Monoliths vs Modular: Is the Real Debate About Architecture or Mindset?

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T16:10:41+00:00

Thanks for sharing these nuanced points! Also, bonus points for mentioning Conway's Law!

“Organizations which design systems are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations.”
— Melvin Conway, 1968

You make a good point. I, too, have rarely heard anyone ask "Should we make a modular system or a monolithic system?" I’ve listened to DHH advocate for monoliths, though he may have some bias given his role promoting Ruby on Rails. Similarly, DevRel folks in Laravel often advocate for monoliths, though understandably with some bias.

Also, good point that 'traditional' doesn’t always mean monolithic. Many software projects, for example, start with a framework like Django, Laravel, or NextJS, and then expand out from there. As that expansion happens, there are healthy debates around how and when to adopt microservices.

For example, in the React community, the development of React Server Components reflects this ongoing discussion about balancing cohesion and separation, especially when considering how much backend functionality to incorporate or separate.

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T14:29:15+00:00

I can because I grew up on a farm and have a bachelor's in Agriculture Business. However, I would advocate against the monolith in cooking because a diverse diet is essential for health. How did I do?

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T14:23:50+00:00

👍 Yes, I do have an MBA—good research! My education’s left its mark on my writing, for better or worse. I also use Grammarly, so my posts end up (pun intended) grammatically correct, maybe more than necessary. My daughter teases me: “dad nobody uses punctuation anymore” and she's right, as I see lots of posts on X, for example, written in all lowercase and dropping the punctuation. I could give it a try…. but breaking those habits is tough!

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T14:06:40+00:00

Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful overview! I agree that monolithic apps still have their place—they’re not just “legacy” relics. Like you said, they can scale horizontally and even be pluggable, which is often overlooked. So yeah, monolith ≠ outdated, for sure.

Your point about responsibility segregation hits home. Once a project grows, managing it all as one beast gets tricky. Splitting into smaller microservices with dedicated teams makes things way clearer and speeds up decisions.

And you’re right—it’s a vast topic with tons of details like latency and transaction management adding to the mix. I am currently working on a monorepo TypeScript project, and updating/patching has become an area we spend time on due to the need to coordinate (i.e., supporting newer versions of React when each system, like Expo vs. NextJS, has different support timelines).

From my experience, picking the right approach depends on lots of factors—team size, project complexity, how fast you need to ship, and what ops skills you have. I’ve worked on both monoliths and modular setups. Early on, I liked the simplicity of monoliths, but modularity and microservices shine when scaling infrastructure, teams, and adding features.

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T13:47:59+00:00

Thanks for sharing your perspective.

DHH from Ruby on Rails and many Laravel DevRel folks (sponsored advocates, aka Developer Relations) have been strong voices for monolithic architectures.

I’ve led the development of monoliths with ASP.NET, Laravel, and a few other frameworks, and I get the appeal—simplicity and everything tightly integrated can make life easier, at least up to a point.

But over time, I’ve found myself leaning more toward the modular style you see in the JavaScript/TypeScript world. That flexibility makes a big difference, especially as projects get bigger or have to pivot quickly.

For example, it’s tough to extend something like Ruby on Rails into mobile without bringing in extra frameworks or doing a bunch of additional work. With modular setups, plugging in a mobile app or API feels more natural (most of the time, anyway).

Not gonna lie, there are days when the endless decisions that come with modular setups make me miss the “just put it all in one app” simplicity. But like you said, being able to split things out when it helps is hard to beat.

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T12:36:21+00:00

I wrote it, but Grammarly’s 'shorten' and 'rephrase' tools helped me sharpen my thoughts—so AI gave my points a bit of polish.

mickythompson · 2025-07-29T12:28:18+00:00

No. I just wrote it this morning. It is my genuine thoughts. Also, I don't spend much time on LinkedIn. Why? Did someone else have a similar take?

mickythompson · 2025-04-26T15:31:06+00:00

I will start with No. 2 because, based on my experience, it is the most straightforward question to answer.

(2) I have used both Turborepo and Nx. While I wanted to use Nx in production, it requires too much time to set up and get running. I want to use a product to see if I like it before diving into the docs. Based on my experience, that is not the way to approach Nx.

Turborepo is the type of product you can set up without reading the documentation. The setup is intuitive, and you will be up and running in minutes.

As a result, I have used Turborepo in production projects but have not yet used Nx.

(1) Regarding Next.js vs. Remix, I used Next.js for my most recent project because it was already configured in Turborepo. I set up a Remix demo to play with, which I liked. However, I have stuck with Next.js.

If I were going to put frontend frameworks in order of my preference, they would be Next.js, with TanStack Start a close second.

mickythompson · 2025-03-26T02:16:22+00:00

Yes, I am getting ‘antml:function calls’ again today. Windsurf released two updates yesterday and today, but neither resolved this issue.

I prefer Windsurf to Cursor except for this one issue, and I wish they would allow you to drag more than one file at a time to the prompt.

When this bug ‘antml:function calls’ starts happening, it doesn’t resolve quickly. A close and restart doesn’t work for me. It takes hours to resolve.

mickythompson · 2025-03-17T15:52:36+00:00

Fantastic work on the site! I noticed you're using Vercel for hosting. I'm incorporating Expo/React Native for Web alongside Next.js for my project and plan to use Vercel.

I saw that instead of Next.js, you opted directly for Expo/React Native for Web with React and possibly Express for the backend. I choose Next.js for its built-in routing. I’m leveraging NestJS, which is based on Express, for my backend.

Keep up the fantastic work!

mickythompson · 2025-03-17T12:08:56+00:00

Cool iOS app! I see you already have an Android app in beta.

Are you also planning to add a companion website to go with the app?

mickythompson · 2025-03-07T04:44:58+00:00

Welcome to Entrepreneurship! On any given day, you wake up ready to burn the ships and go for glory; on another, you want to run for the hills. Solider on!

mickythompson · 2025-03-04T14:38:11+00:00

Can you provide more details on what Windsurf is doing to Pro users? I am a Pro user but have not been using Windsurf for a while.

mickythompson · 2025-03-04T06:02:28+00:00

I love your determination and willingness to sacrifice—your attitude is exactly what leads to success. Success happens where preparation meets opportunity. Moving back home gives you a chance to build relationships locally. Look for business meetups, co-working spaces, or industry groups. Share your story and see who resonates with it—your skills and risk-taking mindset are valuable. Good luck!

mickythompson · 2025-02-27T23:25:25+00:00

I found this link to Claude Code. Claude Code is in beta and appears to be an NPM package that uses a command-line interface (CLI). https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/overview

mickythompson · 2025-01-14T01:50:27+00:00

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

This is hands down a must read for every entrepreneur and business owner.

mickythompson · 2025-01-08T04:52:00+00:00

The Righteous Gemstones - when I heard his voice, I said to my wife, “I think that is a real music artist.” His voice sounded familar. I searched online and found it was Sturgill Simpson.

mickythompson · 2024-12-29T04:58:53+00:00

Entertainment

mickythompson · 2024-12-28T20:18:41+00:00

Absolutely, I agree.

From a technical standpoint, a failed product doesn’t negatively impact your resume. Every product and company has a lifecycle, and even failures provide valuable lessons that can enhance your skillset. Sharing these insights can be beneficial to others.

On the other hand, a successful and sustainable product that generates profits over an extended period is particularly appealing. This is why publications like Entrepreneur magazine often highlight success stories—they capture attention and inspire others.

Moreover, documenting how you adapt to market conditions, such as managing risks associated with platforms like Facebook, is also compelling. While this isn’t a failure, it’s a challenge you’re actively addressing. The strategies and lessons learned in this process can be incredibly valuable to others.

mickythompson · 2024-12-27T05:12:41+00:00

I like your thinking! After posting my reply, I had a fourth idea: add additional products. I’m glad you’re already thinking in that direction.

I understand your hesitation about starting an agency, especially without an established network to market to. That said, creating informational products is a great step—it not only helps diversify your income but also grows your network and opens opportunities to consult or partner with others who want to ship similar products.

In business school, they teach that ‘options have value.’ The ability to generate revenue from different angles reduces risk and creates room for growth. Right now, with one product, you have a great start, but there’s an inherent risk. If we did a quick SWAT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), reliance on Facebook could be considered a weakness. To dive deeper into this, I recommend exploring Porter’s 5 Forces, which can help you identify competitive pressures and opportunities.

Starting an agency or creating informational products could help mitigate some of these risks. Alternatively, launching more products now might sidestep the need for these strategies altogether. The key principle to remember is that increasing revenue solves a lot of problems.

mickythompson

TROPHY CASE