Developer, Think Outside the Full Stack

Developer, Think Outside the Full Stack

Why did you choose to become a full-stack developer? Think back—way back, if you have to.

Were you drawn to the challenge and variety of the work? After all, to become a full-stack developer, you had to master at least the essentials of databases, servers, systems engineering, and clients.

Was it the promise of teamwork and decision-making? A potential career path towards positions of greater responsibility? Or was it a practical decision, driven by the many jobs out there for full-stack developers?

Whatever the reason, if you’ve been at it for a while, you may have discovered the unpleasant truth behind the scenes: A lot of full-stack developers today are bored.

When Full Stack Goes Stagnant

Sure, it’s called “full” stack. But let’s face it: Full stack isn’t as broad as it sounds. In reality, every organization has its own stack: database(s), server, API, and front-end and back-end frameworks and libraries. And chances are, organizations are hiring full-stack developers based on their experience with the specific stack they’ll be working on.

This means that once you master your current stack, you can fall into a rut, since there’s nowhere else to go. Sound like you? If full stack is holding you back, and you’re wondering where the excitement has gone, you may need to find a more rewarding industry.

Many developers go to work every day with the feeling that “it’s all been done” and there’s nothing creative left to do. They’ve been around long enough to realize that a lot of coding these days is just rewriting and rehashing code that’s already been written.

That’s especially true in financial services, which are traditionally very conservative, slow to change, and bound by heavy regulatory standards.

What that means for you as a developer is that you may end up working on a lot of “me too” products and services, as well as products offered merely to catch up with competitors’ offerings. For these reasons, if you’re working for a large, mainstream organization, you may feel like a very small cog in a very big, slow-moving machine.

Don’t get me wrong: For lots of developers, that’s a fine place to be, especially if you want a position you can count on. But for some people, that’s not enough.

Many full-stack developers today are trying to get out of the dead-end by going back to school, taking courses, or quitting to find a more rewarding job—even if it means a pay cut—just so they can get back to doing what they love.

Financial technology, or fintech, is currently at an exciting crossroads and just might be your next step towards the fulfilling career you’d originally hoped for in full-stack development.

The Future Is Fintech

If you’re still reading (hi!), chances are you’re looking for an industry that’s as open to innovation as you are. In that case, let’s talk about fintech. Fintech is a sector that incorporates the best of current technological innovations to improve the delivery of financial services and products of all kinds—from borrowing and investments to payments and money transfers.

Fintech picks up where traditional financial services like big banks and investment houses leave off. It moves quickly to find and fill market gaps and opportunities (like the need for more efficient, secure ways to track corporate and enterprise expenses), adapting and responding to user needs and expectations. It’s also where you’ll find some of the most creative developers out there.

All startups need innovative developers who can invent platforms and services almost out of thin air. But in fintech, developers also need to be able to reimagine problems from new angles, working within the constraints and complexities of the industry to come up with a product that’s truly enjoyable to use. Fintech startups are looking for partners- developers who can offer their advice and insight to steer the project where it needs to go.

Sound like a tough call? It is. And we’ll be the first to admit fintech is not for everybody. Fintech developers must be able to create apps that are as solid and secure as the big banks’, but which pivot and release in a fraction of the time. Of course, that’s not easy. But you’re looking for a challenge, right?

Why Join PayEm

At PayEm, we’re creating the first SaaS-based global spend and procurement platform. Our goal is to help companies work more efficiently and collaboratively. We’re obviously biased, but as a fintech startup, we love having the freedom to plan products, features, and services that old-school financial services organizations can’t even dream about. But to do that, we need highly skilled developers who can think outside the stack—building their own skills and adding tools as needed to get the job done.

When it comes to finding full-stack developers, we’re going to make two very audacious statements:

We don’t care what languages you know, what frameworks you’ve used, or whether your experience lies more with SQL or NoSQL—as long as you’re open to finding the right tools to create beautiful, elegant solutions.

We’d love it if you have financial experience and are looking for something new and exciting. But even more important is whether you’re truly creative and passionate about finding ways out of boxes.

We’re dedicated to giving our customers the best possible solution. But as a fintech startup, we believe we need to go far beyond the way things have always been done.

We need to solve problems in the most creative ways possible, and we’re looking for full-stack developers who share our excitement and can help us make that vision a reality.

If that’s you, we can’t wait to hear from you.

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