Kent C. Dodds is joined by expert developers, library creators, and tech industry leaders who share their insights and experience working within the ever-evolving world of web development.
These conversations cover a wide range of topics ranging from the intricacies of database efficiency, the future of authorization, the role of leadership in tech, and everything in between.
No matter your level of experience in web development, these conversations offer a wealth of knowledge and ideas that will inspire you to refine your craft, push boundaries, and become an Epic Web dev!
Content Management Systems with Alexandra Spalato
Alexandra Spalato, a Developer Relations Engineer at Storyblok, discusses the future of content management systems. She emphasizes the significance of a CMS in simplifying complex processes into user-friendly interfaces and making content creation more accessible to non-developers.
Leadership in Tech with Ankita Kulkarni
Developer and leadership educator Ankita Kulkarni discusses the intersection of leadership and development. The conversation explores the acquisition of leadership skills, and how to find the balance between coding and leadership roles. Ankita provides strategies for advancing into leadership positions, emphasizing the importance of proactive career management.
API Mocking with Artem Zakharchenko
Artem Zakharchenko, the creator of Mock Service Worker (MSW), joins Kent to discuss the evolution of MSW from a weekend project into to a powerful open-source tool for API mocking and debugging.
Enhancing SQLite with Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson is a developer with a 20-year coding career spanning roles from Oracle to creating BoltDB. In this conversation, Ben discusses LiteFS and Litestream, both tools aimed at expanding SQLite's utility. Topics include a dive into SQLite's architectural elements, and how LiteFS enhances scalability on a single node.
The Evolution of Type Safety with Colin McDonnell
Colin McDonnell, a Developer Relations representative at Bun and the creator of Zod, discusses how Zod has grown from its original usage in medical software into a prominent tool in the TypeScript ecosystem. Colin also touches on TRPC, an end-to-end type safety library, and the challenges it addresses.
Navigating the Testing Terrain with Debbie O'Brien
Debbie O'Brien, a community advocate for Playwright at Microsoft, discusses the adaptability and versatility of Playwright as a testing tool. She emphasizes its value in various testing scenarios and its role in Microsoft's application testing, including VSCode, Bing, and Teams.
Simplifying Web Form Management with Edmund Hung
Edmund Hung, web developer at Delivery Hero, discusses how Conform has become a crucial component of the Epic Stack. He highlights Conform's unique approach to form management, which bypasses native browser validation in favor of its own system.
Scalable Databases and Authentication with Iheanyi Ekechukwu
Iheanyi Ekechukwu, a software engineer at PlanetScale, explore database and hosting options, highlights PlanetScale's scalability and the role of Vitess in the technology. The conversation also covers authentication solutions, and cautions against over-reliance on external services.
Understanding Web Development with Jacob Paris
Jacob Paris joins Kent to discuss his work on Remix. He highlights some of the challenges of server rendering, including handling user preferences and time zones. One the client side, Jacob emphasizes the importance of server output for correct client rendering, especially when users disable JavaScript.
The Depth of Software Testing with Jessica Sachs
Jessica Sachs, software engineer at Ionic and a testing & QA expert, joins Kent in a conversation about various testing paradigms. They discuss topics ranging from Test-Driven Development to End-to-End testing, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach.
Platform Engineering with Jocelyn Harper
Jocelyn "Josie" Harper, tech lead at The New York Times, discusses her tech journey into roles including platform engineering and system design. Additional topics include backend optimization and the significance of documentation.
Exploring the Front-End Ecosystem with Mark Dalgleish
Mark Dalgleish, co-creator of CSS Modules and contributor at Shopify, discusses the evolution of CSS, React, and design systems. Touching on CSS Modules and CSS-in-JS, the conversation also goes into the challenges of managing design systems, particularly when it comes to balancing flexibility with standardization.
Navigating Changing Web Technologies with Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson from Google's Angular team joins Kent to share his career journey, the web's evolution, and AI's role in software development. Additional topics include the transformational role of APIs and Angular's transition from the View Engine to Ivy.
The Magic of TypeScript with Matt Pocock
Matt Pocock, internet-renowned as the "TypeScript guy", discusses the merits and challenges of the TypeScript ecosystem. Highlighting its benefits in IDE capabilities and bug reduction, Matt also touches upon complexities in managing types and creating libraries.
Building Deep Skills with Michael Chan
Educator and enthusiast Michael Chan shares his thoughts on the changing React landscape, emphasizing the significance of TypeScript and libraries like React Query. He advocates for building a deep understanding over surface-level knowledge. Both Michael and Kent stress the joy of creating meaningful projects and the importance of a comprehensive web development understanding.
Examining MDX with Monica Powell
Monica Powell, a senior software engineer at Newsela, dives into MDX, which allows for developers to combine JSX with Markdown for creating rich content. She highlights MDX's role in the Unify ecosystem, as well as its challenges when getting started with CMS integration.
Efficient Form Management with Sandrina Pereira
Sandrina Pereira, a staff front-end engineer at remote.com, emphasizes the significance of web accessibility using the POUR principles. Additional topics include the complexities of managing large-scale forms dynamically for users across the world.
Transitioning from Rails to Remix with Sergio Xalambrí
Sergio Xalambrí shares his experience transitioning from a Rails and Next.js setup to Remix at fintech startup Duffy. Some of the challenges include highlighting challenges in internationalization and adding middleware. The conversation also into remix-auth's authentication strategies and contrasting Remix's modular approach with Rails' cohesive framework.
The Capabilities and Ecosystem of Tailwind CSS with Simon Vrachliotis
Simon Vrachliotis, a Tailwind expert at Thinkmill, praises the benefits and adaptability of Tailwind CSS, emphasizing its alignment with React's component-level concerns. Simon discusses solving for type safety in addition to recommending tools for enhancing the Tailwind workflow.
The Crucial Role of Database Optimization with Tyler Benfield
Tyler Benfield, a software engineer at Prisma, dives into the intricacies of database efficiency, emphasizing backend optimization for enhanced frontend performance. Tyler also explores the advantages and limitations of ORM tools like Prisma, the potential of SQLite in production, and the universal importance of SQL knowledge across platforms.
Product Management with Nevi Shah
Nevi Shah, a product manager at Cloudflare, combined her technical and business skills to transition from academia and consulting into product management. She highlights the role of a product manager in understanding user needs and introduces Cloudflare Pages as a solution for serverless architecture, while also discussing alternative hosting options like Fly.io.
Remix Behind the Scenes with Ryan Florence
Ryan Florence, co-founder of Remix and React Training, discusses the innovations behind Remix and its transition from React Router. The framework's compatibility with the web's fetch API broadens its server architecture reach, and its recent acquisition by Shopify promises a bright future for Remix.
From Tech Sales to Engineering with Shaundai Person
Shaundai Person, a senior software engineer at Netflix, joins Kent to discuss transitioning from tech sales to software engineering. She highlights the importance of recognizing and building individual strengths, especially communication, in large corporate settings.
Art, Code, and Data Visualization with Shirley Wu
Shirley Wu, an award-winning creator specializing in data-driven art, transitioned from the business sector to web development. She shares how her work offers artistic fulfillment and financial stability, but she emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations.
Understanding the Future of Authentication with Will Johnson
Will Johnson from Auth0 highlights the limitations of password-based authentication and discusses the potential of alternatives like the Web Authentication API (WebAuthn). Will shares his anticipation for a future where biometrics or digital verification replace traditional passwords, as well as a need for more nuanced access controls in growing organizations.