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Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

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Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#3
Not exactly a startup (yet?), but I'm using .NET 6 in my side project to build the API backing a React SPA. It was funny arriving at it, because I started out by trying to choose between Python and Elixir, having left the Microsoft ecosystem 10 years ago (and vowing not to return to it). At the end of the day, .NET bubbled up to the top as the sweet spot of familiarity, maintainability due to strong typing, integration into the open source ecosystem, and ease of hiring should that ever become a concern (premature optimization, but still).

I just use it on the backend along with Entity Framework, a pretty neat ORM, and do my best to avoid lock-in into the rest of the Microsoft monoculture. Using Postgres for data, AWS for hosting, React with Vite for frontend because I would never trust MS to get that aspect right with their endless iteration of UI frameworks both on web and desktop.

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#4
I would find it hard to evaluate these answers without the inclusion of "upon what workstations" and "deployed via what" because if the startup requires developers to use Windows and deploys to Azure (or such), this isn't as newsworthy as heterogeneous workstations deploying on Bottlerocket/Container Optimized OS

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#5
post #3

Not exactly a startup (yet?), but I'm using .NET 6 in my side project to build the API backing a React SPA. It was funny arriving at it, because I started out by trying to choose between Python and Elixir, having left the Microsoft ecosystem 10 years ago (and vowing not to return to it). At the end of the day, .NET bubbled up to the top as the sweet spot of familiarity, maintainability due to strong typing, integrati…

How is EF with postgres these days?

In the framework days it always used to come with a heavy dose of caution, but I'm expecting post-open source it's a lot better?

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#6
post #5
post #3

Not exactly a startup (yet?), but I'm using .NET 6 in my side project to build the API backing a React SPA. It was funny arriving at it, because I started out by trying to choose between Python and Elixir, having left the Microsoft ecosystem 10 years ago (and vowing not to return to it). At the end of the day, .NET bubbled up to the top as the sweet spot of familiarity, maintainability due to strong typing, integrati…

How is EF with postgres these days? In the framework days it always used to come with a heavy dose of caution, but I'm expecting post-open source it's a lot better?

We use it in production with no big complains. I'm a Dapper man myself but EF Core works fine with Postgres. Just add Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL to your project, generate a migration script and add a Postgres container to your docker-compose.yml and you're off to the races. The migration scripts that are auto generate work well and are pretty safe for rolling forward.

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#7
post #4

I would find it hard to evaluate these answers without the inclusion of "upon what workstations" and "deployed via what" because if the startup requires developers to use Windows and deploys to Azure (or such), this isn't as newsworthy as heterogeneous workstations deploying on Bottlerocket/Container Optimized OS

What does it matter if the deployment is "newsworthy" or not? "Newsworthy" doesn't mean "productive" nor does it mean "good for a startup trying to build revenue". I guess it might matter to attracting talent or investment? But productivity should still be more useful to a startup over novelty.

That said, .NET Core 1.x through .NET Core 3.x and .NET 5+ have great heterogeneous support. I've seen teams develop on Linux and deploy to a mix of "nano" containers on AWS and Azure. That "novelty" certainly exists in today's .NET.

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#8
I started my company back when news about .NET Core was first coming out (2016).

I've been bitten by Microsoft before (relied on tech they eventually killed), but decided it was worth it because of the modernization they had planned. Things such as AOT compilation, strong cross-platform support, lightweight runtime etc. was a giant productivity booster for me and my small team of 4 people.

Microsoft eventually backpaddled on a a few of their promises, but I still believe it was the right choice. I had doubts back then, but I would not hesitate today.

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#9
post #4

I would find it hard to evaluate these answers without the inclusion of "upon what workstations" and "deployed via what" because if the startup requires developers to use Windows and deploys to Azure (or such), this isn't as newsworthy as heterogeneous workstations deploying on Bottlerocket/Container Optimized OS

What does it matter if the deployment is "newsworthy" or not? "Newsworthy" doesn't mean "productive" nor does it mean "good for a startup trying to build revenue". I guess it might matter to attracting talent or investment? But productivity should still be more useful to a startup over novelty. That said, .NET Core 1.x through .NET Core 3.x and .NET 5+ have great heterogeneous support. I've seen teams develop on Linu…

Sorry if that word ruffled feathers, I wasn't trying to be a troll :-(

And yes, I appreciate that the marketingware for .NET claims a lot of cross platform, but from outside of that ecosystem it has been my experience that Microsoft's definition of cross platform can often be "works on Windows 10 and Server 2008" which is quite different from what normal people think of as cross platform

The mention of that "nano" containers in your response is the very risk I was trying to get at, since I have absolutely zero interest in running Windows anything in production, so it's important to be able to hear from folks who roll these out alongside their existing containerd setups

Re: Ask HN: Who is using the .NET stack for their startup (2022)?

#10
I haven't launched a startup on .NET recently, but I've been looking into modern .NET and I'm pretty impressed. I'll probably use it for my next side-project.

I think Blazor in particular has a lot of potential. I've grown disillusioned with front-end development over the past 5 years so it's worth trying something new and experimental. But I'm not sure I'd bet my career on it or ship it widely yet.

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