Values of a Full-stack Developer

1. Who are Full-stack Developers?

Most developers spend the majority of their careers in a specific area such as Front-end, Back-end, or DevOps.

However, there is another group of developers who take on all these aspects of software development, they are amazing,  and they are called Full-stack developers.

2. What do Full-stack Developers do?

First of all, I should tell you that evaluating whether a developer has the full range of capabilities to be a true full-stack developer is not simple.

To become a full-stack developer, we not only know a lot about various fields (Front-end, Back-end, DevOps,  Database, CI tools, etc.) but also have a deep understanding of each architect they use, along with best practices, concepts in the software development process.

⭐ As a Full-stack developer, you must be capable of working on all components of a system, and if you are truly skilled, you will be able to integrate everything smoothly. And of course, this requires a wide range of skills and experience.

But a fun fact, a Full-stack developer working on Front-end tasks will not be as proficient as a Front-end specialist (this also applies to other fields). So that is true if we say that a Full-stack developer might be an expert in some areas.

However, becoming an expert in all areas requires a long time in the software development industry. For that reason, a Full-stack developer is someone who can do everything but might not be the ideal candidate that some companies are looking for.

3. Why a Full-stack developer might not be the ideal candidate?

Based on the above explanation, a Full-stack developer has extensive knowledge of various system components and how they interact during development. However:

✅ For increasingly complex systems, a Full-stack developer might struggle to control the entire stack. At this point, specialists for each component are necessary.

We didn’t deny that hiring a Full-stack developer is sufficient, but this is not entirely true. This approach might work for startups with limited budgets and the need to build an MVP product to launch quickly. So in such cases, a Full-stack developer is an extremely suitable choice.

Then, as the product grows and becomes more complex, support from specialized developers for different components is required.

4. What Skills Do Full-stack Developers Need?

Each Full-stack developer should start by focusing on developing strong skills in a specific area and then try to gain knowledge in various fields during the software development process. That is also called level-up skills step-by-step

⭐ Communication Challenges

This is a major issue in teamwork, and many projects fail due to poor communication among team members. Weak communication leads to many misunderstandings between different teams.

For example, a Back-end developer might want to improve server response time, but this creates difficulties for the Front-end developer working on the interface. This easily causes endless arguments because neither side understands the other’s struggles.

5. Becoming a TRUE Core Team Member

Don’t be scared, a Full-stack developer can easily become a core team member.

Why and how? because they understand the entire system process, as well as the business, they can become excellent team members, and they know the tools other team members are working with and what they need to complete their tasks. Their broad and wide knowledge allows them to adapt well to teams, support members well, and control the development processes.

Another benefit of having Full-stack developers on the team is that they can easily fit into project management roles. They have knowledge of many components, so they can ensure that all parts of their project will work well together within the overall context.

6. What have we learned?

For employers, should you hire a Full-stack developer? If you are a startup and need to build an MVP quickly or a large project, requiring good communication, and good control between teams, the answer is YES.

For developers, should you become a Full-stack developer? The answer depends on your passion or goals and your understanding of the above sharing.  The choice is yours.