The startup world is competitive. That’s why they need the best tools, procedures, and methodologies that give their startup a competitive edge.

In this article, we are going to discuss one such technological tool, the MERN stack development – which seems to be quite popular among the startups in 2019-2020.

The “stack” that we are talking about is what makes MERN so special.

MERN stands for MongoDB, Express.JS, React, and Node.js. It is a collection of techniques, solutions, and tools. The end goal of using a stack is to help developers be agile in their development.

Why need a MERN stack at all?

Startups are not similar to companies. The philosophy at a startup is entirely different. They build small(read prototype) and fast. Iterations are carried out at every phase of development so that the startups can create a working prototype and then build from there.

As you can see, it is all about agile development. To facilitate this state of thinking and execution, MERN stack or any other stack, in general, is used.

MERN stack is a JavaScript-powered stack. It’s four components below.

• **MongoDB → **is the document database that handles the backend of a web application. It stores data in JavaScript Object Notation(JSON) documents.
• Express.JS → Express.JS is a backend application framework. It runs on top of Node.js
• React → It handles all the front-end of an application. It lets developers create dynamic UI by running JavaScript in a web browser.
• Node.js → It is the last component of the MERN stack, is Node.js. It is a JavaScript runtime environment that lets developers implement JavaScript-based application backend.

MERN is getting popular with each passing day. That’s because it offers a complete set of tools to facilitate agile methodology. Another big reason behind its popularity is its JavaScript affiliation. JavaScript has always been the number one choice when it comes to building web apps.

But, MERN is not the only option for startups. There are other popular stacks that startups can use. Another JavaScript-focused stack is the MEAN stack. In this stack, angular replaces React as one of the components. MEAN is also popular among startups.

How does MERN stack works?

The interaction between the components is interesting. At first, the user interacts with the UI components developed using React – the frontend of the project.

The frontend is then served by the backend part of the application using a server. The backend is handled by the ExpressJS, on top of the NodeJS.

The MongoDB database handles the database aspect of the web app. NodeJS handles the data request and fetches the required data from the MongoDB database. Once done, it then sends the data to the frontend, which is then shown to the user according to the UI components.

Advantages of MERN stack for startups

In this section, we will look into the advantages of using the MERN stack for startups. We already went through all the core components and what they have to offer. Each of the components has something unique and meaningful to offer and directly affect a startup agile development philosophy.

Great community: MERN has a great community backing it up. The reason behind its great community is JavaScript. As a startup, you can always access tons of resources related to MERN or its components. Each one of the components is well-documented and has people who are eager to provide solutions. This means that startups are free-to-play with their ideas.

Full Stack: MERN offers a full-stack development environment. This means end-to-end development. Startups do not have to worry about other technologies or tools as they get everything using the stack itself.

MVC Architecture Support: MERN supports Model View Controller architecture, which makes it easy for developers to develop workflow.

Low learning curve: MERN is easy to learn and implement. The learning curve becomes easier if the developer is already familiar with JavaScript. The availability of proper tutorials, documentation, and community support also helps new learners in pursuit of expertise. There are many instances where the non-technical team members have to learn the technology so that they can work on the idea. They only need to have a basic understanding so that they can understand the limitations and advantages of the technology used in the project. MERN’s low learning curve makes it possible for management and non-technical people to get familiar with it.

Talent availability: A startup always requires talent to bring their ideas to real-life. If they use a new technology that is still evolving, they will find it hard to find the talent they require to complete the project successfully. MERN is popular among developers due to JavaScript affiliation. In short, startups will find no problem finding the talent for their projects.

Open Source: All the four components are open source, which means that a startup does not have to worry about licensing problems with MERN.

Testing tools: MERN comes with its own set of the testing tools suite.

Conclusion

This leads us to the end of our article, where we briefly discussed MERN and then shifting our focus on the benefits and popularity of MERN. There is no doubt that MERN’s popularity stems from its components and the use of JavaScript. Another reason behind its popularity is its low-learning curve, easy implementation, open-source nature, and MVC support.

All these factors are more than enough to make MERN a viable technology candidate for any startup. Of Course, it is not the only stack that startups can choose from. MEAN is also a great alternative for startups who are looking for a Javascript-based stack for their project. The key difference here is the use of Angular.js.

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