Timur Kazbekov

Hi, There is no need to think of a tech stack before you actually start making something. Every app could have a very different stack and you don't need to stick to the same one all the time. If you already know what you want to be building and you definitely want to use WebSockets, I would suggest going with Express.Js + Socket.io You already know a thing or two about Angluar, use it for frontend. You also have some experience with Django, which means you might know a bit about ORMs, try using TypeORM for that.

Hi there Steffy, First, let's talk about the tech stack part of the question: Angular is a great framework. It's highly opinionated which makes it very robust for web development but also creates that steep learning curve you have already mentioned. There is no right or wrong answer to what framework you should use in the future. My advice is, since you are already working with Angular, get really good at it. Try doing a couple of small projects with it. For example: a small Todo app which has a frontend, a backend with an API, and a database to store all the information. Make it all easily deployable using Docker. Write some tests, please do not ignore testing :) So the tech stack for this app could be the classic MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular and Node.js) + Docker + Jest/Cypress for testing The next step would be to improve and change. What if you change the frontend to be using Vue? React maybe? Or maybe add GraphQL to change the way you query the data. Implement some Store (NgRx for Angular, Redux for React, Pinia for Vue), maybe add websockets using Socket.io. The possibilities are endless and you will learn a lot just by fiddling with these tools.

Now for the personal development plan First, you need to decide on the path you want to take. Roughly speaking you have two options: Individual Contributor(Sr. Developer) or Manager(Team Lead). And ways to get there might be very different from each other. As and individual contributor, you would need to be good at solving problems, focusing on the task at hand and making sure it gets done on time. Management position would require a more high-level approach - seeing how the teams collaborate, helping out individual team members to stay on track and find possibilities to help develop their skills even further. But regardless of which way you choose to go, you should definitely do these three things:

• Always ask questions. It never hurts to ask, even if you think that you might be perceived as stupid of ill-informed. I was once made a product owner of my scrum team just because I had a rule to ask "Why does this task exist" for every new ticket that came into our backlog.
• Create a personal development plan. Call a meeting with your Team Lead / Manager / HR and tell them about your ambitions and goals. Together, try to brainstorm on how to proceed with your career growth. You can use a well-established framework, such as OKR.
• Love your product. You can't really make any decisions without knowing and loving the product you are working on. In my experience, if I don't love the product I get really tired of it after 6-8 months and lose all inspiration. I start just finishing tasks and not thinking about much else. If that ever happens to you - change your employer.

Good luck to you in your endeavors and stay curious!