It's what draws so many of us to this work -- and what keeps us coming back for more every day. But as technology evolves, the building blocks that comprise that technology -- web frameworks, programming languages, libraries, servers -- evolve right along with it, offering an ever-growing array of tools and approaches for developers to tinker with. So, how do engineers decide what tech to use to tackle their next project? And how do they stay on the cutting edge, evolving their tech stacks as new tools and trends emerge? We asked three NYC companies to give us a peek under the hood to find out.

Let me give you little bit of context first. In Whisper there no profiles or connections like in traditional social networks, you simply download the app and post something for everyone to see. This means that people often post things (such as confessions) that they wouldn't post on other social networks. This brings a number of unique challenges with it. Moderation: Because there no social filters there is a big chance of abuse (including inappropriate content, bullying, abusive or illegal).