Devs are considering quitting en masse because of embarrassing legacy tech, survey finds

• Outdated tech stacks are more than annoying; they're driving top developers out of the industry
• Developers tie their identity to tech stacks, and they’re quitting when they feel embarrassed by them
• Modern innovation can’t happen when devs are trapped in outdated frameworks and dead-end systems

A growing number of developers are rethinking their careers due to outdated and inefficient technology stacks, new research has claimed.

A survey by Storyblok revealed over half (58%) of senior developers at medium to large companies reveal are considering quitting their jobs because of "inadequate and ‘embarrassing’ legacy tech stacks."

Among all participants, 86% said they feel embarrassed by their current tech stack, with nearly a quarter citing legacy systems as the primary reason.

Legacy tech takes a toll on developer morale

Excessive technical debt and reliance on outdated libraries and frameworks were also major contributors to their dissatisfaction.

Developers take their tech environment personally. An overwhelming 74% said their tech stack has a "significant" impact on their professional identity, while 19.5% went further, saying it actually "defined" them. Only 2.5% reported feeling indifferent.

This deep personal connection may help explain why 73% said they know at least one colleague who has quit in the past year due to frustrations with their tech stack.

When asked to identify the biggest issues with their current stack, 51% pointed to a lack of core functionality. Another 47% highlighted maintenance challenges, while 31% expressed concern about limited compatibility with modern innovations such as AI.

Only 14% of respondents said they had nothing to be embarrassed about.

The situation is equally troubling when it comes to content management systems. Outdated CMS platforms were cited as major blockers, with 67.5% of developers saying their current CMS holds them back from doing their best work.

Almost half described this as a "constant" obstacle, and only 4% felt their CMS was fit for purpose.

To retain developers, employers may have to choose between costly pay increases or systemic change. The survey found that 92% of developers would require at least a 10% pay rise to remain in their current roles under existing tech conditions, while 42% said they’d need a 20% increase. Meanwhile, 15% said they would expect more than a 25% bump.

“Outdated tech stacks are making your developers unhappy to the point of quitting. Pay rises are a short-term fix... If you want to bring joy back into your development team, you need to commit to a modernization roadmap,” said Alexander Feiglstorfer, CTO and Co-Founder of Storyblok.

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