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

1. Assessment - Current state analysis
2. Planning - Target architecture
3. Preparation - Team training, tooling
4. Migration - Incremental rollout
5. Validation - Testing, monitoring
6. Cutover - Final switch
7. 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]