Tech Stack Evaluation Guide
Framework for making technology decisions.
When to Use
- Choosing between frameworks/libraries
- Evaluating cloud providers
- Making build vs buy decisions
- Planning technology migrations
- Standardizing tech stack
Evaluation Framework
Decision Matrix
| Factor | Weight | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|
| Team Experience | 20% | Score | Score | Score |
| Community/Support | 15% | Score | Score | Score |
| Performance | 15% | Score | Score | Score |
| Scalability | 15% | Score | Score | Score |
| Cost (TCO) | 15% | Score | Score | Score |
| Integration | 10% | Score | Score | Score |
| Security | 10% | Score | Score | Score |
Scoring Guide
| Score | Meaning |
|---|
| 5 | Excellent, best in class |
| 4 | Good, above average |
| 3 | Adequate, meets needs |
| 2 | Below average, concerns |
| 1 | Poor, significant issues |
Common Comparisons
Frontend Frameworks
| Factor | React | Vue | Angular |
|---|
| Learning Curve | Medium | Low | High |
| Ecosystem | Large | Medium | Large |
| Performance | Good | Good | Good |
| Enterprise | Yes | Growing | Yes |
| Job Market | Largest | Growing | Strong |
Backend Languages
| Factor | Node.js | Python | Go | Java |
|---|
| Performance | Good | Medium | Excellent | Good |
| Ecosystem | Large | Large | Growing | Large |
| Learning | Easy | Easy | Medium | Hard |
| Concurrency | Event-loop | Async | Native | Threads |
Databases
| Factor | PostgreSQL | MySQL | MongoDB | DynamoDB |
|---|
| Type | Relational | Relational | Document | Key-Value |
| Scalability | Vertical | Vertical | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Schema | Strict | Strict | Flexible | Flexible |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free/Paid | Usage |
Cloud Providers
| Factor | AWS | GCP | Azure |
|---|
| Market Share | Largest | Growing | Second |
| Services | Most complete | Strong ML/Data | Enterprise |
| Pricing | Complex | Simpler | Complex |
| Free Tier | 12 months | Always free | 12 months |
Evaluation Process
Step 1: Define Requirements
## Requirements
- Scale: [Expected users/requests]
- Performance: [Latency requirements]
- Budget: [Monthly/yearly budget]
- Team: [Current skills and size]
- Timeline: [Implementation deadline]
Step 2: Identify Options
Research 3-5 viable options:
- Current market leaders
- Rising alternatives
- Team-familiar options
Step 3: Proof of Concept
Build minimal POC for top 2-3 options:
- Core functionality
- Integration test
- Performance benchmark
Step 4: Total Cost Analysis
| Cost Type | Option A | Option B |
|---|
| Licensing | $ | $ |
| Infrastructure | $ | $ |
| Development | $ | $ |
| Training | $ | $ |
| Maintenance | $ | $ |
| Total (3 yr) | $ | $ |
Step 5: Risk Assessment
| Risk | Option A | Option B |
|---|
| Vendor lock-in | Low/Med/High | |
| Technology obsolescence | | |
| Skill availability | | |
| Security concerns | | |
Build vs Buy
Build When
- Core competitive advantage
- Unique requirements
- Long-term cost savings
- Team has expertise
Buy When
- Commodity functionality
- Time to market critical
- Ongoing maintenance burden
- Industry standard exists
Decision Tree
Is it core to your business?
├── Yes → Does expertise exist?
│ ├── Yes → Build
│ └── No → Buy (for now)
└── No → Buy or use open source
Migration Planning
Migration Phases
- Assessment - Current state analysis
- Planning - Target architecture
- Preparation - Team training, tooling
- Migration - Incremental rollout
- Validation - Testing, monitoring
- Cutover - Final switch
- Optimization - Post-migration tuning
Risk Mitigation
- Run parallel systems
- Feature flags for rollback
- Comprehensive testing
- Staged rollout
- Clear rollback plan
Documentation Template
# Technology Decision: [Name]
## Context
Why are we making this decision?
## Options Considered
1. [Option A] - Pros/Cons
2. [Option B] - Pros/Cons
3. [Option C] - Pros/Cons
## Decision
We chose [Option] because...
## Consequences
- Positive: [List]
- Negative: [List]
## Implementation Plan
- Phase 1: [Action]
- Phase 2: [Action]
