How can I ship a web project if I'm not a web dev?

Question

I'm not a web developer - more of a back-end one - but I had an idea for a side project that requires a dynamic web UI which I though was worth pursuing, so I've embarking on a journey leveraging ReactJS.I managed to slowly and painfully create a MVP (very minimal in fact), and many features are lacking - such as, login support, automatic deploys, etc.It's all fun and great source of learning but I have to admit that, at this pace, it will take me ages to complete it - and even then, most likely never at the standard of a web dev.At this point, what are my options (beside ditching the project altogether, of course!)?

quickthrower2 · Accepted Answer

Probably find an open source project that has the stuff you need as a basis. There are even templates for sale to get you started too. Choose something familiar language wise. I&rsquo;d try to avoid JS frameworks if you are not used to web dev. Back end, render html, use a tiny bit of JS maybe for form validation. Use bootstrap - I am recommending because it will have the most documentation and stack overflow coverage which is what you&rsquo;ll need as a newcomer who wants to get something done quickly. Consider hiring for odd jobs where you are stuck.

cercatrova · Answer

Read up on Pieter Levels. He has a shitty PHP app, by his own admission, that makes around 1 million a year, NomadList. It's about whether you can solve people's problems, not what the tech stack looks like.There are also no code tools like WebFlow, Bubble, etc, and you can also learn more frontend by doing more sample projects.

p0d · Answer

Your best option is to be more confident.
I am 50 and do not call myself a webdev or programmer however I have made a six figure sum with my side projects down through the years.
Most webdevs will never make anything they can call their own. They will make for others. Make something and put it out there.

dchest · Answer

The best cure against doubts is shipping as soon as possible, and then slowly improving what you have. Lots of successful software began as an incomplete and ugly version of what they became. So, solve your initial issues as quickly as possible to not lose motivation (e.g. plug an auth library that you don't have to spend too much to write code for, use Heroku/Digital Ocean App Platform/Vercel for deploys) and ship something. After that point, you officially become a web developer who adds features to their product :)

martinopp · Answer

I think you basically have two options if you think there is still a lot to be don before launching a good MVP:
Option A) Using a no-code tool as buuble.io, Webflow, or similar. The choice depends on your requirements.
Option B) Hire an agency or freelancer. Probably nearshore or offshore to maximize your investment.
Both are great ways of validating an idea before actually investing tons of money and time.

thedevindevops · Answer

Do you feel there is no value in converting this project into a high quality documentation API and letting the creative minds that consume it do the UI?

gostsamo · Answer

Use for the backend something that gives you most functionality as a plugin. Ruby on rails or django. Don't reinvent the wheel. Add js on the frontend as needed.

fiftyacorn · Answer

Use next.js it's simpler than vanilla react