Keep It Simple, Choose Practicality and Non-sexiness Over Trends in Tech

#webdev #programming #architecture #product

I hope you know keeping up your application with the latest trends and buzzwords is a disaster recipe. After reading this like so many people might come with knives in their hands but that's okay. I am not saying you shouldn't keep up with the latest trends, what I am saying is your application shouldn't.

The Story of Overengineering: When Too Much Tech Gets in the Way

In my consulting journey, I saw several companies I know that ran into this trouble because they jumped on the latest tech trend without really needing it. One company had a business app used by about 3000 people a day and at night no one used it. Even though their app was pretty simple, they decided to switch it over to Kubernetes. But honestly, it was like using a cannon to kill a fly.

The problem came when the guy in charge of managing this new setup found himself with not much to do. He understood he didn't have much scope for the future after this project and left the company. Suddenly, they were left scratching their heads, wondering how to keep their app running smoothly without him.

Why We Shouldn't Always Follow the Crowd?

This happens a lot in the tech world. People get scared of missing out on the latest cool thing, so they pile on all sorts of fancy tools and make their projects way more complicated than they need to be. Developers love playing with new toys, so they often end up using a bunch of different technologies, even for projects that could be kept simple. People in one project use Node.js for something, Python for something, Go for something and Rust for something else.

But here's the thing: the most important goal of any app is to make life easier for its users. It's not about showing off to investors or other companies. So, before adding something new to your tech stack, ask yourself if it's really going to make your app better for your users.

For example, let's say you've built your app using JavaScript. If you want to add more features, think twice before throwing in something completely different like Python or Rust or Go. Sure, those languages might be cool, but if they don't make a big difference to your users, they're just going to make your app harder to manage.

The Myth of Microservices

And don't get me started on microservices! Yes, they can be helpful for big projects, but for smaller ones, they often just add more problems than they solve. Sometimes, sticking with a simple setup, like having all your code in one place (called a monolith), can be a smarter choice.

Take CarDekho.com, for instance. It started as a simple app and grew into a huge success without needing lots of fancy tech stuff. Even big companies like Amazon have realized that sometimes, for Prime Video going back to a simpler setup made things run better and cost less.

Prioritize simplicity and practicality over hype and showing off in your tech choices.