Hello all,
Does anyone have any expertise and/or opinions about following a front-end vs. full-stack learning path?
Could full-stack developers eventually replace front-end developers since they know front and back-end, or am I misunderstanding their functions? Do they build entirely different things?
Thanks!
Good Question. If someone has an answer I’d like to know as well.
I see plenty of posts on LinkedIn looking for just Front-end Devs. But listening/talking to experts or people who work in the field, they all seem to be full-stack.
Is it inevitable to end up as full-stack even if you only set out to do front-end?
Hello. Here is an article from Jessica Wilkins. I hope it helps. 
My thoughts are that there’s no harm in following a full-stack learning path to begin with. More often than not a front-end developer will be expected to at least understand what’s going on from end to end.
It’s also an excellent opportunity to get your feet wet in the different areas and see which one stands out to you, or that you feel you’d enjoy the most.
I don’t see full-stack developers replacing front-end (or back-end) developers. Most full-stack devs will be stronger in one area or the other.
Think of it like a GP versus an ENT specialist. Just because the GP exists, does not mean she/he should take over the ENT specialist’s role - nor could they; the field is too vast to specialize in everything. The same applies to development.
Do they build entirely different things?
Not entirely. As the article shared by @Stefan suggests: full stack = front-end + back-end.
In essence a full-stack developer would be able to build out the front-end of your application, but it’s unlikely the front-end developer would be able to build out the back-end.
There are also developers who specialize in the back-end; and a variety of other areas within the stack.
If you have a specific goal in mind, it might help in suggesting the best path forward for you. But it’s very important to remember there’s never one right answer either.
@Stefan thank you for the article!
@matthewrawlin2592434 Thank you for this concise answer. Coming from an art, retail, and customer service background, front-end and user experiences are the most appealing to me. When I look at options, however, I say to myself, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to learn full stack and be more well-rounded?
I definitely hope to be a full stack developer so that I can have all my bases covered and look more appealing.
This is my experience, I come from Journalism, w some Marketing experience there, so I feel that front-end would be more of a fit for me. But the little bit that I’m starting to pick up about back-end is starting to sound pretty darn interesting! haha so I’m focusing on what makes more sense to me (front), with this expectation of going further later on – and maybe I’ll feel differently? haha 