The Boring JavaScript Stack philosophy

Summary

The philosophy of The Boring JavaScript Stack (TBJS) is not just about a set of technologies—it’s a mindset. TBJS was created as a response to the constant reinvention of tools in the JavaScript ecosystem, where developers often feel the need to leave JavaScript for more mature frameworks like Ruby on Rails or Laravel once their applications get serious.

At its core, TBJS is about reducing friction in building and shipping software. It embraces stable, tried-and-tested technologies that prioritize predictability, maintainability, and efficiency. Instead of constantly adapting to new, unproven conventions that break applications unpredictably, TBJS gives developers a reliable foundation that allows them to focus on solving real-world problems.

Key Principles of TBJS:

1. Boring is Good – Stability and predictability lead to better business outcomes, smoother teamwork, and a superior developer experience.

2. Technology Should Stay Out of Your Way – The stack should empower developers to ship features quickly rather than becoming an obstacle.

3. Maintainability Over Hype – A well-structured codebase should be easy to understand and modify months or even years down the line.

4. Minimal Dependencies – Reducing reliance on third-party libraries leads to more secure, maintainable, and stable applications.

5. Out-of-the-Box Functionality – TBJS includes everything needed to start building without excessive setup or configuration.

Ultimately, TBJS ensures that developers can focus on shipping products, not managing ever-changing tech stacks.

Transcript

The Philosophy of The Boring JavaScript Stack

Not Just a Stack, But a Mindset

So, what’s the philosophy of The Boring JavaScript Stack? Like I said, it’s not just a stack—it’s a mindset. I created it because I was tired of seeing developers reach outside of the JavaScript ecosystem whenever they wanted to build real-world applications.

I see new tech trends in JavaScript all the time—on social media, at conferences—but then I hear things like, “My app is getting serious, so I need to leave JavaScript and switch to something more mature, like Ruby on Rails or Laravel.”

I didn’t like that. I felt like we weren’t doing justice to the gift we’ve been given: full-stack JavaScript with Node.js.

The Core Premise

The premise of The Boring JavaScript Stack is simple: We don’t build software in a vacuum. We build it to solve real problems for real users in real workplaces. And if that’s the case, our goal should be to reduce the friction between building and shipping.

But the problem with modern JavaScript tooling is that it changes constantly. New conventions emerge that haven’t been tried or tested. Every so often, your app breaks in ways you don’t even understand.

With TBJS, I wanted to bring together stable, proven technologies that do what they do really well. This way, JavaScript developers—people like me, who love JavaScript and want to build quickly—can focus on solving real problems instead of fighting their tech stack.

Why Boring is Good

The ethos behind TBJS is simple:

• Boring is good for business.

• Boring is good for teams.

• Boring is good for developer experience.

Why? Because when your tools are predictable, the exciting part of your work becomes the problems you’re solving, not the technology itself.

It’s fine to get excited about new tech, but at some point, we have to face the real world. And in the real world, we must ship products. If shipping is the goal, then our tech should not be a stumbling block—it should be an enabler.

A Stack That Stays Out of Your Way

The philosophy of The Boring JavaScript Stack is to use technology that:

• Stays out of your way – It shouldn’t demand constant attention or break unpredictably.

• Empowers you to ship features quickly – The focus is on delivering value to users, not on fighting with the tech.

• Prioritizes maintainability – Months or years later, your codebase should still be easy to understand and modify.

Predictability Leads to Fewer Bugs

• When your stack is predictable, your code has fewer bugs.

• When you don’t have a million different ways to do the same thing, your code has fewer bugs.

• When you don’t need to install a thousand dependencies just to get something working, your code is more stable and easier to maintain.

That’s why the technologies in TBJS come with almost everything you need out of the box. When you create a new Boring Stack app, you don’t have to run npm install a hundred times just to be productive.

The Focus is on Shipping

At the end of the day, The Boring JavaScript Stack is about getting things done.

• The focus is on shipping products.

• The focus is on building real-world solutions.

• The focus is on meeting business requirements without constantly maintaining or relearning your tech stack.

Instead of spending time adapting to new frameworks, conventions, or dependencies every few months, TBJS lets you focus on delivering value to users.

That’s the philosophy of The Boring JavaScript Stack.