What is Your Tech Stack?

Selecting the right set of tools and frameworks to be used in the development of a software product continues to grow in complexity. Defining a specific set of components that work together to create a functioning web application requires planning, particularly when thinking about:

  • Tech team composition, hiring, training, and growth,

  • The ease or friction inherent in maintenance of legacy apps, ongoing support, and new app development, and

  • The future friendliness of chosen technologies.

To make the discussion even more challenging, there are now two core parts to consider: the front-end and the back-end (also known as client-side and server-side). The front and back end perform specific functions (or should) and include a corresponding set of tools.

EQengineered recently conducted research to gain more insight into which technologies are being used by leading companies. The survey included roughly 50% enterprise organizations, 35% small to mid-sized firms, and 15% start ups. No specific market sector was surveyed, but rather a broad spectrum of industries are represented.

Below is one of the key questions posed by EQengineered in the research and the corresponding % of responses per answer:

Which of the following technologies are most relevant to your organization?

  • Microsoft .NET | 43%

  • Java | 46%

  • Node | 25%

  • Python | 25%

  • Angular (1,2, other) | 36%

  • React | 46%

  • Hybrid of the above | 42%

  • Other | 11%

Take Aways

  1. Larger companies are more prone to be polyglots. The fact that larger organizations have more legacy applications that were built on and evolved with older technologies, and result from a consolidation of products, makes it sensible that they would have more complexity.

  2. Small and mid-sized organizations seem prone to React versus Angular. A disproportionate number of small and mid-sized firms leverage React over Angular. We are likely to qualify this finding with interviews to see if there is more behind that trend. Angular seemed under-represented which may have been the result of sampling bias.

  3. All respondents have full stack developer needs. The ideal tech talent profile overwhelmingly included knowledge of both front and back end development. Whether .NET, Java, Python, or Node on the back end, an ability to code the front end (Angular, React, Vue, etc.) is desired and in demand.

Check out part 2 of EQengineered's thought leadership paper, Rationalizing the Tension Between User Experience and Technology to learn more.

Have additional thoughts? Please feel free to add them in the comments below.

Mark Hewitt