It’s exciting building solutions with the latest frameworks and technology. Especially when there’s a lot of hype and excitement behind those projects.
However, there’s a lot to be said for using technology that’s tried and true.
Sure, it isn’t as cool as the newer stuff but it’s issues are well documented and knowing that, you can design around them when necessary.
Should you use the shiny new tech or stick to the tried and true?
What’s The Goal?
As expected — hopefully — it’s never a simple this or that decision.
Before you can what a choice on what to build with, you have to figure out what the goal of what you are building is.
Most teams set their goal as to solve problem X.
That’s a start but it’s not finished.
Systems Thinking
Solutions today are dynamic systems. They have a complete lifecycle. You don’t just write the code and then forget about it.
You need to design, write, and then deploy the system. Once it’s been deployed, you need to keep it running effectively until it’s time to retire the solution.
This broader view brings a new perspective to our goal.
We no longer need to just solve problem X. We need to do so in a sustainable manner.
Updated goal: Solve problem X in a sustainable manner throughout its lifecycle.
New Goal
Operating the solution requires it to be maintainable.
How does that shiny new framework scale? How frequently is it patched? The answer to these questions will impact the choices you make through the systems lifecycle.
Shiny doesn’t always mean better.
