Less-known risks of an outdated tech stack

During my five-year career as a software developer, I’ve been in very different situations from a technological standpoint. Some companies cared about its tech stack while others thought that it didn’t matter as much.

Although I don’t have a conclusive opinion on the subject, I believe that neglecting your stack can damage a business in more ways than the well-known security risks. Here are a few examples:

1. An unmotivated team

Every company wants developers who are always improving and are curious about the latest technologies, right? It can bring new ideas and viewpoints — it’s wonderful.

Now, imagine an employee that is just like that. How would he feel when he is taking a course about a new framework/language knowing that he will never use it at his current company? It would be as demotivating as it could get.

2. A worried team

Continuing the above example, wouldn’t that employee be concerned about his future? If something happens and he has to leave the company, the lack of work experience with anything new could really hinder him in the job market.

3. A smaller pool of talent

Let’s be real: there aren’t going to be many candidates for a Java 5 project. If that’s the situation, the company will probably have to settle for a candidate that may not fit their culture or match their salary expectations, all because there just wasn’t anyone else to hire.

That’s it so far. I started noticing these risks when I began to transition to different roles like Senior/Lead Developer. I’m sure there are more, so I look forward to revisiting this article in the future!

P.S. If they seem obvious to you, it probably means that you are on the right track :)

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