Ever wondered how a simple Dutch treat became a beloved symbol in the Ruby and Rails community? Join us as we chat with Wes Oudshoorn, co-founder of AppSignal, who shares the delightful story of sending stroopwafels to conferences and customers since 2013. From nearly 500 kilograms of sweet goodness shipped this year alone to our serendipitous meeting in Thailand at Bangkok RB, Wes takes us through AppSignal’s journey of blending tech, community, and stroopwafels. We also dive into the core mission of AppSignal—providing developer-friendly application performance monitoring—and the logistical challenges of shipping these treats internationally. Plus, we get a taste of the vibrant Rails World 2024 atmosphere in Toronto and the fun activities at the AppSignal booth, including a Dutch game called schulen.

In this exciting episode, we also explore the latest innovations at AppSignal, such as the introduction of the Check-ins feature for monitoring Chrome jobs and continuous processes. Wes underscores the importance of customer feedback in driving continuous improvements, with a target of enhancing the product by 10% each month. The dynamic conference setting is captured, showcasing how attendees’ ideas and feedback play a pivotal role in shaping the product. We highlight AppSignal's dedication to supporting the Ruby and Rails community through event sponsorships, demonstrating how even small contributions can significantly impact the community's growth and success. Join us for a compelling conversation that intertwines technology, community spirit, and a shared love for stroopwafels.

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

After a busy conference season Yaro & Adrian take the time to talk about ongoing projects.

AVO Black Friday deal: https://avohq.io/deals
SupeRails Black Friday deal: https://superails.com/deals

0:00 Conferences
1:49 Avo Guest Blogposts
4:07 Rails 8
8:38 Avo Registration Flow
13:16 Avo Office Hours
15:25 SupeRails Office Hours?
16:47 SupeRails PRO
19:10 Hotwire Native
24:15 Moneygun
28:50 Avo Directory App, Avo Demo websites
32:00 Black Friday
34:00 Yaro is available 🦄

Join us as we explore the vibrant world of tech events through the eyes of Yarrow and Adrian. After an electrifying series of conferences, they’re ready to share stories of community connections, memorable encounters, and future plans, including a much-anticipated appearance at the Ruby Banitsa Conference in Bulgaria. Hear about their collaboration with guest author Exekiel, who brings fresh insights on tools like Active Storage and meta tags, and reminisce with them about meeting a favorite gem developer at the Rails World Conference.

The episode takes an exciting turn as we tackle improvements in user registration flow and engagement. Hear firsthand how overcoming the initial hurdles with Devise led to a groundbreaking approach to user experience, far removed from the frustration of magic login links. Discover the crucial role clear communication plays in fostering strong user relationships, and how sharing behind-the-scenes insights builds a welcoming community. We promise you’ll come away with a new perspective on creating frictionless registration processes and the power of open dialogue with users.

As we steer into the realm of modern app development, the potential of Hotwire Native and multi-tenancy applications unfolds. Get ready to rethink mobile app creation, with Hotwire Native paving the way for Rails developers to venture into app development without needing deep expertise in Swift. Listen closely as we reveal the journey of developing a mobile app for a FinTech platform and the nuances of managing multi-tenancy with tools like Money Gun. With Black Friday on the horizon, discover creative strategies for promotions and exciting personal projects. As we wrap up, there’s a sense of anticipation for new adventures and future conferences, leaving you inspired and ready to explore new opportunities in the Rails community.

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

Tom Rossi runs HigherPixels and Buzzsprout - the best podcasting app.
We actually use Buzzsprout for this podcast!
Buzzsprout has a very professional podcasting booth at Rails World. We are recording this episode from there!
Buzzsprout also recently launched a mobile app using Hotwire/Turbo Native!

Ever wondered how a tech company thrives by prioritizing teachability over experience? Higher Pixels' commitment to Ruby on Rails reveals the magic behind their rapid and successful app development. Learn about their trust in Rails conventions and their exciting adoption of Hotwire Native, which led to a seamless, native-feeling mobile app in just nine months. We also explore the dynamic partnership between designers and developers, akin to architects and engineers, pushing each other toward better product outcomes. Join us as we celebrate the exceptional organization of the Rails World conference, making it feel like a festival and leaving us eagerly anticipating next year's potential venues—Berlin or Spain, anyone?

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

What if you could transform your entrepreneurial dreams into reality with just a few strategic moves?

Join us as we sit down with Andrew Culver, Chief Product Architect and Chief of Staff at ClickFunnels, during Rails World 2024 in Toronto 🇨🇦

Discover the inspiring journey of how Andrew transitioned from creating and eventually selling Churn Buster, to developing an open-source SaaS boilerplate, Bullet Train, which paved his path to becoming a key figure in the Ruby on Rails community.

Not only does Andrew discuss his impressive career trajectory, but he also shares the personal side of his life, balancing his professional responsibilities with family adventures around the globe. 

We (Yaro & Adrian) first met Andrew Culver at Rails SaaS in Athens 🇬🇷
Andrew has an amazing positive energy aura, one of the friendliest and most inspiring people in the community!

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

Cirdes Henrique (@cirdesh) is the organiser of Tropical RB in Brazil 🇧🇷🌴

This year Adrian visited the first edition of the conference where met Cirdes and gave a talk. From the moment they met, Adrien knew Cirdes has that FRIENDLY DNA!

Anyway

What happens when a beachside tech gathering moves to the bustling urban landscape of São Paulo? Join us as we sit down with the dynamic Cirdes, co-host of Tropical on Rails, live from Rails World 2024 in Toronto. We share the electric atmosphere of the event and discuss how Tropical on Rails has not only survived but thrived in its new urban setting. Cirdes sheds light on the transformative journey that has invigorated the Brazilian Rails community, from local meetups to shining a spotlight on emerging junior developers and dedicated community organizers. Inspired by our Friendly Show, Cirdes hints at a future brimming with inclusive and captivating conference experiences.

Moving to a new city can be overwhelming and emotionally taxing. On this episode, we dive deep into the host's personal journey from New York to an unfamiliar city, sharing the poignant struggles of homesickness and the mental fatigue of adjusting to a new environment. We explore the emotional toll of engaging with large groups and express heartfelt gratitude to community stalwarts like Cirdes, whose work on initiatives like TropicalRB and RBUI keeps the tech community vibrant and forward-looking. Join us for an intimate and inspiring discussion on the power of community and the resilience needed to thrive in new surroundings.

Visit Tropical 2025: https://www.tropicalonrails.com/

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

Discover the inspiring journey of Caleb Porzio, a pivotal figure in open source innovation, as he reveals the secrets to balancing a career fuelled by passion and financial stability.

Transitioning from a conventional full-time job to a flourishing career centered around open source projects, Caleb underscores the significance of financial readiness and the autonomy that freelancing affords.

His journey sheds light on how this path may be more attainable for younger individuals, who often have fewer commitments.

Caleb's strategy of intertwining free open source tools with paid projects not only ensures sustainability but also fosters continuous innovation.

Tune in to learn more about his latest project, Flux, and how he maintains a healthy balance between supporting the open source community and commercial pursuits.

Caleb also shares his ambitious vision for 2025, focusing on enhancing current endeavors and venturing into new territories within the open source realm.

With plans to expand and refine Flux, he aims to push the boundaries of its capabilities, while also contemplating a new iteration of Livewire with core improvements.

Caleb is also considering the development of an open-source library for front-end elements, targeting the non-React ecosystem.

His commitment to both advancing existing projects and exploring fresh opportunities offers a fascinating glimpse into the future of open-source tools. 

Join us to explore Caleb's strategic approach to innovation and his unwavering dedication to the community that supports him.

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

We meet with the hosts of "Indie Rails" & "Code and the Coding Coders who Code it" in the Rails World podcast booth to share our emotions about the conference & what's coming in Rails 8

What happens when the best minds in the Rails and PHP communities come together? You get an unforgettable live recording at Rails World, Day 2! We're joined by Jeremy and Jess from Indie Rails, Drew Bragg from Code and the Coding Coders who Code It, and Adrian and Yaro from The Friendly Show to celebrate the groundbreaking announcement of authentication in Rails 8. Feel the festival-like energy as we navigate the thrilling dilemma of choosing between insightful talks and vibrant hallway networking, giving special shout-outs to DHH's keynote and Justin Searls touching farewell.

Wondering which deployment tools are making waves in the Rails community? We've got you covered! Listen as we reminisce about the evolution from Capistrano to modern solutions like Kamal and Hatchbox while expressing our enduring love for Heroku. We brainstorm the future of deployment, discussing the need for a beginner-friendly Rails playground and the exciting potential of default Progressive Web App (PWA) support in Rails 8. Our conversation takes an intriguing turn as we compare deployment paths with Laravel, spotlighting the tools and strategies that cater to diverse developer needs.

Ever thought about how technology could simplify bike rentals and save on data roaming costs? We explore this and more, imagining how a PWA or Rails-based system could revolutionize user experiences. Plus, don't miss our anticipation for Rails 8.1's features like Active Record Search and service worker enhancements, with a sneak peek at what Rails 9 has in store. Join us as we wrap up our lively discussion and look forward to catching Eileen's keynote, promising you a blend of insightful tech talk and community vibes that you won't want to miss.

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

Ever wondered how one of the most popular PHP frameworks came to be? We've got you covered with an exclusive conversation with Taylor Otwell, the mastermind behind Laravel, recorded live at Rails World 2024. Taylor takes us on a fascinating journey from Laravel’s early days, inspired heavily by Rails, to its unique path with game-changing innovations like InertiaJS and Laravel Livewire. We discuss the evolution of Laravel's ORM, routing systems, and its impressive event-based system, job queues, and real-time functionalities. Taylor also shares his excitement about Rails 8's innovative approach to using databases by default, a philosophy mirrored in Laravel 11. This episode is packed with insights that highlight the mutual inspirations and differences between Laravel and Rails, all aimed at enhancing developer productivity and ease of use.

But that's not all—Taylor gives us an exciting glimpse into the future of Laravel. He shares his anticipation for Laracon Australia in Brisbane, where a groundbreaking new product will be unveiled. We also get the scoop on the highly awaited release of Laravel Cloud, expected to roll out later this year or early next year. Looking ahead to 2025, Taylor teases additional projects set to launch in the spring, keeping us on the edge of our seats. Wrapping up, Taylor expresses heartfelt gratitude and leaves us with a powerful message to keep innovating. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone keen on the future of Laravel and the ongoing evolution of web development frameworks.

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

We talk about:

• Adrians' worldwide conference tour in the first half of 2024 (Tropical RB, Singapore, Sin City)
• Yaro & Adrian spending time together at the French Riviera
• Upcoming conferences (EURUKO, Rails World, FriendlyRB)
• FriendlyRB plans & speakers
• Avo future plans (marketplace, no-code/low-code)
• Hiring for Avo

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails

One more cool cat from BalkanRuby!

This time we talk to Rado ex-producthunt head of engineering, building his own product - AngryBuilding.
 He is the only developer and has a team of non-devs doing business stuff.

He kindly reminds me that you don't always need reactivity, and full-page reloads are good. Enough for many B2B cases!

You can learn a lot from Rado about building businesses with Rails.

His new startup: https://angrybuilding.com
Slides from his conference talks: https://rstankov.com/appearances

P.S. Sorry for the sound quality on these - we are still experimenting with studio recording 🙃

• Build Rails apps 10x faster with AVO
• Learn RoR 10x faster than Yaro did with SupeRails