// it takes a village
The web is built by people with wildly different skills. A large tech company might have hundreds of specialists. A startup might have one person doing everything. Understanding the roles helps you figure out where you fit — and what to learn next.
Key idea: You don't need to know everything to build for the web. You need to know enough to build what you want — and know who to call when you don't.
// the roles
Frontend Developer — builds what users see and interact with. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React. Lives in the browser. Cares about performance, accessibility, and design fidelity.
Backend Developer — builds what users don't see. Servers, databases, APIs. Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go. Makes sure data is stored, retrieved, and secured correctly.
Full-Stack Developer — does both. The most versatile and most in-demand role for small teams and startups. antcpu EDU's Website 101 puts you on this path.
UI/UX Designer — designs the experience before it's built. Wireframes, prototypes, user research. Tools: Figma, Sketch. The bridge between users and developers.
DevOps Engineer — keeps everything running. Deployment, infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring. Makes sure the site is fast, reliable, and scalable.
Product Manager — decides what gets built and why. Talks to users, writes specs, prioritises features. No code required — but understanding code helps enormously.
// going solo
One person with the right skills can build and launch a real product. The tools available in 2026 — AI assistants, no-code platforms, cloud services — mean a solo developer can do what used to require a team of ten.
antcpu EDU is built and maintained by one person. This page you're reading was written, styled, and deployed by a single developer. That's what's possible.
// the market
Web development is one of the most in-demand skills on the planet. Remote-friendly, well-paid, and constantly evolving. The barrier to entry has never been lower — and the ceiling has never been higher.
Go to roadmap.sh and open the Frontend Developer roadmap. Don't panic — you're not expected to know all of this. Just scroll through it. Pick three things you've never heard of and look them up. That curiosity is the most important skill in web development.