Lessons from a Startup: Tech Stack Choices, Development Process, and Team Management

Background

In June 2022 the author joined a very small startup whose non‑technical founder demanded rapid development of Android and iOS apps while keeping personnel costs low, leading to cash‑flow problems and eventual dissolution.

Initial Technology Selection

The small team consisted of the author, a fresh frontend developer and a UI designer. Based on the author’s experience with frontend and Node.js, the following stack was chosen:

Use uni-app to develop cross‑platform apps, leaving room for future mini‑programs.

Use egg.js + MySQL for the backend, with a later migration to midway.js if needed.

Use antd-vue for the admin console to keep the frontend stack consistent with uni-app .

The combined stack ( egg.js + MySQL + uni-app + antd-vue ) allowed the team to deliver two apps and an admin panel quickly.

Why Choose uni‑app for Mobile Development

Pure native iOS/Android required hiring separate developers, which the founder could not afford. Flutter also required learning or hiring. React‑Native/Taro were similar to uni‑app, but uni‑app was chosen for familiarity and speed.

Why Choose egg.js for the Backend

Although Java, PHP, or Go would be technically superior, they were too expensive. egg.js was familiar to the author, easy to learn for new members, and sufficient for the project’s performance needs.

Mid‑Project Turbulence

Despite completing the initial development on schedule, the founder repeatedly demanded UI changes, rewrote product specifications, and even tried to recruit native and Java developers without clear justification. New requirements such as system upgrades, a mini‑program, instant‑messaging, and other features kept emerging.

Later Technical Adjustments

Changed the app packaging strategy.

Introduced midway.js for new services, leveraging the existing egg.js expertise.

Created internal npm packages for shared business components.

Standardized code style and development processes.

Recruitment and Team Management

Recruitment

Hiring for a tiny startup is difficult, especially with limited salary. The chosen stack allowed anyone proficient in JavaScript to contribute to both frontend and backend, reducing the need for specialized hires.

Team Management

Key practices included: business‑driven decision making, adopting a full‑stack approach to avoid resource waste, establishing lightweight coding standards, following a clear development workflow (product evaluation → task allocation → technical assessment → development → testing → code review → release → post‑release monitoring), and measuring performance by delivery dates, documentation, bug count, and careful database changes.

Final Advice for Startup Developers

Ensure the founder is reliable and decisive.

Even if a project fails, a trustworthy founder may succeed elsewhere.

Focus on generating revenue; without cash flow a startup cannot survive.

Prioritize core business problems over tooling or code style.

Maintain transparent communication with the founder.

Treat every experience as a learning opportunity.