I disagree, respectfully, that a skilled engineer would create a framework in the process of writing an app. Instead: they'd write the app using the microframe

I disagree, respectfully, that a skilled engineer would create a framework in the process of writing an app. Instead: they'd write the app using the microframeworks chosen. There's a big difference -- creating framework that solves a general set of problems is a different task than building an app. This argument assumes that an engineer will create a framework to solve their problem ("build an app"), and create an ORM, and will recreate an auth process, etc. This isn't necessarily true. Also - why assume that a skilled engineer will "hack" together anything? How hard is it to write a bunch of SQL? Not particularly hard at all - no need to hack (in the negative context of the work I infer you're using here). In fact, a skilled engineer will re-use the micro-components he/she's created. An unskilled engineer will "hack" together a new "framework", "ORM", and so on - creating their own megaframework - to defeat the purpose of using microframeworks in the first place? Sorry, that kind of engineer needs more experience or skills. Also, I think we need to clearly separate two things: writing an app, and writing a framework. I'm recommending using tools (microframeworks) to create apps, websites, etc -- not to ask an engineer to devolve into using these tools to create yet another megaframework in attempt to abstract away problems (that they probably don't fully understand, but should, as in your example of authentication) and failing. In fact, I'll go ahead and posit that a skilled engineer knows how to create an auth process (using existing crypto and hash libraries instead of rolling their own). An unskilled engineer -- not so much.