The challenge involves integrating an existing Angular project with a Sitecore backend using its REST API, without generating the additional folder structure typically created by Sitecore JSS commands. The goal is to maintain the standalone nature of the Angular project while dynamically fetching content from Sitecore. This requires:

1. Access to a properly configured Sitecore instance exposing RESTful endpoints.
2. Retrieving an API key from Sitecore for authentication.
3. Using Angular’s HttpClient to consume Sitecore’s API and bind the data to components.
4. Avoiding redundant files and setups that come with standard Sitecore JSS scaffolding.

This integration focuses on keeping the Angular project lightweight while leveraging Sitecore as a content management backend.