Developer experience (DX) matters
Developer experience (DX) matters.
What does good DX look like?
Fast compiles
Robust mocks
Excellent docs
Easy code sharing
Powerful dev tools
Clear release notes
Rapid feedback loop
Rich library ecosystem
Many blogs/courses/etc
Responsive support team
Automated tests, deploys
Notice that much of that list isn't just tech. It's ecosystem.
This is why established tech tends to remain popular.
It's difficult to create a compelling DX with new tech.
Why? Because DX is about more than just the code.
Good DX often requires an ecosystem.
Imagine I create a new library called Blurg. It's better than React in all ways:
Twice as fast
More elegant API
Same feature set
Only 3kb
You'd switch, right?
Not so fast. Re-read the first tweet. My new tech's DX will be inferior in many ways.
Tough sell.