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Description Option 1:"Thinking of hiring a full-stack developer? Here's what 15 years in tech taught me about this common (and costly) startup mistake."

Description Option 2:"'One developer who can do it all' sounds perfect – until it isn't. Here's what founders need to know before making this expensive mistake."

The Full-Stack Developer Myth: What Founders Need to Know Before Hiring

Is your project taking way longer than planned? Spending more money than you expected? There's a common hiring mistake that might be to blame: believing that one developer can do it all. While having a single person handle everything sounds perfect, it often leads to problems that can throw your whole project off track.

What Actually Is a Full-Stack Developer?

Simply put, a full-stack developer is someone who can work on all parts of your product – both what users see (the frontend) and how everything works behind the scenes (the backend). Think of them as a technical all-rounder: someone who can handle different tasks across your project.

But here's the thing: being able to do something isn't the same as being able to do it well. It's like finding a restaurant that serves both pizza and sushi – sure, they might be able to make both, but you might wonder if they can really do either one amazingly well.

Why This "Do It All" Approach Often Falls Short

1. Why One Person Often Means Slower Progress

Here's something most people won't tell you: having one person handle everything usually slows things down. When you have separate frontend and backend developers, they can work at the same time on different parts. With one person doing everything, tasks have to happen one after another, which can make your project take twice as long.

2. The Experience Gap

Being great at one thing doesn't mean you're great at everything. A brilliant website developer might struggle with mobile apps. This becomes really clear with things like getting apps into app stores, testing with users, and dealing with Apple and Android's specific rules.

3. When "Good Enough" Isn't Good Enough

While moving quickly and fixing things later might work for some startups, it's not always an option. If you're building a medical app or working with the government, everything needs to work perfectly. A full-stack developer might be stretched too thin to handle all the important details like:

• Making sure data is stored safely
• Keeping the app running quickly
• Following security rules
• Meeting legal requirements

4. The Risk of Relying on One Person

Here's a big risk many founders miss: what happens when your full-stack developer gets sick, goes on holiday, or leaves? All your technical knowledge sits with one person, which is risky for your business. Plus, when one person builds everything alone, they often use shortcuts that make sense to them but might confuse future developers.

5. Why Messages Get Mixed Up

Full-stack developers often have so much to do that they don't have time to talk things through properly. This means you might end up with features that aren't quite what you wanted. It's like playing a game of telephone with your product ideas – things can get lost along the way.

6. The Hiring Struggle

Finding a truly skilled full-stack developer is really hard. Many founders waste months looking for the perfect person when they could have already started building with a team of specialists.

When Having One Developer Actually Makes Sense

Despite these challenges, sometimes hiring a full-stack developer is the right choice:

1. Simple Projects: If your app doesn't need anything too fancy and doesn't need to handle lots of complicated tasks behind the scenes.
2. Proven Track Record: When they've built similar things before and can clearly explain why certain technical choices make sense for your project.
3. Clear Planning: If they can show you a detailed plan that thinks ahead about possible problems.

Five Tips to Make the Right Choice

1. Know What You Need

Before hiring anyone, understand exactly what your project needs. Don't let technology choices be made just because it's what your developer knows best.

2. Start Small, Grow Smart

You can start with a full-stack developer, but plan to bring in experts for important parts of your project. Just be honest about this plan from the start to avoid problems later.

3. Ask Agencies the Right Questions

When working with agencies, ask exactly who will build your product. What are they really good at?

4. Look Beyond Technical Skills

Technical skills matter, but so does finding someone who understands your business goals and communicates clearly. A developer who gets what you're trying to achieve can help in ways that go beyond just writing code.

5. Trust Your Gut

If something feels off during the hiring process, pay attention to that feeling. Hiring the wrong person costs way more than spending extra time finding the right one.

The Bottom Line

Full-stack developers aren't a myth – they do exist. But thinking one person can handle everything perfectly is usually unrealistic. Instead, focus on finding the right approach for your specific project, whether that's one developer or a small team of experts.

Choosing who builds your product is one of the biggest decisions you'll make early on. Take your time to get it right, and be ready to change your approach if needed.