How do frontend developers see the backend?
Tags: backend, frontend, opensource, discuss
Published: 2024-03-13 23:42:48

My associate and I believe that today, backend development is too complex. Even for a basic functionality, it involves numerous technologies. This observation highlights the need for more streamlined methods.

We have focused on a new approach aimed at enabling frontend developers to create backends more easily. 

In this context, we have conducted a survey to better understand their perception of backend development.

## Goal of the survey

The survey aimed to confirm whether front-end developers, including freelancers and those in startups or SMEs, frequently encounter backend development requests and if this raises a concern for them.

## Survey analysis 

#### Frequency of backend Requests to frontend developers

64.6% of participants confirm receiving backend development requests within the year.

35.4% do not receive any such requests.

![Chart of the Frequency of Backend Development Requests to Frontend Developers](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/w1y8622uhl3ym2mupsi9.png)

For the following analysis, we focused on the developers who receive those requests.

#### Typology of these developers.
##### Experience
48.4% of them are mid-level developers, 39.1% are juniors and only 12.5% are seniors.

![Bar chart representing the experience of the participants](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rgs0mhro553api4rwmgi.png)

##### Preferred stack

More than half use React (51.6%). Many also use Svelte, Angular, or VueJS (28.1%). A few of them work with CSS, JavaScript, and HTML (10.9%), often indicative of junior or citizen developers.

![Bar chart representing the stack of the participants](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tjg7fo4adssos6uzlwbi.png)

##### Work environment
The distribution of developer work environments is quite balanced.

![Bar chart representing participant work environments](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rjfayq6f1h6n8i1m5u9f.png)


#### Handling of backend requests

40.7% of these developers either refuse or reluctantly accept the requests (as represented in red and yellow in the chart).

48.4% handle these requests (as they are full-stack developers).

![Handling of backend requests - bar chart](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/9avqfrlcvpvgc5cwt157.png)

##### Obstacles
For the 40.7% who are reluctant, i.e. 26 participants, the main obstacle to handling backend development requests is experience. Indeed, they don't feel confident enough in this time-consuming and complex area.

*Word cloud of the main obstacles identified by participants*
![Word cloud showing the main obstacles according to particpants](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0s9xprwohiad3a2noy4n.png)


More than three-quarters of these 26 developers expressed a wish to be able to take on backend development requests.

#### Conclusion

Our survey indicates that frontend developers frequently encounter backend development requests. Their reluctance to take on these tasks is due to a lack of experience. It clearly highlights a need for simplified backend development solutions, particularly targeting junior to mid-level frontend developers.
						
Our survey also aimed to understand two additional aspects: 

1. The types of requests received by frontend developers.
2. The challenges faced by full-stack developers. 

However, the responses were too general to identify clear trends. Future in-depth qualitative research might be needed to gain a better understanding of the key areas in backend development that are most challenging or in-demand for developers.

#### Survey population
- Geographical area of participants: Europe
- Number of responses: 101

#### What's next ?

The results of this survey, combined with our market research, have helped us refine our product that is currently in development. 

Here's our roadmap for the coming weeks:

1. **Launch of v0.1:** This initial version will act as a tangible demonstration of our commitment to the developer community. It's an 'early access' release for testing our approach and is distinct from a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
2. **Development of our pitch deck:** We're creating a pitch deck for applying to incubators, showcasing our vision and progress.
3. **Project release and feedback collection from early stage users:** Our aim is to assess whether this v0.1 will generate enthusiasm among developers for the next v1.


If you're interested in following our progress, please [leave us your email](https://forms.gle/UGzqYq11PFi8aajR6).