When dealing with async operations that depend on external systems (servers, backends, etc.), ensure proper synchronization to avoid race conditions. Don't rely on client-side polling or workarounds when the root cause is improper async handling. Key principles: - Make functions async when they need to wait for external operations to complete - Use proper sequencing for initialization dependencies - Ensure server acknowledgment before proceeding with dependent operations Example of proper async sequencing: ```js // Instead of client-side polling workarounds async function start(openElectron) { await initializeThings() openElectron() } // Make functions async when they need to ensure completion async function reset() { await Cypress.backend("set:traffic:routing:reset") } ``` This prevents race conditions where the UI renders before the backend is ready, or where operations proceed without confirming the previous step completed successfully.