What Is a Tech Stack? Learn What It Is and Why You Need One
What Is a Tech Stack and How To Choose the Right One?
Selecting an appropriate technology stack is essential for any software development project, laying the foundation for your app's functionality, scalability, and future growth.
Alongside this critical decision, the expertise and experience of the software developers you partner with play a significant role in navigating technical challenges and ensuring the project's success.
Having a clear idea of which technologies you will use your your app is vital to identifying the best and most experienced software developers.
While some aspects of a technical stack may seem complex at first, it's no different than deciding what kind of materials you will build a house with.
What Is a Tech Stack?
A tech stack is simply a collection of software technologies and services that are used for application development.
There's more than one way to build a web or software application, and so there are different tech stacks that you can use, or put together your own.
Some tech stacks are so popular that they have taken on clever acronyms to describe their makeup.
One common example of a technology stack best suited for Linux distributions is known by the acronym LAMP. LAMP stands for the following four open-source software components:
- Linux
- Apache
- MySQL
- PHP/Perl/Python.
Linux is the operating system. Apache is a web server. MySQL is a database management system. Finally, PHP is the programming language for the application. Altogether, this software stack is capable of building highly functional web applications.
LAMP is just one of many stacks that point developers in the right direction when it comes to programming software.
Another open-source software stack for building websites is called MERN:
- MongoDB
- Express.js
- React and
- Node.js
Together, these technologies make up the MERN software stack.
This particular stack has two main advantages – it does not rely on an operating system nor does it stray far from JavaScript as the primary programming language of the stack. This makes MERN and LAMP solid options when building web applications.
By using deliberate frameworks like LAMP and MEAN, software developers can be prepared for what lies ahead in any development process.
With research, software teams can make calculated decisions to pick the stack technology most beneficial for their needs.
It's up to you and your team to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each and one makes more sense for your application.
Why Is a Technology Stack Important?
A technology stack is the backbone of any software application, serving as a critical determinant of its functionality, performance, and ability to scale. By carefully selecting a combination of programming languages, frameworks, databases, and tools, developers lay down a foundation that ensures the application can meet current requirements while remaining adaptable to future needs.
A well-chosen tech stack not only facilitates smoother development processes but also enhances the efficiency and security of the application, directly impacting user experience and satisfaction.
The choice of technologies can also influence the ease of maintenance and the potential for integration with other systems, making it a central consideration in the strategic planning of software projects.
In short, tech stacks should make planning and developing an app easier.
For instance, the MEAN stack depends almost exclusively on JavaScript as its programming language. MEAN’s strict reliance on JavaScript removes a layer of complexity in many parts of the application-building methodology.
As an illustration, employing developers who know JavaScript should be fairly easy as JavaScript is a well-known language and developers would only need to be familiar with the one.
JavaScript also has numerous libraries and structures that promise some ease in flexibility in scaling your business when the time comes.
On the other hand, every stack comes with its disadvantages. Many people flock to JavaScript entirely because of its popularity.
Unfortunately, less experienced developers are not always adept at learning and managing the new libraries and frameworks that JavaScript has to offer. A skilled team of software developers must keep all these considerations in mind to build the optimal tech stack.
What Are The Differences Between Mobile and Web Apps Tech Stacks?
Mobile and web apps might seem similar, but their tech stacks reveal a world of differences. While web apps typically revolve around server, database, and operating system layers, mobile apps have additional considerations. They need to play nice with various smartphone features like GPS, notifications, and more, making their tech stacks a bit more complex.
Web applications have a pretty standard setup involving server-side software, but the real magic happens when you dive into the specifics. The choice of programming languages and tools can vary widely, yet the structure of the tech stack remains consistent.
To compare, mobile applications tend to have some choice concerns to take into account:
Cross-Platform Functionality
Mobile applications need to be optimized for multiple devices and platforms. Though websites have the liberty to simply be websites, mobile apps are typically expected to be accessible on a variety of platforms.
The average smartphone user in the United States spends about three hours per day on their phone and 90% of that time is faithful to mobile apps.
But in a world of tablets, laptops, and smart TVs, people merely move on to another mobile device.
API Integrations
Similarly essential is how your mobile tech stack interacts with the background APIs of a smartphone.
An API, or application programming interface, defines a set of protocols for integrating miscellaneous programs with internal software.
In a smartphone environment, the tool that enables touchscreen detection is an example of an API. Mobile app developers have to build tech stacks that have collaborative abilities for this level of integration.
Core Smartphone Services
Mobile apps also have to work with the day-to-day features of a common smartphone like geographic mapping, offline support, pop-up notifications, and security.
These features go beyond the scope of what a web application would ever request from a user. So developers have a responsibility to enhance their mobile tech stack to work alongside these features.
Front-End Tech Stack
A front-end tech stack includes the technologies that developers would use to build user interfaces.
Front-end development, often called client-side development, ultimately determines the visual elements of the app.
Front-end developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build web apps.
These programming languages, particularly HTML and CSS, are used to style colors, fonts, images, graphs, and all visual aspects of the application. JavaScript helps to provide the interactive nature of the app.
Back-End Tech Stack
Back-end development, also called server-side development, calls for a back-end tech stack.
On the server side, back-end developers typically manage business logic, APIs, data storage, and all the other internal operations of a given app.
Back-end web developers favor languages like Node.js, Python, and Java.
Front-end developers work together with back-end development to make certain that an application can reach peak performance for its users. There are also full-stack developers as well who have the skills to work both on the client side and the server side in app development.
6 Examples of iOS and Android Tech Stacks
Now that you know how mobile apps and web apps differ, you should not be surprised that the tools used to build each type of app differ.
Just like web applications have a dependable set of programming languages, mobile application developers opt to use a few of the many mobile programming languages and toolsets available to them.
1. XCode
XCode is an IDE, or Integrated Development Environment, used to develop mobile and web apps for Apple iOS and macOS.
IDEs allow programmers to consolidate the numerous facets of writing, running, and debugging code into one application.
XCode is free and the preferred toolset for Apple products. It is compatible with quite a few programming languages such as C++, Python, Objective-C, Ruby, and more.
2. Swift
Swift is an open-source programming language used both for iOS and Linux applications. It is self-proclaimed as being multi-purpose.
However, its real benefit is its inline support and dynamic libraries which can be stored in memory, decreasing app size. Swift is compatible with Objective-C.
3. Android Studio
Android Studio is an IDE credited to Google which permits the creation of high-quality Android applications. Android Studio also works with all PC operating systems.
The aforementioned IDEs and programming languages are integral in developing mobile apps for iOS and Android, the leading platforms in smartphone use.
Building applications for iOS and Android in turn for just one or the other will give your mobile app an easily acquired advantage.
4. Kotlin
Kotlin is a recently developed programming language for Android. It is both open-source and object-oriented, open-source denoting that the code is available for others to edit.
The syntax for Kotlin is notably efficient, causing fewer errors. Kotlin is compatible with Java projects. Paired with Android Studio, the IDE of choice for Android development, developers can build Android apps for a variety of Android devices.
5. Java
Java at one point was the most widely used programming language for developing Android applications. It is class-based and object-oriented.
Although Java’s biggest downfall is its bulkiness and memory consumption, it is famous for its open-source tools and appreciable libraries.
That being said, Java is still used in heavier applications in government-regulated sectors such as Healthcare. As an extremely stable technology, with high-grade security features, it's the definition of "enterprise" app development.
Most startups will avoid this technology, unless there is a good reason to, usually related to performance or security.
6. React Native
An extension of the React library, React Native specifically targets mobile devices. It's a cross-platform solution for those looking to save on developing for both iOS and Android.
Many startups typically go with React Native to keep dev costs low and it can give you the best bang for your buck if you can scale your team with React (front-end developers) who also know React Native.
How To Know What Tech Stack a Website or an App Is Using
To learn more about what tech stacks other companies are using, you don't have look much further than open positions on their careers page.
This can give you some ideas when it comes to your own app. And if you're looking to find out how companies are evolving their tech stacks over time, here are some ways to find out.
Facebook, for one, has a whole website that dives deep into the software details of its various engineering pursuits. This includes not only Facebook the social media network but Meta as well.
Tumblr regularly updates its engineering blog and features it on its very own website.
Netflix, PayPal, Walmart, and other big companies even have Medium accounts where they routinely update readers on what’s going on inside their engineering teams.
In short, the best way to know what’s going on in another company's tech stack is to do some heavy research and stay tuned in to the companies you care most about.
There are also less reliable ways to get your answers. StackShare, for example, is a website that lists the tech stacks of various companies, but there’s no way to verify their legitimacy.
Similarly, you can take to your local search engine and browse the hypotheses of Redditors and Quora posters.
And then there's Wappalyzer, a Google Chrome Extention that is able to scan sites you visit and tell you what they are built on.
How To Choose the Right Tech Stack
Choosing the right tech stack starts by evaluating certain characteristics of your business and the app you have in mind. The consequence of choosing the wrong stack is wasted time and effort. However, choosing the right stack will help you and your developers be productive and successful.
Make sure you have carefully considered the details of your project to choose the right stack:
- Project requirements
The larger your project is in terms of scope and features, the more intricate your tech stack will be. Could you identify the size of your project first and foremost?
Small projects can be built with the most popular stacks. You should seek out professional expertise if your project size is medium or large.
- Scalability
Scalability can be both horizontal and vertical. Horizontal scalability outlines the app’s versatility for use on different devices and with an increasing number of uses.
Vertical scalability relates to the addition of new features to the app. Use powerful programming languages to achieve the ideal scalability.
- Resources
Your ability to find developers who are proficient in the technologies included in your stack can either make or break your project.
Pick commonly used languages to avoid this problem.
- Maintenance
Hiring a developer is a given, but you will need to have a way of providing support for your app once there’s a need for troubleshooting or an upgrade.
Using open-source software will warrant the changes and updates to your project without any undue restrictions.
- Security
An app that is not secure is detrimental to the app’s users as well as you and your business. Run security tests on a recurring schedule to mitigate threats.
- Speed
The faster your app is out on the market, the faster you will get user feedback and profit from the development. Again, using common tech stacks will reduce the overall time spent developing the project.
How To Build a Technology Stack
Being familiar with technology stacks, their purpose, and their execution is the first step in developing your mobile app.
For the average developer, developing an app can take many months. It necessitates intensive research and learning, not to mention writing the code and freeing it of any errors that arise.
Unsurprisingly, for those launching a tech startup with little to no coding background, developing an app is even more difficult.
Tech stacks play a crucial role in the development of your project and it is vital to have qualified developers on your side, guiding your project toward prosperity.
Trio can help you find the developers that are right for your project. Learn more about hiring remote developers here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tech stack?
A tech stack, alternatively called a solutions stack, is simply a collection of software services that are used for application development.
Why is a technology stack important?
A technology stack’s greatest asset is its conversational skills. That is, the importance of a tech stack lies in its ability to convey many details in a concise manner.
Cordenne Brewster
Cordenne Brewster is a tech enthusiast whose ardor is best expressed through the written word. With contributions ranging from software development to scaling, Cordenne provides insights to keep the curious and inquisitive informed, well-read, and on-trend.
Visit Author pageRead Next
The US tech sector, a crucial engine of innovation and economic growth, faces a significant challenge in the form of a recently implemented tax change.
Section 174 of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, initially overlooked, has emerged as a major concern for early-stage and small technology companies. This provision unexpectedly alters the tax treatment of software development costs, potentially hindering essential growth and investment.
So what does that mean exactly?
Up until recently, labor costs for R&D, including labor for software development, can be immediately expensed.
So if your business makes $1M in revenue, and spends $1M on software development labor, then your profit is $0, and you taxed nothing. However, with the amendment to Section 174 all of that changes.
With the adjustment, all costs related to R&D have to be amortized over 5 years – or 15 if labor is done outside of the US.
Here is how amortization works for labor within the U.S.:
- 10% amortized for the first year
- 20% amortized for years 2 to 5
- 10% for year 6
Going back to our previous example, this means that in the eyes of the government, you would have made $900,000 in profit that year and would have to pay $189,000 in corporate taxes.
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
Revenue | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Software engineering labor costs paid during the year | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Deductable | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $300,000 (10% from last year 20% from this year) |
Profit | $0 | $900,000 | $700,000 |
Corporate Tax | $0 (due in 2022) |
$189,000 (due in 2023) |
$147,000 (due in 2024) |
So what happens to a small, bootstrapped company without $189,000 in cash in the bank? You have two options.
- Take out a business or potential loan at a relatively high-interest rate (~10%).
- Lay off as many software engineers as it takes to pay the bill.
Taking this scenario a step further, given that this company even survives the tax season, it’s not hard to imagine the impact this will have on the product roadmap if they go with option 2.
The potential impact of Section 174 on the tech industry
On a larger scale, the changes to Section 174 will directly translate to reduced hiring capacity, potentially leading to talent freezes or even more layoffs. In a competitive landscape where skilled software engineers are essential, this decline in hiring power could potentially slow down innovation.
Furthermore, the provision disincentivizes the employment of international developers. With a longer amortization period of 15 years for foreign workers, companies face a significant tax penalty for remote or contracted development teams.
This could lead to a shift towards outsourcing software development instead of cultivating in-house talent, a potential blow to domestic job creation and knowledge transfer.
Beyond the immediate challenges for startups, Section 174 carries broader implications for the US tech ecosystem. The disincentivized investment in internal software development could benefit SaaS companies and technology vendors, potentially altering the competitive landscape.
Additionally, the tax burden could discourage the incorporation of tech startups within the US, hindering the nation's ability to attract and nurture promising early-stage ventures.
If you’re wondering why hasn’t big tech sounded the alarm, the answer is they did but it happened in the form of lobbying efforts going as far back as 2018.
What can startups do to protect themselves?
Some startups are exploring creative solutions, such as restructuring operations or embracing remote talent pools, to navigate the new tax landscape.
Section 174 presents a significant hurdle for the US tech sector, particularly for early-stage and small companies. Its unexpected impact on tax burdens, hiring capacity, and the utilization of international talent requires immediate attention and potential policy adjustments.
Luckily, there is still a chance all of this will be reversed and things will remain the same. The only question is how long will it take.
If you’re looking to stay competitive in the market and not incur exorbitant fees, then consider looking to scaling your team with Trio. Our 3-step interview process was designed specifically to capture senior-level technical and soft-skill signals and hire the right Top-Tier software developers for your team.
With Trio, you can focus on what you love most - deliver great products while we handpick and shortlist from our pre-vetted talent network. We'll enable payroll, benefits, taxes, and local compliance and support you with onboarding and long-term talent management.
C is a general-purpose programming language, meaning it can be used for a wide variety of purposes from building operating systems to computer applications. The language also supports a number of features and paradigms including structured programming, lexical variable scope, and recursion.
Structured programming is a programming paradigm that favors one, singular structure per program. In this way, code executes instruction by instruction chronologically.
With structured programming, alternatively called modular programming, code is readable and there is leeway for reusable components, which most developers find helpful.
Lexical scoping refers to the semantic scope of variable names in a function or program. In other words, lexical variable scope answers the questions of whether a given variable has meaning outside of the function it is written in – and this is determined by the surrounding code.
In recursive programming, functions have the ability to call on themselves, whether directly or indirectly. The utility of this feature is to break up a problem into smaller problems. Specifically, coders can use a previously established value to compute a new one.
The C programming language uses a static type system as well. Within the context of programming languages, static type systems involve static type checking where the language checks your code before it is even compiled.
The main advantage of static typing is early error detection. This can help to reduce the time spent debugging later on.
As far as background, C was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972. Its initial purpose was to write operating systems. Low-level access to memory, the use of simple keywords, and a clean syntax makes C easy to use for such a task.
Overall, C is one of the optimal programming languages when it comes to systems programming.
Systems programming is programming where developers build integral software systems that other applications rely on. These systems include firmware, operating systems, and development environments.
C flourishes in this undertaking because it is a middle-level language. Low-level languages like assembly language talk to computers in the most direct format that you can imagine. The downside of this is that humans struggle to keep up with the conversation.
This is why there are high-level languages. High-level languages abstract machine code to where human developers can talk to computers on their own terms. Most coders have found this to be the most efficient way of writing programs.
However, C is a combination of both. It is a middle-level language and as such developers can use it for low-level programming like building kernels and drivers as well as high-level programming like developing software applications.
What Is a C developer?
C developers are closely familiar with the fundamentals of systems programming. They develop code that integrates into base computer systems. Embedded systems, operating systems, and kernel modules all rely on systems programmers like C developers.
C++ is nearly a superset of C. Save a few minor details, the two languages are very similar. Expert C developers may learn C++ as well to increase their effectiveness.
Other languages in the repertoire of C developers might be higher-level languages and frameworks that work well with C like Java, Node.js, and Python.
As systems programmers, C developers have strong problem-solving skills and use structural programming to write clean, reusable code.
Why Use C?
The first and foremost justification for using C would be if you wanted to build an operating system. After all, in the 1970s, C was the vessel in which UNIX was re-designed. But despite the goal-oriented origins of the C language, various elements of its development make it a fitting language to use for an array of needs.
Middle-level
There are only a handful of middle-level languages. And if you were to pick them out, you’d probably come up with Java and C++ in addition to C, and there’s even some dissent there.
Either way, the general consensus is that C is a middle-level language. Because of this, C is one of the best languages for building both systems and applications. Therefore its usage is by definition flexible.
Structured
As a programming paradigm, structured programming allows developers to make complex programs by compartmentalizing their codes into simpler structures via task-oriented functions. Some examples of structural programming in action are if-else statements and for-loops.
Though many languages make use of this type of programming, C may very well be the oldest structural programming language that still maintains its popularity. This is because C is reliable.
Portable
Portability describes how compatible certain computer programming languages are in diverse environments. In the case of C, the language plays a major part in Windows, UNIX, and Linux operating systems, demonstrating its portable nature.
General
C is general-purpose. In effect, no matter what you want to develop, C is there for you – for games, graphics, applications, and more.
Advantages of Using C
C is equipped with a number of supportive features to develop keeping high-level functionality in mind. As the intent of C was to develop operating systems, its features must be fully comprehensive and performant.
Case-Sensitive
C is case sensitive. Lowercase and uppercase letters are differentiated. This can make certain elements of coding far less confusing and more direct. It’s also easier to parse through case-sensitive code.
Dynamic Library
The library C offers is rich with built-in features and is furnished with dynamic memory allocation. What’s more, C has much less library functions than other languages but just as many functions, simplifying their deployment.
Keyword Simplicity
In computer programming, keywords are the smallest building blocks of programming that work as gateways to writing complex code.
Keywords like if, else, and return may be familiar to you. The C language only has 32 keywords, overall only a small number to remember and eventually master.
Embedded Usage
C is the go-to language for developing embedded systems, Embedded systems contain hardware and/or software designed for specific functions. Digital cameras and robots are good examples of embedded systems.
Developers use C for embedded systems because it is flexible. The high-level abstraction of C combined with its low-level alliances make it a great language for this sort of development.
Companies That Use C
- IBM
- Nokia
- Samsung
- VMWare
- Huawei
- Microsoft Windows
Reasons to Hire a C Developer
It’s fairly common for businesses to go the mobile app route in contemporary software development. They’ll cross out a couple of months on their calendar, get a grasp of Java or Swift – for Android or Apple respectively – and be on their way.
App development is an accomplishment no matter how you do it. But when things become commonplace and you follow the lead of your competitors, it becomes difficult for your business to stand out.
If you wish to stay competitive, your business needs to be challenged. Rather than putting an app on the app store, why not develop an entire software.
Adobe, most Google applications, and the entire Linux operating system was built with C. These are software systems that have topped the technology sector and have garnered worldwide familiarity and usage.
Most popular C programs aren’t simply apps, they’re relevant components of daily work and life for millions of users. Depending on the developers you hire, you’ll have the resources you need to do the same.
It starts with a good idea, and the right developers to manifest it. Hire a C developer.
Hire a C Developer
C is well over 30 years old. With languages being built every other fortnight, it’s hard to keep up with the competition. But somehow C has managed all the while.
Of course, old age does come with consequences. The market favors young people who favor young languages. This doesn’t make C less trustworthy or useful, but it is a little tougher to find the professionals you’ll need to program in C.
Trust the process, trust your research. Trio also has resources to help you. Take a look.
How do you hire a C developer?
For those who wish to take the high road and hire C developers on your own, we’re still here to help.
Hiring a developer on your own is a very focused and hands-on process that requires considerable knowledge about software development in general.
The last thing you want to do is trust your hiring process to someone with no technical ability. If you are a non-technical manager looking to learn a thing or two, we have a great resource here for you to learn more about the hiring process in detail.
Otherwise, we’d recommend you contact Trio for consulting and developer allocation.
What should you look for in a C developer?
C developers at a high-level should demonstrate the following skills:
- Proficiency in C and preferably in C++ as well
- Knowledge of high-level languages that are often integrated with C such as Java, Python, Go, or Node.js
- Abstract critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude
- Ability to write and implement algorithms and data structures
How much do developers cost in the U.S.?
ZipRecruiter data reports that the average yearly salary of a C developer is $117,673 On the higher end, C developers can make as much as $155,500 per year. But C developers can also make as little as $67,500 annually.
How much do developers cost in South America?
Due to economic differences between the United States and South America as a whole, the cost of offshoring software development is significantly lower than hiring full-time with U.S talent. For Senior C Developers in South America, the average salary is currently around $100,000 whereas a mid-level developer costs around $76,000.
How much do developers cost in Ukraine / Eastern Europe?
Eastern Europe shares very similar rates to South America, again due to the economic differences. When looking at salaries in Eastern Europe, data shows that a Senior C Developer costs around $100,000 on average.
Hourly Rates for Developers
Another way to look at developer costs is through hourly rates. While salaries are good to understand for hiring developers for full-time and long-term, you might just need a developer for a period of 3-6 months or 6-12 months. In these types of situations, it’s best to calculate your costs based on the hourly rates of a developer.
Below is a table that lists the various hourly rates of developers in different locations based on their job title.
Why Hire a C Developer?
Trio C developers are pre-vetted, interviewed, and then trained further to become true software professionals, capable of adapting to situations that are both within and outside of the scope of their general expertise.
At Trio, we hold our developers to a higher standard. Much like how elite special forces units recruit only the best from main branches of the military, we recruit developers who either show amazing potential or demonstrate exceptional skill. We then take their talents and sharpen them even further.
Another benefit of hiring a Trio developer is that you won’t incur the costs of hiring, which can add up to be around 30% of a developer’s salary on average, as well as overhead costs associated with full-time employment.
By working with Trio, you can enjoy a highly experienced full-time developer for a fraction of the cost, along with the added project management assistance.
To learn more, tell us about your project and we’ll get you started.
C Resources
Introduction
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of hiring a Flutter Developer? Perhaps this particular technology is not your area of expertise and are you are unsure how to structure your hiring process. Fear not, as we are here to help you navigate this process and find a skilled Software Engineer who can add value to your business.
By leveraging our expertise in hiring high-level developers, we can help you evaluate technical talent and strengthening your engineering team. With our guidance and support, you can confidently conduct a hiring process with Flutter Developers and enhance the performance of your Engineering Team.
We would like to thank you for taking the time to visit us today. We hope that you will find the information provided to be both helpful and informative. Please stay with us and read on as we share some valuable tips that we believe you will find useful in your daily life.
What’s a Flutter Developer?
A Flutter developer is a software engineer who has proficiency with the Flutter framework to develop mobile, web, and desktop applications. By association, Flutter developers have fluency in writing code using the Dart programming language and are therefore Dart developers as well.
Flutter developers can be web or mobile app developers. As such, they may have prior experience and expertise in other frameworks and languages like JavaScript or Ionic. Some Flutter developers may only be familiar with Flutter.
The Flutter framework is intentionally and wholeheartedly tied to UI design. Widgets are one of its defining characteristics. They must have comparable skill in optimizing graphical interactions for the user.
The role of this type of developer is crucial in the software development industry. The responsibilities of a Flutter developer may vary depending on the project requirements, but some common tasks include:
- Developing and maintaining applications;
- Developing and implementing custom widgets and UI components;
- Integrating third-party libraries and APIs;
- Ensuring the application's performance, quality, and responsiveness;
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including designers, product managers, and other developers;
- Participating in the development process from design to deployment and maintenance.
- Working with cross-platform frameworks.
- Debug and test Flutter code, using tools such as the Flutter DevTools, unit testing, and integration testing.
- Use version control tools such as Git, SVN, or Mercurial to manage their codebase.
What you can build using Flutter
Flutter is a versatile and powerful framework for building mobile applications for Android, iOS, and other platforms. With Flutter, developers can build a wide range of applications, including but not limited to:
- Social media applications: Flutter is a versatile platform for building social media apps that can include a range of features, such as instant messaging, push notifications, and media sharing capabilities.
- Business applications: Flutter is a great option for creating business apps that require robust functionality, such as CRM, inventory management, and project management tools.
- E-commerce applications: Flutter is a great option for creating e-commerce apps that offer features such as a product catalog, shopping cart, payment gateway integration, and more.
- Educational applications: Flutter enables developers to create educational applications such as e-learning platforms, online courses, and interactive learning tools, all while providing a user-friendly experience.
- Gaming applications: Flutter is also capable of building games with 2D and 3D graphics, animations, sound effects, and other exciting features.
In general, Flutter offers developers the versatility and features to create a variety of mobile apps for various industries and purposes.
Companies that use Flutter
- The New York Times
- Square
- eBay
- BMW
- Alibaba
Which are the soft skills a Flutter Developer should have?
As you need to hire a Developer who can perfectly unfold within your team and company taking into account just technical skills would not be enough, and this is when soft skills play a big role. So now let’s dive into some basic soft skills good developers should have.
Some essential soft skills for a Flutter Developer should include:
- Communication: Being able to communicate effectively, especially in remote and asynchronous environments, is a real necessity for any professional nowadays. Communication skills are always in high demand, whether it's through describing ideas, discussing approaches, giving presentations, providing status updates, giving feedback, asking questions, or voicing concerns. The ability to communicate ideas clearly and to understand communicated ideas is of critical importance to ensure a well-aligned, agile team.
- Team Work: Individuals should demonstrate adaptability to various projects and environments. However, it is extremely important for them to value working within a team that allows for easy navigation, knowledge sharing, idea contribution, and learning from other team members. They should also be able to provide and receive feedback, pass on information, ask questions, and offer help when needed.
- Collaboration: Every project involves multiple people, and team members must be able to work with one another effectively. Collaboration is the combination of all of the above qualities in order to effect positive change and move the project and company forward.
- Adaptability: The ability to adapt to new circumstances, situations, scenarios, and environments is vital for professionals to cope with changes, challenges, fast-paced environments, uncertainty, and lack of predictability. It enables them to be more creative and resilient, providing solutions and new strategies whenever any shifts occur.
Hiring Process for a Flutter Developer
To hire technical talent who is the best fit for your company and project, you should ensure that your hiring process is aligned with your needs. This will provide you with useful and valuable information to help you make an informed decision before extending an offer letter to a developer.
We have listed below some steps that can be implemented in your hiring process to help you ace it and bring on board the right developer for your business.
Main Steps in the Hiring Process
Job Description
A great process starts with a well-written job description. It should contain important information, such as a brief description of the company and project, the main responsibilities of the professional, the seniority needed for the role, technical requirements, desired soft skills, salary, and perks.
An appealing and accurate job description can better attract targeted candidates, providing you with a more qualified list of applicants. It's important to remember that you don't want to get attention of all software engineers available in the market, but rather the ones that are aligned with your company's culture and the specific role.
Sourcing
Unlike other fields, the technical industry has its own unique challenges when it comes to attracting candidates. Simply posting job openings on job boards may not be sufficient to generate a substantial pool of qualified applicants. Therefore, it is important to proactively source candidates from a variety of channels, rather than solely relying on applicants to respond to job postings. Some of the sources that tech recruiters use to find candidates include GitHub, GitLab, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord servers, and consultancy companies.
To use some of the aforementioned platforms, your team should know how to apply Boolean search to filter only candidates that align with your vacancy.
Screening
After gathering a sufficient number of applicants, you will begin screening candidates to determine their suitability for the position. During this part of the process, you may review resumes, portfolios, cover letters, and repositories to ensure that you only got to candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role.
Among the relevant skillset for the vacancy, recruiters and hiring managers typically look for experiences, seniority, certifications, fluency in some specific language, educational background, certain projects or business, main technologies used, location and candidates’ salary expectations.
Screening can be done manually, through a specific platform or an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Choosing the best option for your needs will depend on the company's budget. A robust ATS with integrations with other tools and the ability to filter candidates by their expertise is ideal because it saves a lot of time and resources.
Interview
This is one of the most important steps of the hiring process for developers. It’ll allow you to fully understand if the talent is really aligned to the company and project. A good interview can extract valuable information from candidates that will make it possible for you to decide whether they will continue in the process or not. For that, it’s essential to have good questions to gather answers regarding technical and soft skills.
During an interview, you can ask various types of questions, such as behavioral, situational, competency-based, fact-based, skill-based, and technical questions, among others.
It’s also important that you present the company to the candidate, letting them know more about your culture, working environment, way of working and anything else that defines your company.
Technical Validation
After making sure the developers align to the skillset the role requires, you will need to check their technical abilities to ensure it meets the project’s expectations. Knowing exactly what’s the technical level that the candidates should have can help you design the type of technical validation that best adapts to your needs.
To technically validate candidates you can use technical interviews, technical tests/assessments, pair programming, project executions, live coding, work portfolio/GitHub reviews and team interviews, among others.
If you don't feel prepared to conduct technical interviews with developers because you're unsure of what questions to ask or how to evaluate their answers, you can try Genie, Trio's AI-powered interview question generator.
Hire a Flutter Developer with Trio
Trio Flutter developers are pre-vetted, interviewed, and then trained further to become true software professionals, capable of adapting to situations that are both within and outside of the scope of their general expertise.
At Trio, we hold our developers to a higher standard. Much like how elite special forces units recruit only the best from main branches of the military, we recruit developers who either show amazing potential or demonstrate exceptional skill.
We offer flexibility in terms of project requirements and team size adjusting it according to the project's needs. This allows our partners to scale up their project requirements as needed.
Moreover, we are committed to delivering high-quality apps within a reasonable time frame, with a proven track record of delivering projects on time and within budget without compromising on quality. A Trio developer is that you won’t incur the costs of hiring, which can add up to be around 30% of a developer’s salary on average, as well as overhead costs associated with full-time employment. All in all, by working with Trio, you can enjoy a highly experienced full-time developer for a fraction of the cost, along with the added project management assistance.
Last but not least, we value excellent communication and support throughout the project's life cycle. This ensures that our partners’ requirements are understood, and the project is delivered as per their expectations.
How much do flutter developers cost?
The cost of hiring a Flutter Developer can vary depending on the size of the company, their budget and also the seniority of the role. It is advisable to ask candidates about their salary expectations and compare them to your own budget. This helps to avoid putting candidates through the entire hiring process only to find out you cannot meet their expectations. It is important to be transparent throughout the hiring process.
It is also essential to consider that the cost of hiring software engineers in Latin America is significantly lower compared to American or Canadian professionals.
While hiring developers in Ukraine or Eastern Europe may also yield cost savings, the time zone difference may present challenges depending on the team's availability for collaboration. In such cases, hiring developers from Latin America proves to be a viable alternative as they can readily adapt to the Eastern or Pacific Time Zone.
At Glassdoor you can run some searches about the paid salary for Flutter Developers accordingly to their region.
We hope this guide can assist you in structuring your hiring process. However, keep in mind that you do not have to do it alone, as Trio is here to add value to your business by providing vetted and experienced talent that can easily meet your requirements and navigate across various business and project types. Additionally, Trio simplifies the hiring process by providing valuable insights into candidates' salary expectations, allowing you to make informed decisions about who to hire. Overall, if you require a senior Flutter developer, Trio is an excellent resource to consider.