Jan 30, 2023
Have a question?
The creation of modern competitive products requires not only the best technical skills but also the help of an all-rounder who understand all aspects of development. Very often, the services of full-stack developers boost the project, as they can look at the process in a different way and find those shortcomings that others cannot see due to a lack of experience or specific skills.
In this article, we will discuss who full-stack developers are, what they do, and what their responsibilities are. In addition, we will discuss the value of such engineers to projects and the advantages and pitfalls of hiring them.
Table of Contents
The demand for full-stack developers is constantly growing, and along with it, the number of such specialists is also increasing. According to the StackOverflow researcher, in the technical field, the full stack role prevails.
Full-stack developers are involved in developing products of different complexity and industries. Most often, these are fintech, healthcare, tourism, etc.
The development of web products as well as mobile applications consists of many stages, but the main parts are the back-end and front-end. The first is the base of the product, its server part, and the second one is responsible for the interface and user interaction with the product.
You need to use a specific technical stack, tools and skills to create each of these components. Accordingly, most developers deal with either the front-end or the back-end. A full-stack developer has the technical skills and knowledge to develop both parts. In other words, such specialists work on the whole product: its UI, server-side, architecture, etc.
The fact that such specialists have full functional knowledge of each stage of development does not mean that they do the development by themselves. Full stack developers are more like all-rounders who apply their skills where best for the project.
For example, they can optimize UI, work with servers, create documentation, etc. Sometimes such specialists manage the project due to their experience and knowledge.
So, the responsibilities of a full-stack developer can be different, but we will discuss the most common ones.
Such specialists can also act as development team consultants.
Full-stack developers are not limited by a specific development direction. Thanks to the knowledge of all stages and pitfalls, they are very flexible and can offer more far-sighted and complex solutions that consider the structural features and interface.
In other words, such specialists are able to provide better results in a shorter time and lower operating costs. In addition, they can provide useful advice and perform managerial functions more effectively, given their experience and skills.
Undoubtedly, the main advantage of a full stack developer is a wide range of tech skills and extensive experience that help to consider the project from different points of view and find universal solutions. In addition, this advantage makes such specialists reliable problem solvers, which is especially important in the context of startup development.
However, this is not the only advantage; there are several other important ones.
However, hiring a full-stack developer has its challenges. Firstly, mastering many technologies at the same time requires superpowers to keep up with the progress. Such specialists spend a lot of time improving and updating their skills, but it is not always possible to keep pace with each tool or framework.
Secondly, the cost of such developers’ services, considering their skills and efforts, is always higher. However, this does not guarantee a 100% favorable result for the customer. Sometimes highly specialized engineers can be a better solution.
The choice between a full stack and a specialized engineer depends on the project’s individual features and specific business needs. Generally speaking, it is worth hiring a full-stack developer in the following cases.
Also, full-stack engineers can become partners if the product owners don’t have enough knowledge and vision for its further development.
Talking about skills, the main ones for a full-stack developer are the following.
There are many services for hiring developers. These can be freelance platforms, special recruiting agencies, or listings of the best outsourcing companies that offer the services of full-stack specialists (Clutch, GoodFirms, etc.). In the latter case, you can choose several best options and evaluate their portfolio.
The first and easiest option is a freelance developer. This can be a specialist from any country and at any price. However, it is worth noting that such developers may not have commercial experience and live in a time zone inconvenient for you. In addition, you do not receive any guarantees of safety and quality.
The second option is an in-house developer. This is a specialist who becomes a permanent employee. The advantage of this cooperation model is that the developer works only for your business and is always available to discuss project details. The main disadvantage is the time and money spent on hiring and the lack of flexibility.
The last option is a dedicated full-stack developer. This is the hiring of one specialist or even a whole team. In this case, developers become a full-fledged remote part of your business, and you don’t need to rent an office, pay for insurance or hiring.
In addition, dedicated developers have sufficient commercial experience and extensive expertise in working with various products. At the same time, it is much cheaper than in-house hiring and much more reliable than freelancing because the customer signs a contract and a non-disclosure agreement with the vendor.
The interview questions must illustrate the needs of your business. Therefore, a specific list can be compiled only by specialists involved in product development.
Common questions may include those related to functional and object-oriented programming, asynchronous programming, databases, APIs, etc. It is also worth choosing questions about specific frameworks and technologies that the developer will use on your project.
Full-stack developers are versatile specialists who can perform both the duties of a technical specialist and project management functions. These are the best consultants and assistants in product development.
Such specialists are helpful both for small startups and for complex projects. The best option for collaboration is to hire a dedicated developer who will become a remote team member and share your values.
We at Leobit have seven years of successful development experience, and our full-stuck specialists are ready to share their expertise. Just contact us in any way convenient for you.
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Please select your type of project request and submit the form, or contact us at sales@leobit.com for more information on Leobit's services and technologies.