The stack matters more than you think when taking a client project

A lot of times when you're given a project, especially when it isn't coming from an agency or a tech company, the client doesn't necessarily tell you what stack to use.

And sometimes, they already have a stack in mind.

Maybe they were told by AI that “this is the best stack.” or “your developer can’t run away with this codebase blah blah …

Maybe another developer used it for them before.

Or maybe they simply saw someone online recommend it.

Personally, I think this is something developers need to pay more attention to before starting a project.

About 3 weeks ago, I got a Webflow gig through a referral from a previous client…

Now, I'd never actually used Webflow before.

But I'd worked with WordPress very, very long ago, and sometime this year so I thought:

“Yeah, I should be able to do this.”

And Yh I did.

I learned what I needed to learn, built the website, and delivered it to the client's taste.

( ps: I If you're wondering how I was confident enough to take on a technology I had never used before, I talked about that whole diversification / transfer-of-knowledge thing here:

https://www.penna.dev/apcodesphere/a021539e-5c0d-4389-a777-344bc35cd106)

Everything seemed fine.

Until we got to deployment.

The client then realised that getting a custom domain on the plan he needed would cost around $225 yearly .

And that became the turning point.

Because for this particular project, the only thing we really needed from the paid plan was the custom domain.

Paying that much for essentially that one requirement didn't make much sense to either of us.

So I told him:

“If you don't mind, I can just build this from scratch with code instead.”

I'd use Next.js, host it on Vercel, and we'd only need to pay for the domain — roughly $13/year in this case.

He agreed.

We adjusted the price a little from the original agreement, and ultimately, we were both cool with the outcome.

Be more intentional about the stack before you start.

Normally, I already do this. This was actually like a rush smt so I didn’t really really question.

But sometimes, depending on how strongly the client is attached to a particular stack, you might just go with what they've requested.

And I think that's where we need to communicate better as developers.

If a client says:

“I want Webflow.”

Don't just say:

“Okay.”

Understand why they want Webflow.

If they say:

“I want Shopify.”

Understand what they're actually trying to achieve.

If they say:

“I want WordPress.”

Again, ask questions.

Because the easiest stack to build with isn't necessarily the cheapest or easiest stack to run.

Platforms like Webflow, Shopify and other managed solutions can make development extremely easy.

But the costs, limitations, hosting requirements, custom-domain requirements, plugins, subscriptions and other considerations can become a problem later.

And that's something the client might not know.

That's where your expertise comes in.

You're not just there to take the client's requested stack and start coding.

You're also there to tell them:

“Here's what you want to build.”

“Here's the stack you requested.”

“Here's what it will cost to run.”

“Here are the limitations.”

“And here's another option that might make more sense for your specific needs.”

The final decision can still be theirs.

But they should be making that decision with the full picture.

Because imagine building an entire project and only discovering after completion that the client now needs to pay hundreds of dollars a year just to use a feature you could have achieved much more cheaply with another approach.

That's a conversation that should have happened before development started.

So my advice?

Don't just ask, “What stack do you want?”

Ask:

“Why this stack?”

And if you believe another approach would be better, explain the pros, cons, costs and limitations before you write the first line of code.

It can save you, your client, and the project a LOT of stress later.

And yes, I still completed the webflow project. Added webflow to my “container of stacks” 🤧 as well

Tears of an ex developer ( not the one who quit but just decided to be extra)