*this post is the 1st of a 4 part series of posts. This post gives a quick overview of Svelte, Vercel & Supabase, the following posts will go deeper into the technologies.
Part 1: Intro
Part 2: Supabase
Part 3: Vercel
Part 4: Svelte
Choosing the right stack for your project is akin to setting the foundations of a building. It needs to be solid, reliable, and scalable.
As a software engineer for over 26 years, I’ve finally found a stack that feels like home: Svelte, Supabase, and Vercel.
This trio has not only supercharged my own productivity but has also proven indispensable in my role as CTO of a small startup. When every decision weighs heavily on our budget and future, finding a stack that offers ease of use, scalability, reliability & cost-effectiveness, has been thoroughly reassuring.
Why SvelteKit, Supabase, & Vercel?
Each component of this stack brings something unique to the table.
Svelte, with its simplicity and speed, allows us to build web applications that are incredibly fast and easy to maintain. It eliminates the complexity typically associated with front-end development. It makes the developer experience delightfully smooth. This has been a game-changer for us. In a startup environment resources are limited, and we need to move quickly without sacrificing quality.
Then there’s Supabase, an open-source Firebase alternative, which has been a revelation. It offers the backend services we need – authentication, database, and storage – without the overhead of managing these systems ourselves. Its PostgreSQL foundation means we’re building on top of a powerful, open-source database. Not only that, its easy-to-use APIs save us countless hours that would otherwise be spent on backend development.
Vercel provides a seamless deployment and hosting solution that integrates perfectly with SvelteKit and GitHub. Its global CDN ensures our applications are fast, no matter where our users are. Its commitment to developer experience makes deploying our applications as simple as a git push. In the fast-paced environment of a startup, Vercel’s scalability and ease of use are invaluable.
Productivity Gains
The synergy between Svelte, Supabase, and Vercel has significantly boosted our productivity. The reduction in context switching, the streamlined development process, and the ease of deployment means we can go from idea to production incredibly fast. In a small startup, where each member often wears multiple hats, being able to focus more on solving our users’ problems and less on the intricacies of our tech stack is a massive advantage.
Scalability for Startups
For any early-stage startup, the ability to scale efficiently is critical. This stack ensures that we’re not just building for the present but are also prepared for future growth. Supabase and Vercel, in particular, offer scalable solutions that grow with us. Both ensure that we can handle increased loads without a hitch (and without surprise bills). This peace of mind allows us to focus on innovation and delivering value to our users, rather than worrying about our infrastructure.
A Personal Reflection
My personal journey through the realms of large corporations and startup agencies has taught me the importance of choosing the right tools. In the past, I’ve dealt with the complexities of custom builds and the challenges of managing primitive services on platforms like AWS, Azure & GCP. While powerful, they often require a significant investment in time and resources to manage effectively.
In my current role, where the margin for error is slim, and our budgets are tight, the simplicity, efficiency, and scalability of the Svelte, Supabase, and Vercel stack have been a blessing. It’s a setup that supports rapid growth and innovation, aligning perfectly with the transparent, agile, forward-thinking ethos of our startup.
My 26 years of experience across different spectrums of the tech industry has solidified my belief that software development is hard, the tech stack should make it easier, and abstracting the difficult parts away to scalable services should always be considered.
With this particular tech stack, I have personally found a great balance between interoperability, scalability and extensibility. A word of caution though, what works for one team does not necessarily mean its right for others. However, for our situation, it’s been a testament to how the right set of tools can not only enhance productivity but also empower a team to focus on what truly matters – creating value for the users.
*this post is the 1st of a 4 part series of posts. This post gives a quick overview of Svelte, Vercel & Supabase, the following posts will go deeper into the technologies.