Startup founders and developers, alike, are constantly looking for the best platforms for startup ventures.  One platform that many are looking into is .Net which many have chosen for their startup businesses.  You should understand that if you want to use .Net for developing your project, there are two different .Net frameworks: ASP.Net or WebForms and ASP.net MVC.  The architecture and culture are different, though you can possibly build with either one.

ASP.Net MVC:

ASP.Net MVC has some of the best features and the framework is exceptionally popular with many startups. Many profession developers using .Net like working with this framework because it epitomizes everything the web is about.  Developers who prefer .Net MVC have stated that the quality of code is of the utmost importance.  Their entire goal is to build the product and ship it quickly.    All .Net MVC programmers must have worked in different open source projects and are the people that should be developing your startup.

WebForms:

Their code is complex and can be very irritating.  This framework is usually used by corporate developers who are not focusing on shipping as the ultimate goal.  Their priority is lies in documentation and long-term development and not in shipping products in a timely manner.  Should you ask developers what they think of HTTP GET or HTTP Post,  they will say WebForm’s page cycle undermines productivity, making it impossible to find products or markets that fit.  WebForm’s Update Panel only complicates the process of updating pages or altering the style of the client’s JavaScript app.

Therefore, when choosing between a developer from .Net MVC or from WebForms, choose .Net MVC.  If you go the other way, you might find your startup in ruins.  There are some issues regarding .Net platform that should be addressed as well.

Azure:

Startups should stay away from this platform during the initial stage, even though Microsoft encourages its use.  Azure is much slower than .Net development, deployment and debugging takes a long time .The environment cannot be easily copied, backups cause many problems and you will be forced to use a single hosting provider.  Startups need flexibility and speed and these needs will only slow up Azure even more while limiting your efforts.  Azure is fine, later on down the road, when scaling becomes a main concern.

ASP.Net MVC Scaling:

This scales really well, you can have a single server and run web applications and database all in one box.  Should you have your startup developed on .Net MVC, and it’s successful, you will be able to scale the .Net stack much more easily in comparison to Ruby or PHP.

BizSpark Program:

Should your startup become a participant of BizSpark, you will receive a free 3-year license to almost all their products and a free MSDN Gold Subscription. After the three years you will have to pay for the licenses you use, including the products you have used for three years and are still using.  By implementing this program, Microsoft has gotten rid of the financial factor that often kept startups from using the platform.

Newcomers to the IT industry seem to prefer Python or Ruby as a programming language vs .Net.   Even though .Net out performs other platforms, it’s interesting that more newcomers are not leaning in their direction.  Here are various factors that makes a widely used platform unpopular:

Community Cultures:

It’s not so much the platform as it is the .Net community culture.  They seem to be more focused on well established businesses vs startups.  They offer many solutions for various issues that startups do not have yet. They don’t seem to address the real issues of startups such as experienced design or support of different browsers.  Therefore, startup founders are looking elsewhere and not .Net.  That said, at some point a startup will increase in growth and need a platform like .Net.

Technology:

Obviously a startup wants to succeed over the long haul, so carefully looking into different aspects that allow them to implement their ideas is on the front burner.  They are relying on technology that has been tried and true and proven to be effective in the startup environment. Even though large companies enjoy many features offered by .Net, startups may not find those features useful for their needs.  Another turn-off is .Net’s poor set of tools and libraries that are believed to facilitate innovation. Even though .Net offers several open source projects, they are the same ones available with Java.  Many startups are turning to open sources for advanced tools, services and databases that once were only available to established businesses.

Speed vs. Performance:

According to experts, the first and foremost factor a startup should concentrate on is finding a market and then start building a product.  You need to move forward as quickly as possible in order to invest in potential customer’s needs and expectations. Python, JS and Ruby are more advantageous with favorable infrastructures in order to move quickly.  A startup’s concern is in building a stable product that they are able to provide and support. The belief that .Net can’t deal with rapid changes is just not true.  You can write a brief code that is easier than JS, Python and Ruby.  A lower code volume allows for faster reviewing and rewriting.  Their biggest disadvantage lies in their support and tools. Python is more suitable because you can type and remove certain features faster than with .NET.  Although you do not have to write long lines of code in order to make changes, readability can be affected if you get too brief.

That said, .NET ensures safe development and is easier to spot mistakes.  Also, .NET’s documentation is really great in terms of quality.

Even small projects that eventually become successful will have to build a significant code base.  At that point, Python, JS, and Ruby will not be suitable because of their frailty.  If your startup becomes successful, .Net delivers a high level of scalability and can easily do this more efficiently than with Ruby.

Startup companies must consider all the pros and cons when choosing a language and what a founder believes is right for their project. Article is written by developers from software outsourcing company FreeZePro Software.