How to Choose the Right Tech Stack for Engineering?

Anushree Chatterjee

Building an application is like building a house. Before you begin the building job, you’ll take stock of all the available tools and any outstanding requirements. It’s not like you’d start hammering nails with a screwdriver, right? The right tools for the job are crucial to ensure efficiency and quality. Similarly, choosing the right tech stack for your engineering project is paramount to its success.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the key factors to consider when choosing a tech stack. We’ll see real-world examples and best practices to help you make informed decisions that will set your project up for success.

What is a Tech Stack?

Like a toolbox, a tech stack is a collection of technologies that work together to build a software application. From the foundation (programming languages) to the roof (frameworks and libraries), each component plays a vital role. Selecting the wrong tools can lead to delays, increased costs, and subpar performance.

Structure of a Tech Stack

You can view a tech stack as an entity with a layered architecture, with each layer serving a specific purpose. While the exact composition of a tech stack can vary widely depending on the project’s specific needs, it typically consists of the following layers:

Front-end (client-side)

• User Interface (UI): This is the visual layer that users interact with directly. Technologies like HTML, CSS and JavaScript are used to create the layout, style and interactivity of the application.
• Front-end frameworks: Frameworks like React, Angular and Vue.js provide structure and efficiency to the development process that allows developers to build complex user interfaces more quickly.
• Build tools: Tools like Webpack, Parcel or Gulp help bundle and optimize frontend code.

Back-end (server-side)

• Programming language: Languages like Python, Ruby, Java, and Node.js are used to write server-side logic, handle data processing, and interact with databases.
• Framework: Frameworks like Django, Ruby on Rails, Spring Boot, and Express.js provide a structure for building web applications, handling requests, and responding to clients.
• Database: This is where the application’s data is stored.
• APIs: RESTful or APIs for communication between the frontend and backend and for integrating third-party services.

DevOps and infrastructure

• Servers: The server layer is responsible for hosting the application and serving requests. It includes:
  • Web servers: Software like Apache or Nginx that handles HTTP requests.
  • Application servers: Servers like Tomcat or Node.js that execute the backend code.
• Cloud services: Providers like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud that offer infrastructure for hosting applications.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, or CircleCI are used to automate the testing and deployment processes.

Why Tech Stack is Important?

Consider the above analogy of building a house. If you use poor-quality materials or the wrong tools, the house might crumble or become unlivable. Similarly, a tech stack affects the performance, scalability, and user experience of a software application. Choosing the right tech stack is crucial because it directly impacts how effectively an application is developed, maintained, and used.

For example, if you’re developing a simple website, using a lightweight framework like React can make it faster and more responsive. On the other hand, if you’re creating a complex application like an e-commerce platform that needs to handle many users and transactions, opting for a robust stack like Node.js for the backend and MongoDB for the database can ensure it runs smoothly even during peak traffic.

Additionally, the right tech stack can save time and money. If your team is familiar with a particular technology, they can work more efficiently which in turn reduces the development time. For instance, if a team already knows Python and Django, using them for a new project can lead to faster results than learning a new language or framework from scratch.

A tech stack also influences how easy it is to maintain the application. A well-chosen stack makes updates and debugging simpler, which is essential for keeping users happy and the software running smoothly.

How to Choose the Right Tech Stack?

Let’s get to choosing a suitable tech stack. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you do this.

Step 1: Take stock of what you already have

This is a prerequisite step. Most likely you might already be having different technologies at play within your organization or project. Check if all of them are compatible and working smoothly with one another. Also see if they help you with efficiency and achieving organizational goals.

Step 2: Define project requirements

Draw out a list of unique needs that you can use as a reference. Here are some prompts to help you.

• Identify the type of application: Determine whether you’re building a web app, mobile app, or desktop application.
• Outline key features to build: List the core functionalities your application must have. For example, if you’re creating a social media app, features like user profiles, messaging, and notifications might be essential.
• Consider performance needs: Assess how fast and scalable your application needs to be. High-traffic applications will require more robust technologies.

Step 3: Assess team skills and expertise

Engage your team before deciding on a tech stack because they are going to be the ones who will work with it. Consider the following while doing so:

• Evaluate current skills: Look at your team’s existing knowledge and experience. Using familiar technologies can speed up development.
• Consider the learning curve: If new technologies are required, then factor in the time and resources needed for your team to learn them.

Step 4: Research technology options

Look at what combinations of technologies you want to work with. You can accordingly categorize the technologies as:

• Frontend technologies: Explore options like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.
• Backend technologies: Investigate languages like Python, Ruby, Java, Node.js and their respective frameworks (e.g., Django, Ruby on Rails, Express).
• Database choices: Look at both relational (MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB, Firebase) databases based on your data needs.
• Consider technology’s popularity: A good tip is to see the popularity of the technologies. Do extensive research before committing to any.
• Consider future growth: You want to go with an option that is going to stand the test of time. Choose technologies that can scale with your project. For instance, if you expect user growth, a microservices architecture may be beneficial.
• Assess flexibility: Ensure the tech stack can adapt to changes or new features without requiring a complete overhaul.
• Check community support: Look for technologies with a strong community for support, resources and libraries. This can help troubleshoot and speed up development.

Step 5: Consider cost and licensing

• Budget constraints: Analyze the costs of various technologies, such as licensing fees for proprietary tools.
• Open source vs. proprietary: Decide if you want to use open-source technologies (usually free) or commercial solutions that may offer better support.

Step 6: Plan for integration

• Assess compatibility: Ensure the chosen technologies can easily integrate with existing systems, tools, or third-party services.
• Identify API needs: If your application requires communication with other applications or services, plan for RESTful APIs.

Step 7: Prototype and Test

• Build a prototype: Create a small prototype or proof of concept using the selected technologies to test feasibility and performance.
• Gather feedback: Involve stakeholders to review the prototype and provide feedback on usability and functionality.

Finally, based on your research and testing, select the technologies that best meet your project’s needs.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Tech Stack

Examples of Tech Stacks

Here are some commonly used tech stacks.

Conclusion

Choosing the right tech stack is a critical decision that can significantly impact the success of your engineering project. You can select a stack that aligns with your needs by carefully considering project requirements, team expertise, community support, cost, and future-proofing.

Remember, the right tools can make the job easier, faster, and more efficient. So, take the time to do your research, consult with experts, and make informed decisions. With the right tech stack in place, you’ll be well on your way to building innovative and successful software applications.

Additional Resources

• AI in Engineering: How AI is changing the software industry?
• Impact of AI on Engineering: What the Future Holds for Engineers
• How to Improve Engineering Efficiency: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 7 Most Common Engineering Bugs and How to Avoid Them
• How to Become an Engineering Manager
• How to Align Software Engineering with Business Goals
• Engineering Levels in Different Companies Compared

“We spent so much time on maintenance when using Selenium, and we spend nearly zero time with maintenance using testRigor.”

Keith Powe VP Of Engineering - IDT