Is Python the Best Programming Language for Your Startup?

As there’re many programming languages to choose from, picking the right one may seem to be confusing. It’s worth to do a cold calculation and think deeply about what challenges your startup will face both in the near future and in the long term. Although each startup is different, we can identify certain joint needs for all of them:

• quickly built MVP,
• fast iterations,
• implementation of new features when necessary,
• easy integration with other software,
• scalable business,
• a varying number of team members.

What’s extremely important is that startups have limited time and budgets. It should be taken into account while choosing the programming language. Python proves to be quite economical concerning both time and money.

In his best-selling book, Marshall Cline shares his sharp point of view on the realities surrounding the choice of programming languages. He puts it directly:

“Anyone who argues in favor of one language over another in a purely technical manner (i.e., who ignores the dominant business issues) exposes themself as a techie weenie, and deserves not to be heard.”

- Marshall Cline, Evangelist for Software Technology

As we endorse his opinion wholeheartedly, we accept the challenge and write down the list of business reasons why should you consider Python as a programming language in your startup.  

Python is great for building an MVP

‘Time is money” - it’s a true statement for all startup founders. Making a quick yet functional prototype is crucial to convince investors that there’s a huge potential behind the project. So, if you need to test your business model or keep your partners calm with quick iterations (sure you need to), then speed is of the essence.

Some programming languages are designed to promote rapid application development, and Python definitely is one of them. Thanks to its modules and packages, which are at the core of reusable code, the majority of projects based on Python is completed faster than with the use of e.g. Java or C++. 

So, the truth is that Python helps startups iterate quickly after every feedback cycle and build an MVP extremely fast.

Python helps to scale business

Startup founders not only have to focus on short-term results but also build the foundations for long-term success in a meanwhile. To realize their business goals and handle rapid growth, they need to choose a programing language that will allow them to achieve scale.
 

That’s where Python comes into play. The key to success is its simplicity and consistency, e.g. adding new features is super easy, developers write less code for the same functionality than, for example, using Java, and it can be run in a virtual machine like PyPy, JVM, or CLR for additional performance increases.

Still not convinced that Python is scalable? Look at YouTube - almost 2 billion unique visitors per month, billion hours watched daily and 400 hours of video content uploaded every minute, all with Python as a core technology.
 

Source: vloggingguides.com

Python let the agile teams create good-quality products 

In general, projects using Python don’t require as many developers as other projects. An agile team of experienced developers led by a brisk project manager is enough to make a functional application. 

As developers often highlight, Python is very clear and intuitive - just look at these two snippets of code doing the same thing but written in different programming languages.

Java

public class HelloStartups
{
public static void main (String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello, Startups!");
}
}

 Python

print("Hello, Startups!")

It is a simple example, but it demonstrates Python’s major strengths - readability and speed of app development.

What’s more, Python has a lot of features and characteristics that developers appreciate as it’s a "strongly typed dynamic language."  It also has a ton of optimizations built-in to help speed it up. Python’s other great strength is an extensive set of libraries that allow it to perform a wide array of tasks. Last but not least, the Python community is already large, strong and supportive and is getting more powerful each month.

In effect, a small team of developers can write code quickly and almost effortlessly. As we mentioned above, all the startuppers lead a sort of battle against time, and that’s why it is worth considering Python as a programming language in your startup. 

Python is popular among developers

Why should the popularity of programming language have been taken into account when choosing one for a startup? There’s a saying that all companies are tech companies now. As startups strive to put state-of-the-art, cutting-edge products and services on the market, the technology plays the crucial role in fulfilling their dreams. It means that one of the most important aims of a startup is to hire the right people - tech experts,  who will be able to support the project.

The popularity of Python has risen steadily over the past 15 years. According to TIOBE Index for August 2018, Python is getting very close to the top 3. Nowadays it is quite common to have Python running in large embedded systems. So it is very likely that Python will become the new number 1 in the near future. 

Source: tiobe.com

As mentioned above, Python community is large and stable - it’s rather unlikely that this programming language will soon fall into oblivion and your web application will have to be rewritten. An active community guarantees that Python will be supported, maintained and developed on and on.

Of course, what counts is quality, not quantity. What your startup really needs to gather momentum, is a team of skilled engineers. How to reach them? There are many ways to hire experienced python developers, e.g. you can work with top web software houses, especially when you have to succeed fast.

Python is a major programming language used in the most exciting ventures

Most startups are found by a diverse team of stubborn optimists that discovers, develops and amplifies ideas with world-changing potential. They work hard to hit the market with an innovative, sophisticated product or service. In general, these products and services need more knowledge, experience or education to develop them.

According to Stackify, such fields as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, Cyber Security and Robotics all base heavily on Python. Isn’t it better (read: faster and more efficient) to turn to best practices and choose Python than keep searching for the most suitable programming language and, in fact, reinvent the wheel?

Meanwhile, most popular media platforms, include Google, Youtube, Instagram, Dropbox, and Spotify were built at least in part using Python.

Source: stackshare.io 

Develop your startup wisely, so why you should work with skilled Python Developers

As a startup you need to grow fast, that’s obvious. Choosing Python as a programming language definitely may help you prepare rapid prototypes. However, does the decision itself guarantee that your project will be realized fast and will succeed?

One thing is for sure; experienced developers will work faster than younger developers, regardless of the language they work with. Competencies of developers are crucial for your startup to succeed. 

However, creating one's own team of software developers is a massive investment. Not all startups are ready for it at the moment when it becomes necessary to make a rapid prototype. That’s why it may be a good idea to seek the support of a remote team, especially when you’re a non-technical founder. 

As you entrust to them a significant- if not the most important - part of your business, you need to choose wisely from the very beginning. It’s logical that if you decide to have Python in your tech stack than it’s worth to cooperate with the best Python developers worldwide. You will find more practical tips on how to choose the right digital team for your startup in this short article and an extensive guide about What is Python used for. 

Summary

Hope you see now the advantages of using Python in your startup.  It’s an excellent programming language especially for:

• making an MVP and prototypes,
• keeping investors happy with quick iterations,
• developing a functional application,
• working in a small team of developers,
• growing startups as well as enterprises.

Python is perfectly suited to startups’ business needs and helps them have a scalable, working product within a reasonable time frame. That makes it one of the best programming languages for startups.