The Future of Frontend is Already Here

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the rise of frontend developers as the "Newest New Kingmakers" in the software industry. It argues that as the industry trends towards packaged, managed, and abstracted solutions that minimize the pain of backend and infrastructure, frontend developers are gaining more influence and decision-making power.

🙋 Q&A

[01] From BaaS to PartyKit

1. What is the role of cloud-based abstractions in establishing the position of frontend developers in the marketplace?

• The article discusses how platforms like Vercel, Netlify, and various BaaS (Backend-as-a-Service) companies have set a precedent in the market by providing solutions that cater to the needs of frontend developers. These platforms abstract away the complexity of backend operations, allowing frontend developers to focus on building the user interface.
• The article highlights PartyKit, a platform targeted at frontend engineers that simplifies real-time sync, as an example of the innovation happening in the JavaScript space and the robustness of the frontend buyer market.

2. How do these abstracted solutions impact the role of frontend developers?

• The article argues that the proliferation of abstracted solutions, which simplify and expand access to primitives that were previously difficult to manage, has contributed to the rise of frontend developers as Kingmakers.
• Vendors are recognizing the frontend developer as a lucrative and eager customer base, and are eager to spin up their own solutions to meet the demand.

[02] Moar Abstractions

1. How does the historical progression towards abstraction in software development affect the role of frontend developers?

• The article discusses the trend of developers moving away from writing code for bare metal and low-level languages, and instead focusing on high-level code for the top of the stack.
• This is reflected in the popularity of languages like JavaScript, which continues to be the most popular language according to various surveys and rankings.

2. What are the benefits and challenges of adopting abstracted solutions?

• The article acknowledges that while abstracted solutions simplify the management of operations and infrastructure, they can also lead to scaling issues and increased costs.
• However, many companies are finding the tradeoff of not having to hire engineers to manage infrastructure to be worth it, as it allows them to focus more on the user interface and frontend development.

[03] The API Economy & Cloud Native

1. How do APIs and cloud-native solutions contribute to the rise of frontend developers as Kingmakers?

• The article discusses the importance of APIs in modern software development, and how frontend engineers are well-positioned to profit from the integration of APIs, including the integration of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT.
• The article also notes that frontend developers are comfortable with cloud-native solutions, which makes them a desirable market for vendors to onboard to the new cloud.

[04] The Frontend is Dead, Long Live the Frontend

1. How is the distinction between frontend and backend becoming blurred?

• The article discusses how the traditional distinction between frontend and backend is becoming less relevant, as the line between these domains is blurring, especially with the rise of SPA (Single Page Applications) built with frameworks like React and Angular.
• The article suggests that the terms "frontend" and "backend" will eventually be replaced by new developer types that operate across the stack, leveraging tools and innovating where necessary.

2. What is the future outlook for frontend developers?

• The article argues that the frontend's "sun has risen," and that the brightest and most pioneering developers in the software industry are working in the frontend space, as this domain leverages the cutting-edge technologies they prefer.
• The article suggests that rather than a proliferation of "lobotomized developers," the future will see improvements in client-side and UI experiences, as the labor of development continues to move up-stack.