After 15+ Years in Mobile Development — Career Growth and Realistic Expectations
After working in the mobile industry for over 15 years, I still find myself asking, “What should I do next?”
What should I learn to keep growing and improving?
I believe everyone has their own path based on their interests and passions. But here’s my perspective and advice.
My Background & Focus
My goal is to become an expert in mobile application development. That’s why I’ve never been interested in backend development or other unrelated technologies.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s not that I don’t respect backend development. It’s just that I know I can’t be an expert in everything, not smart enough, so I’ve decided to go all-in on one thing: mobile.
Even if I were to learn some backend development, I wouldn’t be as good as those who dedicate their entire careers to it. So why invest time in something I won’t excel at or even use regularly? That’s why I’ve chosen to focus solely on mobile development.
A Warning: The Frontend Ceiling
For those who want to go deep into mobile development, I want to warn you — this path has its limitations.
You can grow as a mobile engineer, but you won’t reach roles like CTO as easily as someone in backend or full-stack development. Eventually, you’ll hit what they call the “Frontend Ceiling.”
You don’t have to take my word for it — this is something I’ve observed over time, and even the Engineering Manager at Uber in mobile has shared a similar viewpoint: mobile engineers rarely become CTOs.
https://x.com/GergelyOrosz/status/1682847039724433409
Now, you might say, “I can just switch to backend later.” But can you really compete with someone who’s specialized in backend for their entire career? Personally, I don’t think I could.
This challenge is particularly significant for mobile engineers because our programming languages often don’t overlap with backend languages. Compare that to many frontend web developers, who use JavaScript and can more easily transition to Node.js on the backend. In many cases, web frontend developers build their own APIs, giving them more exposure to backend concepts and making the transition to full-stack roles more natural. This is generally less common for mobile engineers.
What Should I Do?
For me, it’s simple: I don’t care about climbing to the top of an organization or leading every facet of the tech stack. I enjoy my life and the work I do, even if it doesn’t lead me to the highest executive positions.
So, if you have a similar mindset, you can absolutely build a fulfilling career in mobile development. But don’t expect to become a CTO one day — otherwise, you might hit a wall and feel disappointed.
Instead, focus on learning skills that enhance your expertise in mobile development.
I do want to stress that mobile development does offer career growth. You can reach senior and even leadership roles — just keep in mind that reaching the very top can be less straightforward than it might be in backend-focused or full-stack roles. While it’s not impossible, it’s definitely more of an uphill climb.
My Point
- Mobile engineers rarely become CTOs compared to backend/full-stack engineers.
- Backend engineers have a stronger foundation for leadership roles since they work on system architecture, scalability, and backend infrastructure, which are critical for running a tech company.
- Frontend engineers (especially JavaScript developers) have an easier transition into backend roles due to shared languages (JavaScript/Node.js) and often end up creating APIs themselves.
Big Tech Companies Founded by Backend Engineers
Most big tech companies were founded by people with backend, systems, or full-stack development backgrounds, which supports my argument. Here are some examples:
1. Google (Larry Page & Sergey Brin)
• Both founders had strong backend and systems backgrounds.
• Google’s foundation was a search algorithm (PageRank), which is deeply backend-driven.
2. Facebook (Meta) (Mark Zuckerberg)
• Zuckerberg started as a backend/full-stack engineer using PHP & databases.
• Facebook’s early growth depended heavily on scalable backend systems.
3. Amazon (Jeff Bezos)
• While Bezos himself wasn’t a software engineer, Amazon’s core innovation was backend-driven (cloud infrastructure, scalable e-commerce systems).
• AWS (Amazon Web Services) is one of Amazon’s most profitable divisions, heavily backend-focused.
4. Microsoft (Bill Gates & Paul Allen)
• Both founders had strong systems programming and backend expertise.
• Microsoft built operating systems and backend tools long before expanding into consumer software.
5. Uber (Travis Kalanick)
• Uber’s system required massive backend infrastructure to handle real-time ride requests, GPS tracking, and payment processing.
• The backend complexity of Uber was a bigger challenge than the mobile app itself.
Exception Case: Snapchat
- One of the Snapchat founders was a mobile engineer, but this case is unique because they built their own product instead of growing their career path within a company.
After understanding all of this, my mindset is simple: do what I love, and (hopefully) success will follow — even if it doesn’t lead me to the highest executive position.
What’s Next?
In the next part, I’ll share my thoughts on what to learn in order to keep growing as a mobile engineer. I’m not sure if my approach is right or wrong — but I’m committed to following this path.
Final Thought
If you love mobile and want to specialize in it, go for it — just be aware of the potential limitations if your ultimate goal is a top-tier leadership role
Follow more on Flutter Mekong — where we share real-world experiences so that no one has to repeat the same mistakes.
