Thanks for the post. Parse Server is a really great platform and makes apllication development much faster. I´m a founder at www.back4app.com and we host also several APPs with Parse Server.

Parse death proves the meaning of vendor lock in and how important is to control the application source code and database. Software engineers and developers should not use an BaaS provider unless it runs on Open Source core plataform. Back4app has a new approach and allow developers to control a have real time access to the code. Please check our migration wizard if you want to migrate from Parse and run Parse Server Open Source. http://blog.back4app.com/2016/03/01/quick-wizard-migration/

The answer will cover the app developement from prototyping to backend developement. I will provide an overview of the backend as a service platforms and apps cross platforms. Tools to Accelerate Software Development You should use platforms to speed up software development and reduce the total programming learning curve. The total time you will need to develop an application will depend on how complex you want the application to be and also if you will use frameworks to accelerate software development. You will need to learn to different programming skills: Backend: Back end means the parts that do the work, but the final user is unaware of or cannot see. Ir represents up 80% of the total work and contain the API, databases, services, etc. There are several BaaS – Backend as a Service providers to speed up backend development. www.back4app.com can accelerate up 80% the backend development and it is a good option for developers looking for flexibility and control over the source code. Firebase provide similar results, but the users do not have access to the source code and are locked on the platform. Frontend: Front end typically means the parts of the project a user interacts with. The interface can be mobile (Android, IOS, Windows, etc) or web. A good platform to speed up mobile frontend development is Xaramin and it can reduce up to 70% the total time to develop Android and IOS apps. The main advantage to use a cross platform are the reduced time to develop an application and also you are able to standardize the coding language. For example, with Xamarin you will use only C# to code. Prototyping: For design and prototyping please try Marvel Apps. Free mobile & web prototyping (iOS, Android) for designers – Marvel

The morning is usually the most productive time for a person. So, you should concentrate to deliver the most difficult tasks in the morning.

In general, the API driven architecture is much better, but the correct approach depends on the project to be implemented. The following factors have to be taken in consideration to evaluate the correct structure: Scalability: How big will the application be and if it will it be accessed by multiple types of devices. Budget: For example, a simple web portal which has very limited budgetary restraints and no short term growing forecast I see no reason to have an API.

Two main reasons: (I) Speed - As soon as the MVP is launched the better. (II) Cost - It is usually less expensive.

To become eligible for a CTO position the following aspects are important: (I) Deep Technical Knowledge. (II) Leadership skills. The dev team has to trust on the CTO.

At Amazon AWS you can host the entire project and scale it if necessary. The learning curve is not so easy as Digital Ocean, but after you learn the basics Amazon AWS is really good. I have sold all my servers and now only outsource to Amazon and Digital Ocean.

I work with Digital Ocean and Amazon AWS. Both very reliable! I personally prefer AWS.

Interesting results. Most people work better in quiet & alone environment, but most of the workplaces are noisy & public.