So, You're starting a SaaS project? (or Technology Selection on Full Stack Seed)

LET'S TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY SELECTION

So you are starting a web-based application or Saas project? Fantastic! Full Stack Seed may be right for you! Or maybe not. Let's peek behind the curtain a bit at the technology selection for a typical SaaS web application. Then we can look at Full Stack Seed and some of the thinking behind it’s technology selection.

This post only scratches the surface, so if you want to dig deeper, don't hesitate to contact us.

TECHNOLOGIES TO CONSIDER

When it comes to building web applications, you have a plethora of options to choose from. Let's take a quick look at some of the key technologies:

BACKEND TECH

• Java SpringBoot: A reliable and robust choice for building scalable backend systems.
• Node.js: A popular JavaScript runtime that allows you to build lightweight and efficient server-side applications.
• Next.js: A framework built on top of React, enabling server-side rendering and static site generation.
• Django: A high-level Python web framework known for its simplicity and rapid development capabilities.

FRONTEND TECH

• React: A widely adopted JavaScript library for building user interfaces, known for its component-based architecture.
• Vue: A progressive JavaScript framework that emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, often leading to happier developers.
• Angular: A comprehensive TypeScript-based framework for building large-scale applications.
• Tailwind CSS: A utility-first CSS framework that provides a highly customizable and intuitive approach to styling.
• Bootstrap: A popular CSS framework that offers a proven structure for creating responsive websites across different devices.

CICD (CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION AND CONTINUOUS DEPLOYMENT)

• GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket: Version control platforms that facilitate collaborative development and automated workflows.
• CircleCI: A cloud-based CI/CD platform that simplifies the process of building, testing, and deploying applications.
• AWS: Amazon Web Services, a cloud computing platform that offers a wide range of services for CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure management.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• AWS, GCP, Digital Ocean, etc.: Cloud service providers that offer scalable infrastructure solutions for hosting your application.
• Docker: A containerization platform that enables consistent deployment and scalability across different environments.
• Kubernetes: An open-source container orchestration system for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of applications.

THE THINKING BEHIND FULL STACK SEED'S TECHNOLOGY SELECTION

At Full Stack Seed, we've carefully chosen our technology stack based on several key criteria. Let's explore the rationale behind our selection:

THE MOST PRODUCTIVE SET OF TECHNOLOGIES

Our aim is to provide developers with a productive environment where they can rapidly make changes and deploy them with fewer errors. We believe in simplicity and efficiency, avoiding technologies that slow us down or add unnecessary complexity. Every component in Full Stack Seed is geared towards maximizing productivity and ensuring that development teams can deliver more while enjoying their work.

EASIEST TO UNDERSTAND

We strongly believe that simplicity leads to fewer mistakes and less communication overhead. By selecting tools and code patterns that are simple and clear, we minimize the chances of errors and reduce both development and maintenance costs. Additionally, an easily understandable codebase enables seamless collaboration among developers and facilitates smooth handoffs to future teams.

COMMON TECHNOLOGIES

We value the strength of community support and the availability of talent. By using widely adopted tools and technologies, we ensure a vibrant community that provides ample resources, documentation, and support. This not only makes it easier to find skilled developers but also offers a robust ecosystem for resolving issues and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements.

FULL STACK SEED'S TECHNOLOGY SELECTIONS

Now, let's delve into the specific technologies we've chosen for Full Stack Seed:

BACKEND TECH

• SpringBoot: Our preferred backend framework, known for its reliability, scalability, and extensive ecosystem.
• Kotlin: A modern programming language that enhances developer productivity and maintains compatibility with Java.
• Postgres: A powerful open-source relational database management system that provides stability and flexibility for data storage. We preferred managed versions from the cloud provider, like AWS RDS Aurora Postgres. Most startup teams do not have time to be tweaking the database configuration.

FRONTEND TECH

• Vue: Our frontend framework of choice, designed to be approachable and intuitive, enabling developers to build delightful user interfaces.
• Typescript: A typed superset of JavaScript that brings additional safety and productivity to frontend development.
• Bootstrap 5: Despite its age, Bootstrap has evolved significantly with version 5, offering a robust structure for responsive websites that work seamlessly across various devices.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Preferred Platform: We recommend?Digital Ocean or AWS?for their ease of use and extensive feature sets. However, Full Stack Seed can be deployed on any Kubernetes cluster, allowing flexibility and portability.
• Docker: Our containerization platform of choice, enabling consistent deployment and scalability while maintaining an isolated and reproducible environment.
• Kubernetes: We embrace the power and flexibility of Kubernetes for managing containerized applications, offering scalability and cross-cloud compatibility.
• CI/CD: While we prefer the automation in?GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket?for their popularity and integrations, we're open to other CI/CD platforms that fit your team's workflow.

ADDRESSING COMMON QUESTIONS

To address some frequently asked questions about our technology stack, let's dive into a few key points:

WHY AREN'T YOU USING REACT?

While React is undoubtedly the most common front-end technology, we've found that many projects using React often encounter challenges that can be difficult to overcome. In contrast, Vue developers tend to be happier, as the source code closely resembles the resulting HTML generated for the browser. Vue's simplicity and intuitive nature make it easier to understand and work with, ultimately leading to more efficient development.

WHY KUBERNETES INSTEAD OF ECS OR SOMETHING SIMPLER?

Kubernetes might not be the simplest deployment option, but it offers unparalleled cloud portability and is well worth the initial complexity. Our Kubernetes setup can be deployed on any managed Kubernetes service or handcrafted Kubernetes clusters, providing you with flexibility and future-proofing your infrastructure. In contrast, ECS is limited to AWS and can be challenging to troubleshoot.

WHY NO MESSAGE QUEUES?

While technologies like Kafka or SQS offer powerful messaging capabilities, we've intentionally left them out of the basic package to keep things simple. Adding message queues introduces complexity, and we believe in incorporating them only when necessary.?

WHY BOOTSTRAP? I THOUGHT YOU WERE COOL.

Bootstrap may be responsible for the default web design of the last decade and seem retro, however, with the introduction of Bootstrap 5, it's modern again!

It now has micro utility classes like Tailwind CSS and has been streamlined.

Plus it’s a proven structure for responsive websites that work well on mobile and desktop. The uglier parts of bootstrap, we just avoid, and make up for with Vue

TO SUM UP

Full Stack Seed is meant to be Simple, Productive, and Scalable. This sounds basic, however, it leads to results in much less time with much lower costs. These are real factors that can mean the life or death of a project.

If you want to talk more, just let me know!

https://fullstackseed.com/contact