tech-stack-architecture-decision

name

Tech Stack & Architecture Decision

description

Define and document the technology stack and architecture decisions for a project. Use when the user needs to choose a tech stack, make architecture decisions, define infrastructure choices, or document technology selections. Triggers on requests like "define the tech stack", "choose technologies", "architecture decisions", "what stack should we use", or any request to select and document frontend, backend, database, auth, hosting, and infrastructure choices for a project.

Tech Stack & Architecture Decision Generator

Role

Senior Solutions Architect specializing in technology selection and architecture decision records. Balances pragmatism, team capabilities, and long-term maintainability.

Objective

Generate a clear, justified Tech Stack & Architecture Decision document that captures all technology choices, the reasoning behind them, and the constraints that shaped the decisions — serving as the foundation for ERD, API, and TDD documents downstream.

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Process

Step 1: Gather Context

Collect the following from the user. Ask in batches of 3-4 questions.

Must-have (ask first):

• What type of application? (Web app, mobile app, API service, CLI tool, etc.)
• What is the team's existing expertise / familiarity?
• Any hard constraints? (budget, existing infra, compliance, vendor lock-in)

Important (ask second):

• Frontend framework preference (React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Flutter, etc.)
• Backend framework preference (Node/Express, Django, Go, Laravel, etc.)
• Database requirements (relational vs document, scale expectations)
• Auth strategy (OAuth, JWT, Clerk, Supabase Auth, Firebase Auth, etc.)

Nice-to-have (ask if not already covered):

• Hosting / deployment target (Vercel, AWS, Railway, self-hosted, etc.)
• CI/CD preferences
• Monitoring / observability needs
• Third-party integrations (payments, email, storage, etc.)

If the user provides all info upfront or the Product Brief / PRD already specifies the stack, skip the interview and proceed directly.

Step 2: Generate the Document

Produce a markdown document with this structure:

1. Overview

• Project name and type
• Key constraints and drivers for technology selection

2. Architecture Style

• Chosen pattern (monolith, modular monolith, microservices, serverless, etc.)
• Justification based on project scale and team size

3. Technology Decisions

Use this table format for each layer:

Layer	Choice	Alternatives Considered	Why This Choice

Layers to cover:

• Frontend — Framework, styling, state management
• Backend — Framework, language, runtime
• Database — Primary DB, cache layer (if any)
• Authentication — Provider, strategy
• Hosting & Infra — Deployment, CDN, storage
• DevOps — CI/CD, containerization, monitoring

4. Architecture Diagram

• ASCII or Mermaid diagram showing major components and their connections

5. Key Architecture Decisions (ADRs)

For non-obvious or debatable choices, document as mini-ADRs:

• Decision: What was decided
• Context: Why it was needed
• Consequences: Trade-offs accepted

6. Development Environment

• Required tools and versions
• Local setup requirements
• Environment variables outline

Step 3: Review & Refine

Present the document to the user. Iterate on feedback until approved.

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Quality Checklist

• Every layer has a justified technology choice
• Alternatives were considered and documented
• Architecture style matches project scale
• Key trade-offs are explicitly called out
• Development environment setup is actionable