What is a Full Stack Developer and Why Your Small Business Needs One
You may have heard about coworkers who are “jack of all trades” or “Swiss army knives” — but what about “full stack”?
In the world of web design, full-stack developers are some of the most useful people on any team. They seem to be there during every step of the process, dipping their hands into every corner of a project. However, if you aren’t familiar with coding, it isn’t always clear what a full-stack developer truly does.
What is a full-stack developer?
There are front-end developers, who work on the things clients see, and back-end developers, who deal with everything clients don’t see, such as internal servers. Full-stack developers work with both the front end and the back end, meaning that they have a wide range of knowledge about coding for every situation. They are usually competent in multiple coding languages, such as CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Python, SQL/NoSQL, and Java to ensure that they are ready to help wherever they are needed. This is what makes a full-stack developer such a useful team member.
Due to the demanding nature of today’s job market, not to mention the wellspring of learning materials available, developers who identify as “full-stack” are becoming more common. In fact, a 2020 survey found that nearly 55% of developers (from a pool of 65,000 developers across the world) consider themselves to be full-stack developers. That being said, full-stack developers are in high demand.
What do full stack developers do?
Since full-stack developers are the true jack of all trades, their duties are rarely the same every single day. Instead, their assignments typically depend on what is needed by the team at that time and can include a number of things, such as:
- Coding and designing user interfaces on the company website
- Working with graphic designers to create CTA buttons that both look nice and work well
- Testing bugs in applications
- Coding for functionality across numerous languages and platforms
- Working as a go-between for front end and back end developers
- Managing discount updates on a site storefront
- Handling databases and servers
Truly, for a full-stack developer, a job description is a guideline rather than a hard rule.
Full-stack developers are usually one of the first roles filled at a company since they have such a wide range of capabilities. Many businesses will employ full-stack developers to code rudimentary applications or websites in order to present to a board or investors, and once they receive proper funding based on the initial product, they add more developers to the team in order to flesh out the application fully.
Is your small business in need of a full-stack developer?
Though more and more coders have begun to identify as full-stack developers, there is still a greater demand than supply. If you are a small business struggling to find a full-stack developer that fits your needs, you’re in luck! At the RIDIL Group, we are committed to helping our clients find success with our team of expert developers, designers, and marketers. Schedule a call with us to get started.