Why I chose Clojure/Script for building Vade Studio
- In 2022, I started with a big vision: one platform to build SaaS applications. Today's no-code space is fragmented.
You need 10+ tools to get a simple SaaS product working.
I wanted to change that.
- My constraints were clear
• Build and customize UI
• Integrate with diverse data sources
• Create workflows, and chain APIs together
• Deploy the app into secure and reliable infrastructure
• Out of the box monitoring and alerting
• Extend the platform through code and pre-built modules
- First attempt: NodeJS + React.
Got a basic version in 3 months. But the code? Bloated.
Backend workflows? Slow as molasses.
- Tried Python backend. Still messy.
As a solo dev, the context switching was killing me.
No cohesion. Tons of config. Python classes everywhere.
5.Considered Go. Didn't feel right.
- Then I watched Rich Hickey's "Simple Made Easy."
Lightbulb moment:
I needed a language that works WITH data, not against it.
Started building basic functionality in Clojure.
- The results were staggering. .
• Same functionality 100X less code.
•Here's what made Clojure Vade Studio's super power:
• Multi Methods: The secret sauce for our data-driven backend and UI.
• Pathom: Simplified data retrieval across multiple sources.
• Interceptors: Powering our workflow engine with elegance.
• Fulcro: Revolutionized our approach to full-stack development.
• Macros: The game changer for our compiler
• REPL: Rapid experimentation and testing.
- The Clojure community? Top-notch
They teach you to think in ways you never thought possible.
Their focus on simplicity and data-centric design aligned perfectly with my vision
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀:
• Our entire codebase - just 20000 lines of code
• No more context switching (Clojure Backend, ClojureScript Frontend)
• Leverage NodeJS, JS, and Java ecosystem whenever needed.
• Number of developers - 3
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻?
Sometimes the right tool changes everything.
For us, that tool was Clojure.
It didn't just solve our problems – it redefined what was possible.
PS: Are you curious about what we've built? Checkout preview version at https://studio.vadelabs.com
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