1.3 Choosing Your Tools
Time: ~30 minutes
What You'll Learn
- What a "tech stack" is and why it matters
- The three layers of every web app (frontend, backend, database)
- How to pick tools that work well together and are free to start
- Why you do not need to become an expert in any of them
Key Concepts
Every web app has three parts:
- Frontend -- What people see and interact with (buttons, forms, pages)
- Backend -- The logic that runs behind the scenes (saving data, sending emails, checking permissions)
- Database -- Where your data lives (form submissions, user info, inventory items)
You do not need to pick these separately. Modern frameworks bundle the frontend and backend together, and most databases have free tiers that handle everything a small business needs.
Recommended Stack for Beginners
For most first projects, this combination works well:
- Next.js -- Handles both the frontend and backend in one project
- Supabase -- A database with a dashboard you can see and manage (free tier is generous)
- Vercel -- Hosts your app for free and deploys automatically
Your AI assistant knows how to work with all of these. You do not need to learn them in advance.
What About Other Options?
There are dozens of valid choices. If your AI suggests something different based on your project, that is fine. The important thing is that your tools:
- Have a free tier
- Work well together
- Are well-documented (so your AI can help you with them)
How to Start
Tell your AI:
I've scoped my project: [one-paragraph description from lesson 1.2].
What tech stack do you recommend? I need:
- A frontend framework
- A database
- Free hosting
- Everything should work together easily
Explain each choice in plain English -- why this tool for this job.What's Next
In lesson 1.4, you will start building the public-facing side of your app -- the part your customers or team members will see and use.