How I approach a new stack

Omodamola — Tue, 26 May 2026 10:17:08 +0000

Approaching a new stack has often come up in my most recent job.

I have been using the TALL stack for a while and have built several solutions with it. Then a job came in that required expertise in Rails. I had never written Ruby before, but I eventually got it done. So, I want to list out the steps that worked for me as a full-stack engineer.

First, I take some time to learn the syntax (very important) of the base language. In my case, I used online resources to learn Ruby.
Next, I try to find parallels between the new stack and my previous knowledge. As a full-stack web developer, I focused more on Ruby’s application to web development. This helped keep my learning focused and practical.
I also started experimenting with containerizing Rails applications. To me, that is very important. I have learned to always separate development environments so I do not mess up existing work. If you like keeping things easy, like I do, you can use the VS Code Dev Containers extension to help you create a Rails container easily.
Stretch your limits. Build simple apps at first. My first app in Rails was a loan request app. I struggled a lot while building it, but thanks to the community, I was able to understand some basic processes.
Do not be scared to ask for help. Taking on a new stack can make you feel like a toddler learning how to walk. It is just a matter of time.
And remember to have fun while doing it. What’s life without fun?

The steps listed above are what I have learned so far while trying to pick up something new and still deliver within a short period of time.

In the coming days, I will share notes about my experience learning Golang (yeah! I need it for a gig).

Learnt Something New

Omodamola — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:51:20 +0000

Quick Drop.
I was having a bug where a page change doesn't happen until you click the button twice.
Just adding async and await fixed the issue. So it got me wondering useRouter().push() requires await. That is cool

Have you encountered such before? Feel free to drop a thought

DEV Community: Omodamola

How I approach a new stack

Learnt Something New