How to Hire a Full Stack Developer for your Next Chat Project
The question we put in the title, in fact, is a two-in-one question. On the one hand, we need to find out which skills a full-stack developer should have to qualify for a chat project. On the other hand, we need to decide where such developers could be found. In our little research, we will try to find answers to both questions.
What is a full-stack developer?
In 2019, this question may be a bit out-of-date, as the role of a full-stack developer is getting increasingly popular. In the StackOverflow Survey 2018, almost half of the respondents identified themselves as full-stack developers.
At the same time, let’s briefly outline the main functions of the full-stack developer role, as it is going to help us get to the core of our issue — where to find them.
Web developer roles can be rather loosely classified as front-end, back-end, and full-stack. Front-end developers do what users see and interact with (the user interface). Back-end developers create the parts that are invisible to the users but make the app tick (the server-side components). Full-stack developers — you guessed it! — do both.
Skills of a full-stack developer
Obviously, since full-stack developers work both on the front-end and the back-end, they need the skills required for both sides of the project. From the front-end point of view, a full-stack developer will need to know:
- HTML, as the basis of any website content and structure;
- CSS setting the layout and style of webpages;
- JavaScript as the language of the front-end development that is at the core of all web applications;
- A front-end development framework, such as Angular, React, or Vue.js. Of course, they are based on the knowledge of HTML and JavaScript, but as a complete development tool, give much wider opportunities in creating front-end components.
Now, if we look at the back-end, the situation here is a bit more complicated. The thing is that in each particular project, back-end development is centered around a certain programming language. There are quite a number of them, each with their advantages and disadvantages. A back-end developer — or a full-stack developer, for that matter — is usually proficient in a particular language — Java, Scala, Python. There is also Node.js with its “JavaScript everywhere” concept but that requires the knowledge of the environment in addition to JavaScript as such.
Thus, we are coming to the conclusion that the minimum set of skills that a full-stack developer should possess includes the experience with one of the front-end development stacks and one of the back-end programming languages. Often, web development tools are joined into “stacks” forming a complete set of instruments that include a front-end framework, a back-end environment and a database, such as the MEAN stack. Full-stack developers should also be familiar and experienced with server-side stacks, such as LAMP, WAMP, MAMP, etc.
However, notice the term “minimum” that we used in describing the skill requirements, as a truly professional full-stack developer is more than just a skilled programmer.
Being a full-stack developer takes an understanding of the complete business logic of the project, the component integration, the basics of UI/UX design. They can see the project as a whole and understand the purpose of each of the individual components.
Skills of a full-stack developer for a chat project
While the concept of full-stack development is the same regardless of the project type, there are still some special requirements related to the type of application you are building. If we are talking about messenger apps, your full-stack developer should have the experience of the following tools and techniques:
- Data encryption. In messenger apps, data encryption is among the top priority matters. Servers, databases and communication channels must be properly protected against compromise. While encryption and other data protection mechanisms are rather the tasks of DevOps, for a full-stack developer building a messenger app, it will be useful to have at least a basic knowledge of these tools and methods. Full-stack developers work closely with DevOps, therefore, both of them should have a clear understanding of what each of them is doing.
- APIs and their use. A chat application often comes in a package with an API or SDK allowing to integrate the entire chat functionality or some of its components in other software. Developers should be able to prepare the APIs and document them properly using the corresponding tools, such as Swagger.
- Video and voice streaming. Today, in addition to text chats, most messenger applications offer video and audio calls, therefore, their developers should be able to implement these features, have experience with advanced communication technologies, video and audio coding. In this context, we should say that a full-stack developer should also have a solid knowledge of networking and communication standardization solutions, such as the OSI model.
Advantages of hiring a full-stack developer
The advantages of engaging a full-stack developer for a project are quite numerous:
- Focus on business goals. The full-stack developer, being involved in the creation of all components of the product, sees the complete picture and can view each component as a part of the whole. This way, component integration will be almost seamless.
- Multi-functional abilities. Since full-stack developers are professionals in many areas, they can switch between tasks relatively quickly, thus ensuring that the priority tasks are done first. The project reaches a higher agility level where the changing priorities are addressed within the shortest time possible.
- Cost-effectiveness. While a pro full-stack developer salary is likely to be at a higher level, it may be more economical than hiring two developers for the front-end and back-end, if you find the right full-stack developer for your project.
Where to find full-stack developers for your project?
To answer this question, you first should be clear on what type of project you have in mind and which relationship you are going to have with your team. If you are planning an ongoing project and you already have an in-house team, it will be wise to hire a developer full-time. In this case, the best option is to contact a recruiting agency to help you find candidates.
If you need a developer for a limited number of tasks only, you can opt for hiring a freelancer. There are lots of freelance platforms where you can find and interview developers, for example, Upwork.
For long-term projects that you expect to grow and evolve over time, it will be a good idea to contract a development company that will do everything from design to development, deployment and post-launch maintenance. This option may be much less expensive than hiring your own in-house team and guarantees that you are getting all the functions you need.
Moreover, by partnering with a development company, you are getting also the project manager to supervise the development. All administration matters, as well as the development details, will be on the development company’s side, too, which is a great solution for businesses with no own IT departments. If you are looking for a development company for your project, we recommend starting with Clutch, a platform posting company ratings, and reviews.
Wrapping up
In the long run, working with people who can build both front-end and back-end and see the complete picture brings multiple benefits, such as shorter time-to-market, more consistent code, higher performance, and stability, to name a few.
In our web development experience, we have come to value full-stack developers for their broad skills and deep understanding of the project flows and principles. In QuickBlox we believe that the ability to see how individual features will join into a complete product is one of the greatest advantages for a software developer.
