Identify Yourself - Are you Full Stack?

You hear this phrase all the time in the digital world, whether it be by recruiters, job posts or self proclaimed developers themselves. 

What exactly are these magical people?

Does anyone know ? All they do know is they need them on their team ! Often companies don't even know what a full stack developer consists of or what they require from one. 

W3C defines a full stack developer as 

"A full stack web developer is a person who can develop both client and server software." 

However this isn't always the same from one source to another, and this is the issue these days there's so much ambiguity in the title.

Confusion

The requirements and skill sets of a full stack developer differ from one company to another. Some companies require a basic knowledge of database (running sql script or understanding an ORM (object relational model) system such as Entity Framework. The ability to write backend code, and then have some front end html knowledge. A more jack of all trades master of none.

Other companies however take it to the other end of the spectrum requiring you to be a DbAdmin, a proficient backend developer, architect, and UX / UI.

Why do companies dream of full stack  developers?

Simple , costs. The notion of having someone that can tackle multiple jobs, and work on any part of the development lifecycle is a huge plus. Why struggle hiring 2 or 3 different people when you could hire one proficient full stack developer. But don't I have to pay them more than normal devs? Maybe so, but you're paying for a multitude of skills, and not mulitiple peoples' salaries. When I've been asked before why I can ask for a certain pay grade I often reply with

 "Because I have a broader knowledge base than just a specialist dev, and can get our team out of a lot more sticky situations, with the ability to apply myself to any aspect of the project. Additionally, I could build entire parts of a web project myself, without having to rely on other teams, and passing work back and forward, increasing productivity". 

My final thought 

Based on my experience and personal opinion, a true full stack developer is someone with experience, someone who can competently develop and contribute input to every stage of the development life cycle. From model building and database architecture, to back end coding and business logic, all the way through to the presentation layer and UX. Whether they are creating a SPA with e.g React, Vue or Angular, or a web application with a scripting language, a full stack developer should be able create a interactive UI. Additionally, they should be knowledgeable in writing dynamic html and styling, preferably utilising a stylesheet language as Less or Sass.

If you're hiring a full stack developer, please asses your requirements and ask yourself what you believe is a FSD. Network with recruiters and other companies to see if you're on the same playing field, making it clearer to candidates what you're expecting from the offset.

As a developer, ask yourself am I full stack developer? Or am I more a back / front end developer. Don't worry, you can still be a full stack developer , but have a speciality. This kind FSD are even more sort after sometimes , and are a great asset to any development team. 

Feel free to follow, or contact me on twitter @Gweaths