I begin this post with a tabula rasa approach, meaning prior to listening to the suggested material and doing further research I did not know anything about this concept. Thus, my approach in this post will be to guide you through my research train of thought, and conclude sharing where I stand on this term, while answering two very basic questions: Is it possible for all startups to have a full stack approach? Is this concept really a recipe for success?

So first, what is Full Stack? As I came to find out, Chris Dixon, former e-bay employee and a Venture Capital entrepreneur himself, defined it as a “company which develops a technology that can provide the end customer with a complete product or service which handles the entire value chain of its activity”[1].  But then are all services related to a full stack company related to technology? No, it integrates the service aspect as well and the vertical integration of all these services. I noticed that out of the top of my head all of the companies that I can think of which have changed my way of life in the last ten years can be defined as full stack companies: Apple, Uber, Waze, Cornershop (my personal favorite). That’s when I started thinking, there must be a down side to this and in researching I could come up with nearly nothing debating whether the full stack approach is for everyone.

Then I came to realize how even in my day to day life I could identify business approaches that were simpler and different but also succesful such as traditional retailers, local stores, and mostly consulting firms. Full Stack is a trendy approach, but what is its success rate? Is it really a success formula? I found this page which helped me in finding my answer https://avc.com/2015/05/the-no-stack-startup/ The AVC no stack up approach: “We like low capital requirements and low burn rates and extremely high rates of return on invested capital. So no stack seems like it will suit us well.”

In conclusion, diversity and inclusion exists in all places even in business approaches. What is most relevant is to know what problem do startups want to solve and from there find the most efficient and effective way to provide that solution. In seeking that answer they can find diverse approaches, learn from experience and prove that there is no recipe for success other than every day learning and adapting.

[1] .  https://www.iadvize.com/blog/en/full-stack-platform-definition/