Building a technology stack is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make as an early-stage startup. The right technology can help you launch faster, scale more easily, and ultimately create better customer experiences.
But it also comes with serious costs. The wrong choice can slow down your development process or even limit your growth potential. So how do you know when it’s time to invest in new tools? And what exactly should be on your short list of priorities?
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In this article, we’ll cover the six key considerations that can help guide your decision-making process for building out a strong foundation for all stages of development.
By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear idea of how to move forward with building your startup tech stack.
1. Define Priorities for Your Technology Stack Early
As a startup, you’re probably thinking about many different things all at once, and that’s normal. But when it comes to building your technology stack, it’s essential to focus on just a few key priorities early on. This will help you save time and money in the long run by avoiding features you don’t really need.
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Some of the most important questions to answer early include:
- What are our core values?
- Who is our ideal customer?
- What kind of user experience do we want to create?
- What type of data do we need to collect?
- How will we measure success?
Your answers to these questions should guide your decision-making process for choosing which technologies to invest in.
For example, if you’re focused on building a great user experience, you’ll want to prioritize tools that help with design and front-end development. Or, if you’re looking to collect a lot of data, you might need to invest in a powerful database solution.
2. Consider the Total Cost of Ownership
When evaluating new technologies, it’s important to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). This includes not only the initial purchase price of your technology stack but also the ongoing costs of maintenance, support, upgrades, and training.
In many cases, the upfront costs of a tool can be deceivingly low. But when you factor in all of the other associated costs, the total price tag can be much higher than you initially thought. So as you compare different options, be sure to ask about all of the potential costs so that you can make an apples-to-apples comparison.
3. Don’t Overcomplicate Your Technology Stack
One of the biggest mistakes startups make is overcomplicating their technology stack. So when you’re first starting out, it’s important to keep things as simple as possible. Not only will this help you save money, but it will also make it easier to train your team and add new features down the road.
One way to simplify your stack is to choose technologies that play well together. For example, if you’re using a certain programming language, look for tools and libraries that are designed specifically for that language. This will make it easier to start the process and avoid potential compatibility issues down the road.
4. Look for Technologies That Scale
As your startup grows, you’ll need to be able to scale your technology stack to keep up with demand. This means choosing tools that can handle increased traffic and data volume without breaking the bank.
One way to assess a tool’s scalability is to look at how other companies are using it, particularly those in a similar growth stage as your own. If companies much larger than yours are using it, you will know that it can likely scale to meet your needs.
5. Consider Your Team’s Skillset
As you build out your technology stack, it’s essential to consider your team’s skills and experience. If have mostly designers on your team, for example, you’ll want to prioritize design tools. Or, if your team is mostly developers, you might want to focus on backend development technologies.
It’s also important to consider the learning curve associated with each tool. Some tools are fairly easy to learn and use, while others can be quite complex. If you’re unsure whether a tool is a good fit for your team, try asking someone on your team to test it out and give you their feedback.
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Change Things Up
Finally, don’t be afraid to change things up if something about your technology stack isn’t working. Just because you’ve invested in a certain technology doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it forever. If a tool isn’t meeting your needs, don’t be afraid to ditch it and try something else. Some signs that you need to make a change include:
- You do not see the results you expected
- Your team is struggling to use the tool
- The tool is no longer being actively developed
- You’re outgrowing the tool
Of course, changing technologies can be a bit of a hassle. But in the long run, it’s often worth it to make sure that your technology stack is always supporting your business goals.
Build Your Startup Technology Stack Today
Building a well-rounded technology stack is essential for any startup. But with so many options to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start.
Companies like Argano can help you build a technology stack that’s tailored to your specific needs. Moreover, you get a partner that can simplify, streamline, and help your startup establish a digital foundation that grows with you.
Their platform uniquely offers the advantages of both low-code and no-code development, making it easy for companies of all sizes to build the applications they need to succeed.