{"id":15827,"date":"2023-03-10T13:50:42","date_gmt":"2023-03-10T10:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/?p=15827"},"modified":"2023-11-20T16:48:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T13:48:32","slug":"ruby-on-rails-for-mvp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/ruby-on-rails-for-mvp\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Build MVP With Ruby on Rails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Building a minimum viable product is all about keeping things simple. The early product development process is riddled with trial and error, and overengineering at the MVP stage can leave startups strapped for cash when they\u2019re forced to return to the drawing board. So, it\u2019s important to choose a backend framework that\u2019s optimized for MVP development. For us, the choice has always been clear: Ruby on Rails. But is Ruby on Rails still relevant in 2023? With so much competition, is it truly one of the best options for MVP development? That\u2019s what we\u2019ll discuss here.<\/div>\n\n\n
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What is a minimum viable product?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A minimum viable product, or MVP, is the most basic version of your product that can be launched to test the market and gather feedback. It has just enough features<\/a> to satisfy early adopters and validate the product idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MVP concept is central to the Lean Startup methodology. Crucially, it is not synonymous with a prototype, proof of concept<\/a>, or the first rendition of your product. To better understand where the MVP lies in the product pipeline, check out our guide to common MVP misconceptions<\/a>. And for a deeper dive into approaches and steps to building an MVP, read our full guide on \u2018How to Build an MVP<\/a>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Ruby on Rails?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ruby on Rails<\/a> (RoR), or just Rails, is an open-source web application framework written in Ruby \u2013 a dynamic, object-oriented programming language. The backend framework was created in 2004 by David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founder of 37Signals (now Basecamp). It boasts tons of built-in functionality and a set of conventions that simplify the web development process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though Rails has been around for almost 20 years, the framework is still popular among startups. Mostly because it\u2019s reliable, supports rapid development, and already powers dozens of famous products \u2013 think Shopify, GitHub, Hulu, GoodReads, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RoR is a framework that\u2019s pretty close to our hearts here at Railsware \u2013 so much so, we even put it in our name! But there\u2019s a reason for that. Over the past 15 years, we\u2019ve built some highly-successful products using this framework. Calendly<\/a>, BrightBytes<\/a>, and Mailtrap<\/a> are just a few examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s fair to say we\u2019ve got a strong opinion on why RoR is a great choice for creating a web app MVP. At the same time, we\u2019re well aware of its limitations, and we\u2019ll also touch on them here. But first, let\u2019s explore the criteria for picking a server-side framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to consider when choosing an MVP backend framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Founders and developers all have their own skills, experiences, and technology preferences. These factors naturally influence a startup\u2019s choice of backend and frontend framework. However, here are a few must-haves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reliability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Early adopters will usually be forgiving of bugs or unplanned downtime. They expect these issues to occur in barebones products. However, an app that constantly crashes or doesn\u2019t function as expected can cause lasting damage to your product\u2019s reputation. Your chosen framework should have a track record of regular performance updates, security patches, and long-term support (LTS) availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scalability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It might seem premature to consider scalability at this early stage, since there\u2019s no guarantee that your MVP will be successful. But to avoid a do-over, or major refactoring later, it\u2019s best to think long-term from day one. You\u2019ll need a framework that can efficiently manage a growing user base and increasing traffic without slowing down your app’s response time. Particularly if you\u2019re building a web app like Instagram or Slack, and expect it to handle billions of simultaneous real-time interactions in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we recommend choosing a framework with a well-designed architecture. Model-View-Controller (MVC) is known for being slightly less scaleable, but it\u2019s more efficient and easier to set up. On the contrary, microservices adds extra layers of complexity to early product development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fun fact:<\/strong> The first version of Twitter was famously built with Rails. In 2009, as its user base skyrocketed, Twitter realized that it would be better off with a distributed systems architecture, so it made the switch to Scala. However, Shopify and GitHub are good examples of apps that have scaled into billion-dollar enterprises with RoR as their foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy to maintain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your backend infrastructure is the spine of your application, so maintainability is an important consideration. Opt for a framework that has been heavily documented and supports the separation of concerns. Tightly coupled code is a nightmare to modify and maintain. Frameworks with a modular architecture, such as RoR, allow you to make changes to one part of the application without breaking others in the process. This makes it easier to iterate on an MVP. Meanwhile, well-established frameworks like Rails and Django typically have a wealth of documentation that can help developers troubleshoot issues quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Active community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Support from an active community can make all the difference when you\u2019re in the early stages of building a product. MVP development is fast-paced. Your team needs to be able to problem-solve on the go and find answers to their questions quickly. Ideally, you should pick a framework that is open-source, consistently maintained, and home to an ever-growing community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We count ourselves lucky: Ruby has one of the largest tech communities in the world, with over 2 million active<\/a> developers. RoR\u2019s community is well-known for its friendliness. Meanwhile, the Rails GitHub page boasts over 4.6K contributors (frameworks like Express, Angular, and Vue.js hardly scrape 2K when combined). New gems are released every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip:<\/strong> Bear in mind that a framework\u2019s popularity isn\u2019t always an indicator of a helpful community. For example, the Javascript community is huge, but that\u2019s also what makes it more prone to infighting and lack of consensus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why choose Ruby on Rails for your MVP?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few reasons why we consider Rails to be one of the best options for MVP backend development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supports rapid development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why does Rails continue to be a popular choice among startups? Because it enables small teams to build powerful web applications in very little time. Here are some of the features that make that possible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n