Why You Should Rethink Your Technology Stack
Tags: jamstack, techstack, hackmamba
Published: 2022-12-22 08:32:41


Using a tech stack that is not functional or productive may result in missed opportunities, decreased productivity, and other drawbacks. And even though changing technology stacks can be challenging, businesses must assess their tech stack and make the necessary adjustments. This allows them to make sure that their technology supports their current and future business objectives and keeps them competitive in their sector.

In this article, you will discover:

- The need to rethink your technology stack
- The opportunity cost of an inefficient tech stack
- Signs that your tech stack requires an audit
- The benefits of migrating to a better tech stack 
- Are JAMstack and Appwrite right for you?

## What is a Technology Stack?

Before diving into this topic, let's learn what a technology stack is. A technology or a tech stack is a list of technology tools, languages, and frameworks used in building software applications. You can employ a variety of [technology stacks](https://www.heap.io/topics/what-is-a-tech-stack) for building websites and applications. Some examples of common tech stacks include:

- LAMP stack is composed of Linux (the operating system), Apache (the web server), MySQL (the database), and PHP (the programming language). It is commonly used for building dynamic, database-driven websites and applications.

- MEAN is a web development stack comprised of four technologies: MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js. The [MEAN stack](http://meanjs.org/) can be used to develop web applications that run on various platforms, such as desktop computers and mobile devices.

- Ruby on Rails is a web application development framework written in the Ruby programming language. It is mainly used in building an application that follows the model-view-controller (MVC) design pattern. It uses technologies like Ruby, which is the (programming language), and Rails, the (web framework.)

- .NET stack is a free, open-source, and cross-platform that allows you to construct a variety of applications, including online, mobile, desktop, gaming, and internet of things (IoT) apps. 

- [JAMstack](https://jamstack.org/) is the architecture for building modern websites, JavaScript (the programming language), APIs (for integrating with external services and data), and Markup (for defining the structure and content of the site or application). JAMstack is used for developing modern, high-performance, and secured websites and applications.


## The Opportunity Cost of Inefficient Tech Stacks

The stack you use for your application determines the product you can develop and its effectiveness. Inefficient tech stacks can lead to slower performance, resulting in a poor user experience and a loss of potential customers. They can also require more resources to maintain and scale; increasing operating costs and reducing profitability. An inefficient tech stack can also limit a business's ability to take advantage of new technologies and opportunities, hindering its growth and competitiveness. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to carefully evaluate their technology stack and ensure that it is effective and efficient.

## Signs You Need A Tech Stack Audit

The tech stack audit plays a vital role in your business as it helps to find and resolve any technical overlap in your stack and allows you to cut costs by removing features you don’t need. 

Here are some signs that your tech stack needs to be reviewed:


- If your company has grown or changed in some way, your current tech stack may no longer be well-suited to your needs. For example, if you have started offering new products or services or expanded into new markets, your tech stack may need to be updated to support these changes.


- If your tech stack is causing frequent issues or downtime, it may be a sign that it is not operating optimally. This can lead to lost productivity, frustrated customers, and other problems that can impact your bottom line.


- When you have low confidence in the security and accuracy of your data.


- When your stack can't support as many users as your application can handle and your business is sluggish due to inefficiencies.

Overall, conducting a tech stack audit is a good idea if you are experiencing any of the above issues or want to ensure that your tech stack is operating at its best. This can help identify areas where your current stack is not performing better and provide guidance on improving.

## Benefits of Migrating Tech Stacks

The time for migration to a better stack is when your previous stack no longer meets your business requirements, is poorly maintained, lacks scalability, has low security, and has high development costs. All of these factors are crucial because the technology stack you use plays a significant role in your product's success. Before migrating your tech stack, here are the few things you need to ask yourself:


- Does your business have the right tech stack?
-  Will your current stack support your future goals? 

If not, you need to migrate to a better stack that will fit all your requirements. Following are a few of the key benefits.

## High Performance and Scalability

One of the primary concerns to focus on is the user experience. Your application is a tool that demonstrates the quality of your business, and when your application performance is poor, it reduces the traffic and gives users a bad impression of your application. Migrating your stack to a better platform will increase your application performance and boost SEO, revenue, and conversion.

## Better Support for New Technologies and Features

A new tech stack can provide better support for new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This can help your company take advantage of these technologies and stay ahead of the curve in your industry.


## Improved Security

When using a tech stack, security is the main priority. To prevent cyberattacks and data breaches, moving to a new stack will enhance your security architecture and drive you to choose platforms with the best security measures and data encryption.


## Reduced Maintenance Cost

Migrating to a new stack can reduce maintenance costs as you transfer to the platform that has only the required resources and services you need. This will also help to cut out those features and third-party tools you don’t need. 

## Are JAMstack and Appwrite Right for You?

You can create your application using JAMstack and Appwrite, two web development tools that are each suited to a certain need. JAMstack is used to create static websites and online applications that need to be fast and scalable, whereas Appwrite is a backend platform that offers a selection of tools and APIs for creating and maintaining web and mobile applications. You should evaluate both options and use them based on your needs and project requirements.

### How do you rethink your tech stack?

Finding a solution that fits your project's goals and timeframe while lowering development costs is crucial. One of the options that enable you to fulfill such demands is JAMstack.

It is known as the "modern web architecture" since it is secure, performant, up-to-date, and allows a lot of freedom to design an ideal finished result.

Some of the benefits JAMstack provides are:


- A prebuilt markup file and assets through the CDN; making it the fastest way to deliver web content to users.
- Greater flexibility while building cutting-edge, user-friendly applications and websites. 
- Making navigation on your website or application simple and engaging for consumers.
- Building and deploying your website on the JAMstack architecture will reduce the development cost because hosting the static file is affordable and accessible.
- It helps developers skip the stress of using a standard technology where it is difficult to build an end product and allows them to incorporate their favorite development tools while focusing on what matters.

Using modern web technologies, you can leverage JAMstack with a BaaS solution like [Appwrite](https://appwrite.io/?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=hackmamba-blog) to build fast, secure, and scalable web applications.

Appwrite.io is a secure, open-source platform that allows developers to create fully functional web and mobile applications. It helps by cutting out the repetitive process of creating a modern application from the ground up and also reduces development costs since it is self-hosted and free to use.

## Benefits of Using Appwrite as a BaaS Solution
- It is self-hosted, meaning you can set up your server and network and handle all the maintenance in-house.
- It has the best security practices to keep your application safe and protects users' files and data from cyber attackers.
- It has a built-in file scanner and data encryption.
- The documentation and online resources are beginner friendly, and you can quickly start.

## Conclusion

Since the technological landscape is ever-evolving, businesses must stay up-to-date to remain competitive. You may miss out on chances to enhance your operations and acquire a competitive edge if your present technology stack is not utilizing the most recent trends and advancements.


## Resources

Here are some helpful resources to get you started with Appwrite and JAMstack:

- [Appwrite Github repositories](https://github.com/appwrite)
- Join the [Discord](https://appwrite.io/discord) community to ask questions and also learn more about the tool
- Appwrite [documentation](https://appwrite.io/docs?utm_source=hackmamba&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=hackmamba) for quick guides on how to integrate Appwrite into your application
- [Getting started with Appwrite for web](https://appwrite.io/docs/getting-started-for-web)
- Getting started with [JAMstack](https://jamstack.org/)
- [Introduction to Tech Stack](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/tech-stack/)