Understanding a Modern Tech Stack Shift: Insights for WordPress and Agency Developers
In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, technology stacks frequently undergo significant transformations. Recently, I’ve been tasked with overseeing a substantial shift in our infrastructure, and I’d like to share my experience and seek advice from those familiar with similar transitions.
Current Role and Context
For the past 1–2 years, I’ve been serving as a frontend developer within a SaaS agency, bringing over four years of senior-level experience. While my title emphasizes front-end work, our core projects are predominantly WordPress-based solutions integrated with an in-house built Laravel-inspired back-office system. Consequently, my daily responsibilities involve working with vanilla PHP, plain JavaScript, and some jQuery—technologies that are familiar but not particularly cutting-edge.
The Shift in Technology Stack
Recently, our team lead proposed a comprehensive upgrade to our technology stack, aiming to modernize our development environment. The new architecture includes:
- Acorn PHP (a lightweight PHP framework based on Laravel)
- TypeScript (replacing traditional JavaScript)
- RabbitMQ (for asynchronous task processing), integrated with Node.js
As the designated lead for all JavaScript and TypeScript activities, I am now navigating unfamiliar territory—specifically, scaling TypeScript in complex projects, implementing message brokers like RabbitMQ, and adapting to an Acorn-based PHP setup.
Questions and Expectations
If you have experience working with any of these technologies—particularly within WordPress-heavy or agency contexts—I would greatly appreciate your insights. What challenges should I anticipate? Are there common pitfalls, or “gotchas,” I should prepare for when integrating these tools into our existing workflows?
On the frontend, what should I consider when transitioning from vanilla JS to TypeScript at scale? On the backend, any particular adjustments or best practices for working with Acorn PHP and RabbitMQ would be invaluable.
Final Thoughts
Any guidance, from practical tips to general observations, would be immensely helpful as we embark on this modernization journey. Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise!
By understanding these modern tools and frameworks, you can better anticipate the challenges and opportunities that come with a stack upgrade, especially in environments heavily influenced by WordPress and agency-level development.
