I'm a Linux/Mac guy that loves node.js but my friend is more familiar with C# / Microsoft technologies.
Me and my friend are building a nice web app with Angular js and we cannot agree on the server side technology yet.
He wants our server to be written in C# and MS SQL server. I feel way more conferrable using node.js with Postrgres and Linux servers.
Each of us tried other's technology stack and every time one of us had difficulties developing on the other's preferred technology.
What should we do in order to help us to solve this problem?
Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
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Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#2Tough situation. In my exoerience, best way to resolve this is to try each stack for couple of days.
On the side note, I highly recommend to try Meteor (www.meteor.com). I was in the same spot a year and a half ago and when we tried Meteor, we didnt know anything about Node but Meteor was so simple that we just went with it and never looked back.
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#3This is a slam dunk.. I'm well versed in both.
Use Node. C# is too inflexible and MS SQL Server is always the wrong decision unless a client is dictating it. I spent 5 years using SQL Server, and when I discovered PostgreSQL seven years ago, it was like a gift from heaven.
Node with PostgreSQL gives you NoSQL and structured SQL facilities. Your friend will pick up node quickly if he just stops thinking in C# ways.
Designing a web service on Node will be 3x to 4x faster than in C#, and as a startup, time to minimum viable product (MVP) must be your primary concern. If, after that, he decides to try and write it on his own and prove you wrong, so be it...
Cheers and good luck!
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#4Here are my thoughts, in no particular order.
- Don't work with a friend on a startup. You are very unlikely to be friends afterward. If you can't easily compromise on something as unimportant as your stack, you're going to disagree on way more important things. Why do you need two devs anyway?
- Two things that kills startups are analysis paralysis (always trying to make the perfect choice = wasting lots of time) and being afraid to leave your comfort zone. Both of you should be willing to use the other person's stack because it will end this pointless argument and also help you learn something new (and possibly something you like even better than what you're using now).
- If you're using Angular, you have an objective reason to slightly prefer Node: it allows you to use a single language on the front and back ends.
- One possible compromise would be to use TypeScript, which was created by the same guy who created C#, so it shares lots of the same philosophy. TypeScript is also the native language of Angular now, so you can use it on the front and back ends.
- Another possible compromise would be for one of you to work on the back end only, and the other to work on the front end only.
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#5Flip a coin. Seriously. Moving forwards is far more important than being "right". If it turns out you made the wrong decision you can always fix the code later. All the hard stuff (data models, business logic, etc) is portable between languages.
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#6Things will only get more difficult. pick the stack and move on.
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#7Pick a stack and go, your just wasting time and effort that is not focused on your value prop.
Strictly pair program the implementation to facilitate quick knowledge transfer of the tech stack.
In the early stages, it is about finding a minimal solution to fit your value prop so you can get people to engage with it and validate your assumptions. This requires more thinking than code. Pairing the implementation will not only allow tech knowledge transfer, it will facilitate those important idea discussions that need to happen too.
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#8Perhaps evaluate the financial aspect of each stack, and compare.
I suspect C# /.NET / MSSQL / Windows servers will be higher. In addition to server costs, someone has to pay for those software licenses too.
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#9[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: My friend and I cannot agree on our server side stack for our startup
#10Pick something that MOST of the people doing the actual devs are comfortable working with. You really don't want your team's time spent on learning new things.
Just do your product.
If a stack shoes some limits when scaling or anything else along the way and if your startup is still viable, then you can plan a migration with all what you learned to back your tech choice.