Choosing a Tech Stack in 2024

Selecting a tech stack for your business or project can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have a technical background. A “tech stack” refers to the combination of programming languages, frameworks, and tools used to build and run applications, i.e. what the project be made out of. With the vast number of services and technologies available in 2024, it’s crucial to make informed decisions that align with your project’s goals. Here’s a guide on how to understand the decision of choosing the right tech stack.

1. Understand the Project Requirements

Before choosing any technology, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of what your project entails.

Ask yourself the following questions…

• What type of application are you building? Are you creating a mobile app, a web application, or a desktop program?
• What is the size and complexity of the project? A small website will have different needs compared to a large e-commerce platform.
• What are your performance expectations? Does your application need to handle heavy traffic, process large amounts of data, or provide real-time features like live chat?
• What is your budget and timeline? Some technologies can reduce development time but may come with higher costs.
• How do you foresee the project growing over the coming months and years? Will there be a lot of new features added?

Answering these questions will provide a roadmap to the kinds of technologies and tools that suit your needs.

2. Consider Scalability and Future Growth

As a founder or project manager, it’s essential to think long-term. You don’t want to outgrow your tech stack as your business scales. For instance, if you’re launching a startup and expect rapid growth, you need technologies that can handle increased user activity without causing performance issues.

Cloud-based services like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure are becoming increasingly popular because they offer scalable infrastructure that grows with your business. On the software side, technologies like Node.js and Python are often favored for their flexibility and ability to handle both small and large applications.

Also, using PHP, Laravel is one of the most popular frameworks, but Symfony may be a better fit for a larger, more complex project. So, it’s not just the size of the project at the beginning, but the size you believe it may grow into, to consider.

3. Evaluate Developer Availability and Cost

In 2024, some programming languages and frameworks have a larger talent pool than others. The availability of developers can significantly impact your hiring process and costs. For example, Python, Javascript, C#, PHP, and Ruby are widely used, meaning you’ll have a larger pool of developers to choose from. On the other hand, niche technologies like Elixir or Haskell might offer specific advantages but come with a smaller talent pool, making hiring more difficult and expensive.

It’s probably best to stick with mainstream technologies that are widely supported and have large communities. This will help in finding developers and troubleshooting any issues that arise during the development process.

Check the popularity of programming languages on the Tiobe Index chart, although there are similar resources with different methodologies which rank the languages differently.

4. Opt for Established Technologies

When choosing a tech stack, it’s safer to go with proven, established technologies rather than the latest trends. While new technologies may offer exciting features, they often come with risks, such as limited community support, scarce documentation, or untested stability.

For instance, languages like JavaScript, Python, and Ruby have been around for years and have massive ecosystems with plenty of libraries, tools, and community support. This means you’ll find many developers familiar with them, and resources like tutorials and documentation are widely available.

5. Which Specific Frameworks Will Be Used?

Once you’ve chosen the language(s) to be used, another consideration would be the specific frameworks that will be used. While Python, PHP and Javascript could all be good choices for a project, some frameworks within each language might be more suitable than others. It may be that a particular framework is brand new, or perhaps it is older but more obscure.

For example, PHP is a common programming language for server-side web apps. There are pros and cons to the very popular PHP frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony, either could potentially be a good choice. But perhaps there are more obscure PHP frameworks that should be avoided, or considered very carefully. For example, PHP frameworks Codeigniter, Yii, Magento and Slim may be less commonly used in 2024, or may have specific use cases for specific types of website.

According to Statistica, the most common frameworks are currently all Javascript frameworks: Node.js, React, jQuery, Next.js, Express, and Angular. Each of these frameworks has a particular role: backend or frontend. But, while jQuery may be the third highest ranked, you should understand what it is/isn’t before you start using it. And just because the top frameworks on the list seem to all be Javascript, it does not make Javascript the obvious choice to build any kind of project.

6. Prioritize Security and Compliance

Security is non-negotiable in today’s digital landscape, especially with increasing data breaches and stricter privacy regulations worldwide. Ensure that the tech stack you choose includes technologies with strong security practices.

Additionally, if your project deals with sensitive user data (e.g., personal information, payment details), you’ll need to comply with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. Choose a tech stack that makes it easier to meet these legal requirements. This may include ensuring that all your cloud servers exist in a specific location.

7. Seek Advice from Experts

If you’re not technical yourself, or not experienced in managing software projects, seeking guidance from tech professionals is essential. Engage experienced developers, architects, or CTOs who can recommend the right technologies based on your project’s unique requirements. They’ll be able to weigh the pros and cons of various tech stacks and offer insight into industry trends.

If you’re working with an outsourced development team, ensure that they can explain the tech stack they propose in a way you can understand. Ask them why they’re recommending specific technologies and how they align with your business objectives.

The thing to note here is that there is often more than one correct answer, but It’s important to understand what you are using from the beginning, and why.

8. Consider the Speed of Development

In today’s competitive environment, time to market is crucial. If your goal is to launch an MVP (minimum viable product) quickly, you should choose a tech stack that allows for fast development. Languages like Ruby (using Ruby on Rails) or JavaScript (with frameworks like Node.js) are known for enabling rapid prototyping.

Or perhaps, for a very quick development experience you might choose services such as Google’s Firebase, or Supabase, to really speed up the prototype. While they may be faster, it’s important to understand what they offer and what you’d be gaining/losing by using them.

A tech stack that allows for easy iteration and adjustments is important, especially if you expect to change features based on user feedback. The faster you can make changes, the quicker you can refine your product and improve the user experience. But, moving quickly in the wrong direction will not be helpful, so understanding is always the key. Starting too quickly, you may have to start over, so starting off a bit slower might be faster in the long-run.

For example, while using Firebase’s Firestore as a backend can be a very quick way to launch a simple project or MVP. But, when you decide to add more functionality you may need to consider changing the way the backend works.

Conclusion

Choosing a tech stack may seem overwhelming, but by focusing on your project’s specific needs with the right advice you can make a well-informed decision. Stick with widely used, proven technologies, and always prioritize future growth and security.

Starting off the right tech stack, you’ll end up giving yourself the best chance to succeed in 2024 and beyond.

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