Technology
BackendLaravel, Node.js, Python
The backend stack we reach for, the trade-offs we name, and when we use something else — Laravel for the rapid build, Node.js for the JavaScript end-to-end, Python for the AI and the data, with the choice made against the team, the product and the integration.
What we use it for
Laravel for the rapid build, the convention and the ecosystem — the right answer for a CRUD-heavy product, a SaaS that needs to ship fast, an internal tool that needs to be maintainable. Node.js for the JavaScript end-to-end, the real-time and the API. Python for the AI, the data and the ML.
We extend the stack with the frameworks the product needs — NestJS or Express for Node, Django or FastAPI for Python. The choice is made against the team, the product and the integration, not the trend.
When we choose it over the alternative
Laravel is right when the team is already strong in PHP, the product is a CRUD-heavy SaaS or an internal tool, and the ecosystem (Cashier, Sanctum, Horizon) is a leverage point. Node.js is right when the team is strong in JavaScript, the product is a real-time API or a SPA backend, and the end-to-end type safety is a leverage point. Python is right when the product is AI-heavy or data-heavy.
The right answer depends on the team, the product and the integration. We will say so on the call, with a written rationale for the choice and the trade-offs named.
When we do not choose it
We do not choose Laravel when the team is not strong in PHP and the product is not CRUD-heavy. We do not choose Node.js when the product is CPU-bound and the event loop is the wrong answer (use Go or Rust instead). We do not choose Python when the team is not strong in it and the AI/data workload is not the primary use case.
We also do not choose the default when the deploy constraint (a managed platform, a specific runtime) makes the alternative the right answer. The default is the right answer for the team that can run it, not for the team that has to learn it on the way.
Frequently asked
The questions the team asks
- Laravel or Node.js?
- It depends on the team and the product. Laravel is right for CRUD-heavy SaaS and internal tools, with the convention and the ecosystem as leverage. Node.js is right for real-time APIs and SPA backends, with end-to-end type safety as leverage. The choice is made against the requirements, not the trend.
- When is Python the right answer?
- When the product is AI-heavy, data-heavy or ML-heavy. Python is the default for the data science and the AI ecosystem (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, the LLM libraries), and the right answer when the product depends on that ecosystem.
- How do you handle the API contract?
- A documented contract — OpenAPI for REST, GraphQL schema for GraphQL. The contract is the source of truth, the implementation is generated or hand-written against the contract, and the consumer is the next engineer or the next system. The contract is part of the architecture, not a wrapper.
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