        startInNewWindow('npm start dev.api --silent'),
+      ]),
+      description: 'starts everything in dev mode',
+       // dev is the same as live for mongo for now...
+      mongo: 'npm start mongo --silent',
+      client: series(['cd client', 'npm run dev --silent']),
+      api: series(['cd api', 'npm run dev --silent']),
+    },
     e2e: {
-      script: 'cross-env MOCHA_COLORS=true cypress run',
-      description: 'run the E2E tests',
+      script: 'node scripts/e2e.js',
     },
     test: {
       description: 'run the tests in parallel',
@@ -133,6 +140,7 @@ function startInNewWindow(command) {
       `-e 'end tell'`,
     ].join(' ')
 }
+
 // this is not transpiled
 /*
   eslint
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e352cc67..17ee3a72 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     "start": "nps",
     "test": "nps test",
     "precommit": "nps validate",
-    "setup": "node ./scripts/verify && node ./scripts/install && node ./scripts/load-database && npm start validate"
+    "setup": "node ./scripts/verify && node ./scripts/install && node ./scripts/load-database && npm start validate && npm start e2e"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "all-contributors-cli": "^4.0.0",
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@
     "is-windows": "^1.0.0",
     "mkdirp": "^0.5.1",
     "p-s": "^3.1.0",
+    "p-series": "^1.0.0",
     "prettier-eslint-cli": "^1.1.1",
     "rimraf": "^2.5.4",
-    "spawn-command-with-kill": "^1.0.0"
+    "spawn-command-with-kill": "^1.0.0",
+    "stream-to-promise": "^2.2.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/scripts/e2e.js b/scripts/e2e.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3064111a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/e2e.js
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+const path = require('path')
+const spawn = require('spawn-command-with-kill')
+const pSeries = require('p-series')
+
+const cwd = path.join(__dirname, '..')
+const clientCwd = path.join(cwd, 'client')
+const apiCwd = path.join(cwd, 'api')
+
+const dbPath = path.join(cwd, '.e2e/mongo-db')
+const mongoPort = 27018
+const mongoUri = `mongodb://localhost:${mongoPort}/conduit`
+const clientServerPort = 9001
+
+const apiEnv = Object.assign({}, process.env, {
+  MONGODB_URI: mongoUri,
+  MONGOD_DEBUG: true,
+})
+const mongoEnv = Object.assign({}, process.env, {MONGODB_URI: mongoUri})
+
+// create mongo db folder
+const createMongoDbDirectoryCommand = {
+  script: `./node_modules/.bin/mkdirp ${dbPath}`,
+  message: 'creating dbpath',
+}
+// start e2e mongo
+const startMongoCommand = {
+  script: `mongod --dbpath ${dbPath} --port ${mongoPort}`,
+  resolveEarly: true,
+  resolveDelay: 1000,
+  message: 'starting mongodb',
+}
+// load e2e mongo with data
+const loadDataCommand = {
+  script: `cd api && npm run generateData --silent`,
+  message: 'loading data into mongodb',
+}
+// build app server
+const buildApiCommand = {
+  script: `npm run build --silent`,
+  message: 'running api build',
+}
+// start app server
+const startApiCommand = {
+  script: `npm start --silent`,
+  resolveEarly: true,
+  resolveDelay: 500,
+  message: 'starting api server',
+}
+// build client
+const buildClientCommand = {
+  script: `npm run build --silent`,
+  message: 'running client build',
+}
+// start (built) client http-server
+const startClientCommand = {
+  script: `npm start --silent -- ${clientServerPort}`,
+  resolveEarly: true,
+  resolveDelay: 500,
+  message: 'string client server',
+}
+// run cypress
+const cypressCommand = {
+  script: `./node_modules/.bin/cypress run`,
+  message: 'starting cypress tests',
+}
+// cleanup: kill app server, client server, mongo
+
+const mongoSequence = [
+  createMongoDbDirectoryCommand,
+  startMongoCommand,
+  loadDataCommand,
+]
+const apiSequence = [buildApiCommand, startApiCommand]
+const clientSequence = [buildClientCommand, startClientCommand]
+
+// const stdio = 'inherit'
+const stdio = 'pipe'
+const mongoPromise = runSequence(mongoSequence, {
+  cwd,
+  stdio,
+  env: mongoEnv,
+})
+const apiPromise = runSequence(apiSequence, {
+  cwd: apiCwd,
+  stdio,
+  env: apiEnv,
+})
+const clientPromise = runSequence(clientSequence, {
+  cwd: clientCwd,
+  stdio,
+})
+
+Promise.all([mongoPromise, apiPromise, clientPromise]).then(results => {
+  const fakeKillable = {
+    kill() {
+      console.log('needed to use fake kill')
+    },
+  }
+  const {
+    1: {children: {1: apiChild = fakeKillable}},
+    2: {children: {1: clientChild = fakeKillable}},
+  } = results
+  const {promise} = spawnPromise(cypressCommand, {cwd, stdio: 'inherit'})
+  return promise
+    .catch(error => {
+      cleanUp()
+      console.log('🚨  Something went wrong')
+      console.error(error)
+      return Promise.reject(error)
+    })
+    .then(cleanUp)
+    .then(() => {
+      console.log('🎉  Finished successfully')
+    })
+
+  function cleanUp() {
+    clientChild.kill()
+    apiChild.kill()
+    const {promise: killMongoPromise} = spawnPromise({
+      script: `mongo admin --eval "db.shutdownServer()" --port ${mongoPort}`,
+      message: 'shutting down mongodb',
+    })
+    return killMongoPromise
+  }
+})
+
+function runSequence(commands, ...spawnArgs) {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const children = []
+    pSeries(
+      commands.map(command => () => {
+        const {promise, child} = spawnPromise(command, ...spawnArgs)
+        children.push(child)
+        return promise
+      })
+    )
+      .then(result => {
+        resolve({result, children})
+      })
+      .catch(error => {
+        reject({error, children})
+      })
+  })
+}
+
+function spawnPromise({script, resolveEarly, resolveDelay, message}, ...args) {
+  console.log(`- ${message}:`, script)
+  const child = spawn(script, ...args)
+  const promise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    if (resolveEarly) {
+      setTimeout(resolve, resolveDelay)
+    } else {
+      let rejected = false
+      child.on('exit', exitCode => {
+        if (!rejected) {
+          if (exitCode === 0) {
+            resolve()
+          } else {
+            rejected = true
+            reject(exitCode)
+          }
+        }
+      })
+      child.on('error', error => {
+        rejected = true
+        reject(error)
+      })
+    }
+  })
+  return {child, promise}
+}
+
+// this is not transpiled
+/*
+  eslint
+  comma-dangle: [
+    2,
+    {
+      arrays: 'always-multiline',
+      objects: 'always-multiline',
+      functions: 'never'
+    }
+  ]
+ */
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index c5fa13bb..acdd28e4 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ ansi-styles@^2.2.1:
   version "2.2.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ansi-styles/-/ansi-styles-2.2.1.tgz#b432dd3358b634cf75e1e4664368240533c1ddbe"
 
+any-promise@^1.1.0, any-promise@~1.3.0:
+  version "1.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/any-promise/-/any-promise-1.3.0.tgz#abc6afeedcea52e809cdc0376aed3ce39635d17f"
+
 anymatch@^1.3.0:
   version "1.3.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/anymatch/-/anymatch-1.3.0.tgz#a3e52fa39168c825ff57b0248126ce5a8ff95507"
@@ -909,6 +913,12 @@ emojis-list@^2.0.0:
   version "2.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/emojis-list/-/emojis-list-2.1.0.tgz#4daa4d9db00f9819880c79fa457ae5b09a1fd389"
 
+end-of-stream@~1.1.0:
+  version "1.1.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/end-of-stream/-/end-of-stream-1.1.0.tgz#e9353258baa9108965efc41cb0ef8ade2f3cfb07"
+  dependencies:
+    once "~1.3.0"
+
 enhanced-resolve@~0.9.0:
   version "0.9.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/enhanced-resolve/-/enhanced-resolve-0.9.1.tgz#4d6e689b3725f86090927ccc86cd9f1635b89e2e"
@@ -2399,7 +2409,7 @@ once@^1.3.0:
   dependencies:
     wrappy "1"
 
-once@~1.3.3:
+once@~1.3.0, once@~1.3.3:
   version "1.3.3"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/once/-/once-1.3.3.tgz#b2e261557ce4c314ec8304f3fa82663e4297ca20"
   dependencies:
@@ -2468,6 +2478,10 @@ p-locate@^2.0.0:
   dependencies:
     p-limit "^1.1.0"
 
+p-reduce@^1.0.0:
+  version "1.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/p-reduce/-/p-reduce-1.0.0.tgz#18c2b0dd936a4690a529f8231f58a0fdb6a47dfa"
+
 p-s@^3.1.0:
   version "3.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/p-s/-/p-s-3.1.0.tgz#edcf021ce847b2ae3b9b6d2297d5b15fc8cc6cc0"
@@ -2486,6 +2500,12 @@ p-s@^3.1.0:
     shell-escape "0.2.0"
     spawn-command-with-kill "1.0.0"
 
+p-series@^1.0.0:
+  version "1.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/p-series/-/p-series-1.0.0.tgz#7ec9e7b4406cc32066298a6f9860e55e91b36e07"
+  dependencies:
+    p-reduce "^1.0.0"
+
 package-json@^2.0.0:
   version "2.4.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/package-json/-/package-json-2.4.0.tgz#0d15bd67d1cbbddbb2ca222ff2edb86bcb31a8bb"
@@ -3143,6 +3163,20 @@ stream-http@^2.3.1:
     to-arraybuffer "^1.0.0"
     xtend "^4.0.0"
 
+stream-to-array@~2.3.0:
+  version "2.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/stream-to-array/-/stream-to-array-2.3.0.tgz#bbf6b39f5f43ec30bc71babcb37557acecf34353"
+  dependencies:
+    any-promise "^1.1.0"
+
+stream-to-promise@^2.2.0:
+  version "2.2.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/stream-to-promise/-/stream-to-promise-2.2.0.tgz#b1edb2e1c8cb11289d1b503c08d3f2aef51e650f"
+  dependencies:
+    any-promise "~1.3.0"
+    end-of-stream "~1.1.0"
+    stream-to-array "~2.3.0"
+
 string-width@^1.0.1, string-width@^1.0.2:
   version "1.0.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/string-width/-/string-width-1.0.2.tgz#118bdf5b8cdc51a2a7e70d211e07e2b0b9b107d3"