You have a brilliant SaaS idea. Now the question: what's your actual tech stack and deployment strategy? This guide walks you through the technical blueprint we recommend to 80% of SaaS founders we work with. The Recommended Stack: Frontend: - Next.js 14+ (React framework with built-in optimization) - TypeScript (prevents 40% of bugs) - Tailwind CSS (rapid UI development) - Shadcn/ui (enterprise component library) Why? Fast development, scalable, production-ready. Backend: - Node.js + Express or NextAuth API routes - PostgreSQL (relational data, ACID compliance) - Redis (caching, sessions) Why? JavaScript across stack, mature ecosystem, infinite scaling. Infrastructure: - Vercel (frontend hosting, edge functions) - AWS RDS (managed PostgreSQL) - AWS S3 (file storage) - Stripe (payments) Why? Reliability, scalability, minimal ops overhead. The Architecture: ``` User Browser → Vercel Edge Network → Next.js API Routes → PostgreSQL + Redis → AWS S3 ↓ Authentication (NextAuth) Business Logic Database Queries File Operations ``` The MVP Development Timeline: Week 1-2: Setup & Authentication - Project scaffolding - User authentication (NextAuth) - Database schema - Deployment pipeline Week 3-4: Core Features - Build 2-3 core features - API endpoints - Database integration - Basic frontend Week 5-6: Polish & Testing - Error handling - Input validation - Performance optimization - Security audit Week 7-8: Launch Preparation - Analytics integration - Monitoring setup - Documentation - Beta testing Budget Expectations: - Development: $40-80K (8 weeks, 1 full-stack engineer + part-time design) - Infrastructure: $500-1500/month (scales with users) - Initial hosting: Vercel free tier + AWS free tier covers MVP Critical Decisions: 1. Authentication: Use NextAuth or Auth0. Don't build from scratch. 2. Payments: Stripe is non-negotiable. Their API is superior to all alternatives. 3. Database: PostgreSQL is the safe choice. It scales, it's mature, and it's free. 4. Monitoring: Set up Sentry + LogRocket from day one. Bugs you don't know about cost customers. 5. Analytics: Plausible or Posthog. Google Analytics is enterprise overkill. The First-Year Reality: Your first MVP will be 'wrong.' That's not failure—that's iteration. The goal is to ship fast, get customer feedback, and pivot. This stack allows rapid pivots without technical debt. The Difference Between Success and Failure: Founders who build on solid technical foundations iterate confidently. Those with technical debt spend months firefighting bugs instead of building features. Choose your stack wisely.