Engineering·July 14, 2026·6 min read

Choosing a Tech Stack for Your Startup MVP

By Mushfirah Maryam

Founders spend a surprising amount of time debating frameworks before they've validated whether anyone wants the product at all. That's backwards. For most early-stage MVPs, the stack matters far less than shipping something real in front of users quickly.

Our default for web-based MVPs is Next.js with a managed Postgres database and a cloud platform like Vercel or AWS — not because it's the only correct answer, but because it lets a small team move fast without painting themselves into a corner. For mobile, React Native gets you to both app stores without doubling your engineering headcount.

The bigger risk isn't picking the 'wrong' framework — it's over-engineering for scale you don't have yet. We've seen teams spend six weeks setting up Kubernetes for an app with twelve users. Build for the traffic you have, with a path to scale when you actually need it, not before.

If you're evaluating vendors or an in-house build, ask them one question: what would it take to change this decision in a year? If the answer is 'a full rewrite,' keep looking.