What is Full-Stack Development?
Tags: javascript, webdev, programming, podcast
Published: 2022-03-31 12:33:47

{% spotify spotify:episode:48lXZ63YUU4jq3Akt69aNE %}

## What is HTML All The Things

HTML All The Things is a [web development podcast](https://www.htmlallthethings.com/) and [discord community](https://discord.com/invite/jweMCx9) which was started by Matt and Mike, developers based in Ontario, Canada. 

The podcast speaks to web development topics as well as running a small business, self-employment and time management. You can join them for both their successes and their struggles as they try to manage expanding their Web Development business without stretching themselves too thin.

## What's This One About?

Full-stack web developers can work on all aspects of websites from the user interface to the database that drives the content. Combining the frontend developer and backend developer positions, full-stack developers boast a full set of skills that many recruiters find useful. With the ever-increasing number of features that are packed into websites and web apps, are full-stack development positions sustainable? Is it possible to know all the skills needed well enough to do your job on all parts of the stack? 


## Show Notes

### What is Full-Stack referring to?



* Full-stack developer titles are on the rise
* It almost feels like you have to say you are ‘full-stack’ without even know what that means
* In the base definition, it refers to being an absolute generalist that can take an idea and create an application around it on their own
    * Build and design the frontend
    * Create the database schema and database
    * Create the API routes
    * Secure the backend connections
    * Create a continuous integration deployment system
    * Create the server infrastructure
    * Manage backups
    * Etc
* Generally hired by small companies that are looking to get something built out by a small/1 person team
* 54% of web developers identify as full stack according to the stackoverflow surview in 2020 ([link](https://bootcamp.learn.utoronto.ca/blog/what-is-a-full-stack-developer/#:~:text=Full%20stack%20technology%20refers%20to,can%20see%20and%20interact%20with.))


### Is Full-stack development the right decision for you?



* The reality is if you can demonstrate that you know the ‘full-stack’ you’ll have opportunities open up
* There are a ton of tools now that make it easier
    * Prismic for sql queries
    * PlanetScale for scalable database
    * NodeJS for people that already know JavaScript for frontend
    * React, Vue, Svelte for building dynamic layouts fairly simply
    * Netlify, Vercel for continuous deployment and servers
* The problem is that these systems that are being built by most full stack developers are not sustainable or scalable
* If a company needs a proof of concept fast, maybe it makes sense to get a full stack developer but the expectation should be that to scale they will probably need to rebuild crucial parts of their application
* Having one developer responsible for the whole infrastructure leads to very high chance of downtime
* If the developer leaves, or gets sick you’re entire system could fail


### A Move back to Traditional Roles



* A much more sustainable approach is building out a development team where people are responsible for sections of the app
    * Frontend lead with frontend devs under them that are responsible for building out the UI/UX of the app
        * As well as connecting to the backend APIs
    * A backend lead with backend devs responsible for creating the database schema and setup, the routes as well a securing the APIs
    * A devOps team that can standup servers, create and maintain deployment workflows and support backend security teams
* This all sounds expensive and extravagant but you can start small by at least hiring one or two extra people to split responsibilities
* Then doing some cross training to make sure that if someone leaves you’re not SOL
* Companies need to also think about the pressure they are putting on full stack devs
    * This can lead to quick burnout and high churn
* Looking for ‘unicorns’ and ‘10x developers’ is not a sustainable or even achievable practice. Companies need to be pragmatic and just look for developers that can build.



## Thank you!

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