Lately we've been planning to start working on some big scale SaaS products and Shopify apps and for that I decided to hire some Full Stack Developers to kick start the projects.

Why Full Stack Developers? ... I thought if I can get people who are good in backend and frontend both, we can start multiple products at the same time. Before we usually work in dividing the frontend tasks to one developers and backend to other and then integrate both of them.

Well I always try to look for fresh graduates with good experience in developing web apps because they usually have updated knowledge and skills and are very passionate to work on real world apps.

Previously my hiring experience was really good, I found fresh graduates with great skills and I also got chance to learn from them.

But this time I thought to post job for experience developers who have 1 or 2 years of experience and already been working on real world web apps.

I started posting the job ad on Linkedin, Facebook groups and some job portals. And like always got overwhelming responses. Reviewing resumes is my favorite part :P

Wait a minute... you must be thinking I am working as Human Resource guy?

NO!

Well till now I have hand picked developers myself for the company, being involved in the whole process of hiring gives me good insights about the person skills and personality and helped a lot to work with them if you know the insights.

So I was at reviewing resumes. I short listed some candidates who I thought that will be good fit for the role of Full Stack developer and schedule the interviews. While on interviews the one question that I asked everyone is "As a full stack developer where do you think you have more expertise in? Frontend or Backend?". And most of the developers said backend.

I gave them a very simple problem as a test to check how good they are in javascript and most of are not proficient enough to solve the problem and to figure out the ways to do that.

After taking tons of interviews and technical tests I decided to hire frontend and backend developer seperately so atleast I can have one person skillfull enough in one thing.

But after this whole process what I came to know that many developers are claiming themselves Full Stack Developer but either they are frontend developer with basic know how about backend stuff or they are backend developer with basic frontend knowledge.

So... If you are good in React and can build great interfaces with your CSS powers and created 4 routes in express 2 years ago to build a todo list. You're not a full stack developer!

And if you've build great backend business logics on Nodejs, with extensive database queries and implemented security headers and just know about how to add Bootstrap classes in divs. YOU ARE NOT A FULL STACK DEVELOPER !

For me full stack developer is a person who has a profound knowledge of a tech stack, it can be MERN, MEAN, LAMP (please no!) or any stack that is used for full stack development. And getting profound knowledge takes time to master everything piece by peice.

If want to work in companies as a full stack developer and you think you lack is something I would strongly suggest you to plan your journey and follow it

You can find many blueprints of road map to become a full stack developer. I like ones here roadmap.sh

Follow them and complete them step by step.

I think becoming a full stack developer is a never ending journey, but if you know atleast how all the components are working together then you're ready to work as a full stack developer.