Will PHP make you Rich in 2025?
Hi!
PHP is already the most widely deployed server-side programming language. A big part of it is WordPress and to a lesser extent Drupal. But don’t fool yourself, a lot of small business websites use PHP in some form or another.
PHP is really popular because it has always been easy to get an app up and running with it, hosting is common and is inexpensive. PHP has a fairly efficient engine (keeps hosting cost down) … and PHP is reliable.
PHP is FAR more efficient energy-wise (ram + compute cycles) than Python, Ruby, PERL.
… Not sure about JS.
But, but, but … PHP is insecure!
The notion that PHP8 in 2024 is somehow insecure, as PHP 3 was in the 1990’s …this is silly. It would be like comparing iPhone 1 vs todays latest Android phone. PHP since v5.6, is no longer a security mess. Those days have long gone.
PHP is about small business:
As I mentioned at the start of this video, PHP is widely used by small business. And I believe as the economies of the greater West evolve, more and more people are going to be looking into starting a small business. Whether be the boomers retiring or Gen Z figuring out that being independent has advantages!
… Yes, welcome to Uncle Stef’s world!
🙂
Small business = PHP.
PHP + nimble development are gaining respect.
We lost touch, as we nerds do, with the fundamental principle of engineering: KISS.
We are starting to see more and more people realize this … and this plays into the PHP ecosystem more than any other platform.
Lex Fridman recently had on Pieter Levels who is a well known developer, and he talked about how he used vanilla PHP + jQuery to create apps that generate millions for him. And he is able to host it all on a $150 / month VPS.
…. Lots of developers out there were amazed that he had great success with essentially, 10-15 year old tech. Something I’ve been talking about for years.
I would argue BECAUSE Pieter kept his stack simple, he had success. I can’t tell you how many projects I’ve seen go nowhere because of ridiculous complexity injected into things when they were simply NOT needed. In fact, very much the opposite.
Conclusion:
So with the shift in awareness, the change in demographics … light nimble solutions will continue to grow. PHP is king of the server-side web development world, and I think it will continue to grow … but now, with far more prestige and respect.
So, if you wanna maximize your chances of getting rich with code, build with lightweight tech, be nimble and pay attention to the growing market of entrepreneurs and solopreneurs out there.
The video:
Stef