There is no doubt that even in the era of prompt engineering, software developers are still relevant to solve problems that these automated platforms like ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot can only assist in doing. But the question that plagues them is, is it wiser to be a full stack developer or just stick with being either a frontend or backend developer?

To begin with and make things clear, even if the tasks of either end development are getting slightly easier with auto-code platforms, it all depends on the interest of the developer.

In a discussion on Twitter, Hasan Awada says that he would prefer if there are more frontend or backend specialists standing out, rather than being jack of all trades. “If we’re all stretched too thin on both ends, who would go in-depth and take extraordinary innovative steps forward,” asks Awada.

Awada’s opinion may be unpopular, but it makes a lot of sense. Another user points out that it is always recommended to build your skills towards being a full stack developer, as it gives you a taste of both frontend and backend. After that, users can focus on either of the specialisation and go in-depth, building something unique. 

Now everyone’s a fullstack developer

Earlier, everyone was keen on becoming a developer with the hot new prompt engineering field making the long standing developers using programming languages feel scared for their jobs. The only way for these developers to stay relevant was to “upskill” themselves by learning “promptgramming”, or actually solve advanced problems in machine learning and AI. 

Now that the barrier to be a developer has gotten lower, the line between developer and non-developer blurs. Full stack developers, who are already proficient with a language, should aim to become full stack polyglot developers, with knowledge of different languages. 

Gone are the days when you needed years of specialised training to become a frontend or backend developer. With the power of prompt engineering, anyone can dip their toes into both worlds and dabble in different programming languages. It’s like having a buffet of coding skills, where you can sample a bit of everything and create your own unique blend.

But let’s not get carried away just yet. Even in this brave new world, being a full stack developer doesn’t mean you’ll be a master of all trades. Sure, you can write HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and more, all in a single sitting, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be an expert in each of those languages.

The cycle continues

Carl Jung said, “To ask the right question is already half the solution of a problem.” This holds very well for the current rise of prompt engineers, who give a prompt and let the AI do the work. Instead of proficiency in a programming language, developers would say, “I’m fluent in English and have an OpenAI API token.”

In a Reddit thread, a user explains how there always has been this stigma with being only a frontend developer. Most developers who sought to become a full stack developer also start with frontend development. That is why it is believed that, “if you are not full stack, you are worthless.” 

There is now a possibility that this might reverse. With the capabilities that prompt engineering offers, full stack developers can choose the option of jumping to a specialised role – either frontend or backend – as half the job can be done by AI, leaving more time to specialise in one role.

On the flip side, it is also easier for someone to learn full stack development by letting AI models write the code. Because even if backend and frontend require a very different understanding and working, it still relies on working on a single language. 

Now that you can prompt and generate the code, you can still understand the code, even if it is for the other end. Moreover, there is no denying that developing is a lot about copying from Stack Overflow anyway. This means that there might be no excuse left for developers to not be full stack developers, or should we say, “full stack prompt engineers“?