Organizational versus Architectural patterns
I am a web developer currently working for a startup called Flex-Appeal where we work with a small team of developers. Every startup is technically challenged by the fact that there are so many tools available, they tend to pick the trendy ones and forget about the impact it can have over time.
Right now people talk alot about microservices. They are great, because you can just split everything into small chunks of functionality that are easily maintained. But does this architectural pattern really belong in the kind of organization you are working in?
I’ve been asking this question myself as well. I’ve read about the architectural patterns that big companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon are using to serve millions of users. These days you will probably read about things like containers and microservices. So you start hacking on little chunks of functionality split among different modules to be like them. But after a while you really think about the fact that you are less productive when you have those chunks of functionality inside modules instead of just a simple monolithic application.
So, is this really worth it? It looks really cool and big organizations are using it as well, so it must be working great! I tend to ask myself the following question:
Will the organization I work for be more productive with the way the application is architected?
And it probably will not. I mean, how can we compare a small team of developers with companies like Facebook and Google where there are multiple teams each working on a dedicated feature? You should be doing the exact opposite.
The reason that these companies have decided to use a kind of architecture is because the organization is way more productive with it and that should be your reason as well!
So next time you are thinking about the different ways of building your application, take a step back and pick the stack that you are the most comfortable and productive with. Use it when you actually know why you’re using it.
Thanks for reading, any feedback would be appreciated!