How Can Software Engineers Choose the Right Tools for Business Success?

Big companies using Ruby on Rails, such as Shopify, GitHub, and Gusto, are modularizing their applications.

But what are the root causes of the problems these companies are trying to solve?

As companies grow, they encounter common architectural, operational, and organizational challenges.

Architectural issues refer to challenges in a software system’s design. These problems affect maintainability and scalability, often building up over time as new features are added.

Loyalty to a language, framework, or library should never be the main reason for choosing a tool, especially if it doesn’t add value.

A Software Engineer’s role is to improve business efficiency — not to maintain or enhance libraries that don’t contribute to the business.

The constraints of our frameworks and tools shape business problems.

Removing a tool from the equation doesn’t solve the problem—it can create new ones, such as the need to upgrade or switch tools.

Teams often base decisions on past experiences or an external problem perspective.

In software engineering, we must avoid letting personal preferences determine the right tool for the job. We should focus on solving business problems rather than sticking to specific tools because of familiarity or experience.

A better approach is to consider the system’s current and future needs and tools. We must consider our team’s skill set and how well it matches the system’s requirements. Testing a tool on a small part of the system before committing fully helps ensure it fits correctly.

If a tool is too complicated to test on a smaller scale, it’s better to move on rather than get stuck.

Simplicity is key in software design. By keeping the system simple, we create solutions that are easier to understand and expand. This approach pays off in the long run.

The evaluation process should also account for how long it will take to ramp up with a new tool and how it can be integrated when new team members join.

Considering these factors, we can make more informed decisions about the tools.

The success of a development project depends heavily on aligning with the client about what needs to be done and what’s truly necessary.

When discussing a system, “product features” refer to its behaviors. The final result of a solution is called “impact,” while the steps to get there are “deliverables” or “product features.” It’s important to distinguish between impacts and features. For example, “improved mobile search” is a deliverable, not an impact.

A more explicit way to describe the impact would be: ” The ability to find information faster.”