What is the difference between 404 Not Found and 410 Gone?

Short answer: 404 Not Found → The resource does not exist (or the client requested the wrong endpoint). 410 Gone → The resource used to exist but has been permanently removed.

Real-world example (ShopNest)

ShopNest exposes REST APIs for cart and checkout. Controllers stay thin; business rules live in application services.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.