Why Use Python for Startups?
Tags: python, startup, webdev, discuss
Published: 2019-05-19 14:58:18

---
title: Why Use Python for Startups?
published: true
description: The advantages of using Python for building your startup
tags: python, startup, webdev, discuss
canonical_url: https://www.maxongzb.com/why-use-python-for-startups/
---
![Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/8sj21tv4hf4bi2d121a0.jpg)

# Introduction
When I was just starting out learning Django to break into the local startup scene.

I was wondering what are the types of startups, who are looking for python developers?

There is demand for **Django** developer which Shopee was trying to search for them.  

Sadly there wasn't much information about it till I was searching consistently for these startups on AngelList, Tech in Asia or e27.

# Why Python for Startups?
Early stage startups have **limited time**, **budget** and the need for **flexibility**.

An analogy that I like by [Reid Hoffman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_Hoffman) whenever he is describing a startup.

> Throwing yourself off a cliff and assembling a plane on the way down.

Python developers offer this ability to create **minimum viable products (MVP)** at a limited budget to allow startups to test out ideas.

Before you could commit to hiring a specialised developer for specific functions of the product or service. 

By then your python developers would have laid the foundations which allow you to **scale** up to a massive amount of users like [Disqus][1] or [Instagram][2]

# Creating MVPs
Here's a list of MVPs that Python developer could build MVPs to test out ideas for startups:

* **Internet of Things (IoT)** - Use of Raspberry Pi & other python support micro-controllers to create hardware products
* **Artifical Intelligence** - Creation of AI products or services like chatbots, recommendation engines & self-driving cars
* **Web Applications** - Through the use of either Flask or Django web frameworks
* **Alexa Skills** - Building games, applications or educational Alexa skills through the use of [Flask-Ask][3] for Amazon Alexa Speakers
* **Data Products or Services** - Data analysis & data visualisation like [Plotly][4] for dashboards or industry reports using industry data.
* **Web Crawlers** - To scrape data using [Scrapy][5] or [Beautiful] from tons of website to build data products or services
* **Software as a Service** - Building API using Flask & [Django Rest Framework][6] or customing an ERP system like [Odoo][7]  

# Small & Lean Teams 
The main draw for me when I was looking to specialise as a Django or Flask developer instead of diving into the realms of data science.

I had a CTO friend for a local startup. He built a team of 10 developers who are doing work that is equal to 30 developers work. 

It increased my motivation to be a Django developer as I am delivering value for startups and fuel my aspiration in building my own startup in the future.

With a smaller team to build a product or services allows you to keep the lights on for a longer duration.

# So Which Startups Is Using Python?
Over the years, I know of an extensive amount of startups, companies or financial institutions. 

Who is using Python in some form that I know of personally in Singapore over the years. 

So here is the list of startups in Singapore that I know who are employing developers who know Python that is specialised to build web applications or data science-related products or services.

* [Microsec][8] - Microsec build security solutions for constraint IoT devices that is easy to integrate and withstands cyber attacks.
* [JobTech][9] - By analysing more than 1 million jobs every day, They provide the best labour market insights & tools
* [The Artling][10] - The Artling is an online art gallery that showcases a curated selection of Art from Asia's best galleries and artists.
* [Carousell][11] - Carousell is a smartphone and web-based consumer to consumer marketplace for buying and selling new and secondhand goods.
* [Shopee][12] - Shopee is an e-commerce platform headquartered in Singapore under Sea Group (previously known as Garena)
* [StashAway][13] - Robo advisor platform that is similar to Wealthfront or Betterment.
* [Evie AI][14] - AI Assistant for scheduling, recruitment & sales
* [Horangi][15] - Horangi builds security products that enable the rapid delivery of incident response and threat detection for our customers who lack the scale, expertise or time to do it themselves.

# Conclusion
Besides the above reasons on why you should use Python to build your own startup. 

I think another important reason for any aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to build their own startup is that. 

Python is [easy to pick up][16] for anyone without any background in STEM.

With an [eco-system][17] that allows you to plugin & play technologies to build your MVP. 

Especially when you do not have a [technical co-founder][18] to help you to build an MVP for you.

This is actually a common trend among the Singapore based startup eco-system that I had come across over the years. 

If you like my article, please **sign up** for Max [Adventurer's Newsletter](http://eepurl.com/dOUoUb) for awesome content I stumble across weekly in **Python**, **Startup** and **Web Development**.

You can also **follow** me to get the **latest** update of my article on **Dev** 

This post was originally posted on Max's blog at [Why Use Python for Startups?](https://www.maxongzb.com/why-use-python-for-startups/) and [Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/oqStl2L5oxI)


# References
* [Django][19]
* [Flask][20]
* [Faster, Easier, Better or Why Python is the Best Programming Language for a Startup][21]
* [Watch me build a real startup with Python and JavaScript | Web Development | Build A Startup ][22]
* [Building an eCommerce website By Coding For Entrepreneurs ][23]
* [Python for Entrepreneurs][24]
* [The State of Developer Ecosystem Survey in 2018][17]
* [Python Is Now the Most Popular Introductory Teaching Language at Top U.S. Universities][16]


[1]: https://blog.disqus.com/scaling-django-to-8-billion-page-views
[2]: https://thenewstack.io/instagram-makes-smooth-move-python-3/
[3]: https://flask-ask.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
[4]: https://plot.ly/
[5]: https://scrapy.org/
[6]: https://www.django-rest-framework.org/
[7]: https://www.odoo.com/
[8]: https://www.usec.io/
[9]: https://jobtech.co/
[10]: https://theartling.com/en/
[11]: https://sg.carousell.com/
[12]: https://shopee.sg/
[13]: https://www.stashaway.sg/
[14]: https://www.evie.ai/
[15]: https://www.horangi.com/
[16]: https://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/176450-python-is-now-the-most-popular-introductory-teaching-language-at-top-u-s-universities/fulltext
[17]: https://www.jetbrains.com/research/devecosystem-2018/python/
[18]: https://medium.freecodecamp.org/non-technical-and-looking-for-a-technical-co-founder-2c212c01d6da
[19]: https://www.djangoproject.com/
[20]: http://flask.pocoo.org/
[21]: https://djangostars.com/blog/python-best-programming-language-for-startup/
[22]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyQn0BhVqNU&list=PLBZBJbE_rGRXBhJNdKbN7IUy-ctlOFxA1
[23]: https://www.codingforentrepreneurs.com/courses/ecommerce
[24]: https://training.talkpython.fm/courses/explore_entrepreneurs/python-for-entrepreneurs-build-and-launch-your-online-business