"What's the best framework for building a SaaS?"

"Should I use Next.js or Remix?"

"Is PostgreSQL better than MySQL?"

"What about Supabase vs. Firebase vs. PlanetScale?"

I see these questions constantly. Forums full of debates. Hours of research. Comparison spreadsheets.

Meanwhile, nothing gets built.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: the stack doesn't matter nearly as much as you think.

The Research Trap

Researching stacks feels productive. You're learning, comparing, evaluating options. It seems like due diligence.

It's usually procrastination.

Every hour you spend comparing Next.js to Nuxt is an hour you didn't spend building. Every framework comparison video you watch is a feature you didn't ship.

The irony: most successful products could have been built with almost any modern stack. The technology wasn't the differentiator. The product was.

Why Builders Obsess Over Stack

I get it. Stack decisions feel important because:

Fear of choosing wrong. What if you pick the wrong framework and have to rewrite everything? (You probably won't have to.)

Wanting to learn the "right" thing. If you're going to invest time, shouldn't it be in the "best" technology? (There's no objective best.)

Procrastination disguised as research. It's easier to watch tutorials than to face the blank canvas of actually building. (This one stings because it's true.)

The stack question is a comfortable way to avoid the hard part: deciding what to build and actually building it.

What Actually Matters

When it comes to technology choices, here's what actually matters:

Does it work? Can you build what you need to build? Then it works.

Can you build with it? Do you know it or can you learn it quickly? Then it's the right choice.

Can you ship? Will it get you to a working product? Then use it.

That's it. That's the whole evaluation.

The Boring Stack Advantage

You know what I recommend? The boring stack.

Proven technologies that have been around for years. Technologies with lots of tutorials, lots of Stack Overflow answers, lots of people who've solved your problems before.

Boring is good because:

  • Fewer surprises
  • More resources when you get stuck
  • More stability and security fixes
  • Still around in five years

The cutting-edge framework with the cool name might be dead in two years. React and Node.js will still be here.

When Stack Does Matter (Rarely)

There are situations where technology choice matters more:

Extreme scale. If you're building the next Twitter, technology decisions matter. But you're probably not. And if you are, you'll rewrite anyway once you hit scale.

Specific performance requirements. Real-time gaming, high-frequency trading, embedded systems. These have genuine technical constraints.

Team expertise. If you're hiring a team, using what they know saves months of ramp-up.

For most solo founders building most products? Just pick something and go.

The Decision Framework

If you insist on a framework for deciding, here it is:

Have you used it before? Use it again. Don't learn a new framework and build a product at the same time.

Can you get help if stuck? Active community? Plenty of tutorials? Good docs? Then it's viable.

Will it exist in 5 years? Major framework backed by a company or large community? It'll be around.

If your answer is yes to any of these, use that thing. If multiple things qualify, pick randomly. Seriously.

After You Choose

Once you've decided:

Stop reading comparisons. You've chosen. The debate is over.

Don't switch mid-project. The grass isn't greener. Every stack has problems. The problems you know are better than the problems you don't.

Master what you have. Go deep instead of wide. Understanding one stack well beats surface knowledge of five.

My Stack (And Why It Doesn't Matter)

For what it's worth, here's what I use:

  • Next.js for the frontend
  • TypeScript for type safety
  • Tailwind for styling
  • Vercel for hosting

Is this the best stack? I have no idea. It's the stack I know. I can build quickly with it. It gets out of my way.

That's all that matters.

You should use whatever you know. Whatever you can build with. Whatever ships.

The stack is not the product. The product is the product. The stack is just how you build it.

Related Reading