Bug: Dev server fails with unclear error when environment variables are missing

[lackey-bonuses]

Describe the bug

When running the project locally, the dev server can fail if required environment variables are missing or misconfigured. The error message does not clearly explain which variable is missing or how to fix the issue, which makes setup harder than necessary

Steps

Clone the repository, install dependencies, and start the dev server without fully configured environment variables.
The server fails with an unclear or generic error.

Expected behavior

The dev server should clearly report which environment variable is missing or invalid and explain how to resolve the issue.

Additional info

No response

Environment

Tested on macOS with Node.js LTS using npm during local development

[AlexWaker]

Hi, I encountered this too. I have a rough idea to fix it by adding warnings. Can I pick this up?