Fullstack developer: does it really exist?

The term fullstack developer has become ubiquitous in the dev world. I see it all the time on LinkedIn job posts—companies looking for someone who can handle the entire chain.
But does this role truly reflect reality, or is it more of an illusion?

What is a fullstack developer?

By definition, a fullstack developer is expected to handle:

• the frontend (UI, HTML/CSS/JS, frameworks like React or Vue)
• the backend (servers, databases, APIs, business logic)
• infrastructure (configuration, deployment, CI/CD, cloud, monitoring, security…)

In practice, very few developers are experts across all these layers. What we more often see is a T-shaped profile: someone with deep expertise in one area (say, backend), and broad enough knowledge of the rest to collaborate effectively, understand the overall system, and step in when needed. This kind of profile is especially valuable in agile teams or startups, where versatility is key.

Why is this profile in demand?

In a startup or small team, resources are tight. Having a developer who can touch the whole stack is a big plus. A fullstack developer can increase flexibility, reduce dependencies between teams, and speed up time-to-production thanks to a comprehensive view of the app.

To contrast, I worked in a large enterprise about twenty years ago, where we had an overwhelming number of teams: dev, evolution, QA, project management, network, infra, support… and more.
Agility was nonexistent. The whole thing was slow and communication was inefficient. I got far too familiar with endless meetings and power struggles (no joke).

That said, fullstack roles come with a warning: if expectations aren’t clearly defined, burnout is right around the corner. As business needs grow, so does the to-do list. And if someone "can do everything," why would a company hire anyone else?

A myth?

The fullstack developer isn’t a myth, but it’s a rare profile—and hard to sustain over time.

Each layer of an app (frontend, backend, database, infra, deployment, security, UX, etc.) evolves quickly and independently. Staying current across all of them takes:

• constant curiosity
• solid time management
• and above all, a sharp sense of prioritization: knowing when to go deep and when to stay high-level.

In reality, most fullstack developers are:

• generalists with a dominant specialty—usually backend, sometimes frontend with light backend skills
• pragmatic devs who can make a whole stack work, even if not optimized
• bridges between specialized teams—especially in mid-sized organizations

The real skill isn’t technical

It’s often cognitive and strategic:

• the ability to understand an architecture end-to-end
• spotting bottlenecks in the dev lifecycle
• making the right trade-offs based on business needs

The risk: being “okay at everything, expert in nothing”

This role often attracts enthusiastic juniors, but here’s the trap: trying to cover it all can lead to burnout and shallow expertise.

That’s why, in larger companies or complex projects, you’ll typically see:

• specialized teams per layer
• or complementary duos (e.g. strong frontend + solid backend)
• all coordinated by someone with fullstack vision (tech leads, CTOs, architects)

Fullstack Python in practice

Python, traditionally backend-focused, is now dominant in data science, AI, and automation—but it works perfectly well in modern web stacks too.

A typical setup might include:
FastAPI as the backend (fast and clean, with built-in data validation via Pydantic), a React or Svelte frontend, PostgreSQL for the database, and deployment via Docker on Render or Heroku.

Deploying a Python app is a real fullstack challenge. It’s not just about writing code—you also have to deploy and maintain it. Heroku is great for MVPs, Render offers more flexibility, and Docker helps you scale by containerizing everything (These days, many teams even rely on Kubernetes for production deployments).

Knowing how to write a Dockerfile, a docker-compose.yml, or configure a GitHub Actions pipeline is now part of the modern fullstack toolkit.

Conclusion

The fullstack developer isn’t a myth—it’s a hybrid vision of the versatile developer. It’s more about balance than mastery.
And if you're in this role, remember: saying no is part of the job too. Burnout is not a goal.