Yoram Kornatzky

ML immediately tilts your decision towards Python as the ML ecosystem is in Python. Microservices can be programmed in Python. However, as you said, Python is slower than Node.js. This leads to a combination of both languages as the ideal solution. A problem in terms of skills, especially for a limited size team. It also raises the question of how you are going to connect the different microservices. If it is Kafka or MTMQ should not be a problem to connect services in the different languages. If you are limited in terms of size of team, choose Python. As you cannot go very far with Node.js for ML.

It happened to me that you actually construct a relational schema with MongoDB. It is not good. You do not use the modeling benefits of MongoDB, and you do not have the benefits of SQL. So I recommend taking it into MySQL. Since you think in a relational way, it is best you move to MySQL

Specifically, do you need non-normalized data? If not, MySQL is best. Otherwise, MongoDB is best. If you think non-relational, you do not need joins, and the problems with cascade disappear.

What is the best way to think? If you work in terms of whole tree of related object, then you think non-relational and non-normalized.

Gulp is very old. I would not use it.

It all depends on what framework you are using. They usually come with a bundler. And templates often come with a bundler.

Webpack is the standard Webpack solution. But maybe complicated to use if it does not come with your template or framework. So you may wish to try Parcel first.

I consider Skype dead. Even Microsoft strongly neglected it. Webex is more corporate-oriented. So for your use case, I recommend Zoom. It is easy to set up, and the quality is very good. Zoom became such a household name that the average person heard about it. Moreover, any person probably has friends who may have used it. So it will be easier for people to get some community help.

For this timetable, since you need both a web and a mobile, you should do hybrid mobile. Node.js with FeathersJS / SailsJS in the backend and Vue.js in the front end, get you as fast as you can to the goal. I love Laravel but it will be a different stack in the backend and front-end. Vue.js is the easiest on the front-end. And works well in a hybrid Cordova app. About charting and reporting, try Chart.js for charting.

It is much simpler in terms of maintenance costs to use AWS RDS and not worry about maintaining a server. Moreover, if you use a server you will need to handle firewalls and ports. Programming with RDS is much simpler using common MySQL or PostgreSQL libraries. In a similar situation using PHP from a local environment, I found repeatedly that using RDS is simpler and more cost effective.

MongoDB is part of the MERN stack which is most often used as a backend stack. So you are aiming for a larger percentage of the job market. While PostgreSQL is often used, it is not part of the standard stack. In terms of your learning path, MongoDB is easier because its data model is based on JSON documents with which you are already familiar. PostgreSQL will require you to learn about relational schemes, and schema design.

MySQL is the better choice. The reason is that E-Commerce data is more suitable to the relational data model of MySQL. There is no need for nested structures that cannot fit into the normal form of the relational model. E-Commerce database schemes do not evolve so much in unpredictable ways that you need the NoSQL aspects of MongoDB where no schema is defined in advance.

Comparing TypeScript and JavaScript to ExpressJS is like comparing apples to oranges. ExpressJS is a framework for the server-side of web applications in Node.js. You can write programs for ExpressJS and similar frameworks such as NestJS, Feathers, Hapi in either JavaScript or TypesScript. Node.js is really JavaScript for the server side. TypeScript is the typed version of JavaScript. You need some framework for the server side. So ExpressJS is a must. You should focus your attention on selecting the framework. Some frameworks are better with TypeScript such as NestJS. But all can be used with JavaScript. There are advantages to using type declarations but some people, and I included thing it complicates your programming.

Much easier to work with. And naturally integrates with Vue.js. Angular is in decline. Moreover, you already live in the PHP ecosystem. While I do both Java and PHP, onboarding into the PHP ecosystem is much faster.