The Right Tech Stack
What’s the best front-end framework today — React, Angular, or Vue?
What’s the best open-source CMS — Drupal, Django, or WordPress?
What’s the best mobile app framework — React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin?
What’s the best AI chatbot — ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini?
As leaders, we’re asked these questions all the time as if there’s a single “right” answer. Early in my career, I thought there was.
Back in 2007, I was a junior developer on a bachelor party trip in Las Vegas. Somewhere between off-roading in the Mojave Desert and late nights yelling “come on 6 or 8” at the craps table, a friend and I got into the kind of debate that only happens when more than one software developer shows up to a bachelor party:
PHP vs. Java: which is better?
I argued for PHP:
- Quick to spin up and deploy a site
- Endless community tutorials
- Cheap hosting everywhere
He swore by Java:
- More robust and scalable
- Strong typing and structure made it easier to maintain
- Trusted by enterprises for mission-critical work
Both of us were right, and both of us were wrong. My “PHP always works” bias came from projects I built myself. My “Java doesn’t work” bias came from joining a team that had used it badly. The reality was never about the language, it was about the implementation.
Fast forward: tech leadership in practice
From 2015–2022, I served as CTO at a digital agency. In nearly every client pitch, I’d get the question: “What’s your preferred tech stack?”
Earlier in my career, I might have launched into a sales pitch for PHP, or later, Node.js. Instead, my answer was always:
“Whatever tech stack your team is already familiar with.”
That answer often surprised clients. But over time I saw that it built trust because it showed I wasn’t there to push shiny tools. I was there to help them deliver results with the team they already had invested in hiring and training.
Leaders often over-index on technology choices. The harder, more impactful question is: How is your team using the tools they already know?
Now in the AI era
Today the stack wars matter even less as AI has fundamentally changed the equation.
- Developers can scaffold projects in any framework instantly — for example, spinning up a new React app prototype or API with a fully functional baseline in minutes using tools like bolt.new.
- They can get contextual help for unfamiliar languages on demand — a Python developer can debug Rust or Go without months of ramp-up by asking Cursor or Windsurf to explain what’s happening in the codebase.
- Knowledge can transfer across ecosystems faster than ever — AI can even translate working code patterns from one stack (say, PHP) into another (Node.js) to accelerate migration… or dare I say, from Drupal 7 all the way to Drupal 11.
As leaders, our advantage is no longer in betting on the “right” tool, it’s in building teams that can adapt, learn, and execute, regardless of the tool.
The leadership takeaway
There’s no one right stack. And despite my argument 20 years ago, there never was. Your role as a tech leader isn’t to crown winners in language or AI debates. It’s to:
- Recognize that tools succeed or fail based on how teams wield them
- Invest in processes and people that turn tools into results
- Encourage adaptability so that when the next React, the next Java, or the next AI model comes along, your team can move confidently
In 2007, I thought PHP was “better” than Java. In 2015, I learned that the “best stack” was whatever my clients’ teams could actually use. And in 2025, the question isn’t “What’s the best tool?” — it’s “How quickly can your team harness the next one?”
Need developers who can thrive in any tech stack and adapt as new tools emerge? We specialize in technical recruiting for agencies and product companies. Let’s chat about your specific needs.