When an individual decides to begin their startup, one of the best steps they can take is starting a platform to present their service to people worldwide. This can be a challenging task, as the software architecture must be implemented properly so that the application can succeed.
Software architecture refers to the structure and components of a software system, along with the relationships between them. It must be able to constantly change to match the ever-shifting needs of its target demographic, or the software will become outdated and unsuccessful.
There are various strategies and principles that can help startups obtain a platform that will always meet the demand of constant change. These will allow startups to find their market and will enable them to change as their business grows.
DDD
Domain Driven Design deals with domain complexity by focusing on the core domain and the business needs it serves. It also uses ubiquitous language, a methodology that refers to the same language domain experts and developers use when discussing the domain they are working on. This allows for smoother and more efficient software creation.
YAGNI
You Ain't Gonna Need is a principle that instructs programmers not to add functionality until completely necessary. Even if they think that a feature will be needed in the future, they should not implement it until this is certain. This idea prevents developers from spending extra time and money on building or repairing unnecessary features.
SOLID
SOLID principles are the most important to apply to a startup platform. The acronym stands for single responsibility, open-closed, Liskov substitution, interface segregation, and dependency inversion. It provides a strong outline of what should and should not be done in software architecture.
KISS
Keep it simple, stupid! New startups must keep their projects uncomplicated, as they often lack the resources that larger businesses have. Grand and complex software is unnecessary for a startup, especially in the early stages.
Microservices
Microservices are an architectural approach to software development where software is composed of small, independent services, each with its own task. These services communicate with each other over application programming interfaces to prevent inconsistencies or confusion. This allows development to be more focused and efficient.
Serverless
Serverless architecture allows developers to concentrate on the code and development of an application by handing off the server responsibilities to a cloud provider. Utilizing this architecture is a great way to keep engineers focused on changing and improving the platform as needed.
Cloud Managed Services
Cloud-managed services are cloud services that a managed cloud service provider is partially or completely responsible for. They can be responsible for the management, maintenance, and operation of the service and are frequently cheaper than the cost of an entire development team.
IAC — Infrastructure as Code
Infrastructure as code allows infrastructure to be managed and provisioned through code instead of a manual process. Unlike the traditional method, IAC is fast and consistent. It also tracks changes to the software's infrastructure and prevents human error. IAC can greatly increase the speed at which a platform is refined.
Early Stage Architecture Components
The early stage of a startup usually occurs when the project only has about one to four engineers. During this stage, the following elements should be implemented into the platform:
- Monolithic Layered Architecture
- Dependency Injection
- Typed Language
- Serverless Docker Containers
- Cloud Managed Services
- Turborepo-Style Monorepo Setup for NodeJS-based Applications
- UI Component Libraries
- GitHub CI/CD
- Terraform for IAC
- Unit Testing
- Database Migration Tool
Growth Stage Architecture Components
During the growth stage, startups have anywhere from four to fifteen engineers, are generating revenue, and have a growing customer base. At this stage, they should consider doing the following to their architecture:
- Breaking down monolithic layered architecture into microservices
- Deploying pipelines to each microservice with consumer contract testing
- Adding an automated functional test suite
- Implementing a higher unit test coverage that covers all layers
- Using Mocking to develop frontends
Funding Stage Architecture Components
At this point, the startup should have over fifteen engineers. They should add the following:
- Integration between services via a lightweight event bus
- Architectures such as CQRS and event sourcing
- Chaos testing concepts
- Advanced techniques of circuit breaking that can avoid systemic failures
- Performance and penetration testing
- Continuous deployment of certain services
In addition to the above engineering aspects, startups should also break down teams into different business functions.
Conclusion
Although not everything must be implemented, the above suggestions can be critical to establishing a successful startup. Utilizing the right technology can help a new business skyrocket to success. These strategies and principles are important for all startups to consider, whether they are brand-new or an accomplished business.