HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and Developer Careers

In this edition of Web News, Matt and Mike discuss the rapidly evolving world of AI, and AI tooling. As web developers, the guys are no stranger to online tools that promise to do everything under the sun - but lately it feels like an infinite amount of new ones are coming out all the time due, powered by AI. Is it possible to keep up with everything that's coming out? Should you even bother trying? 

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/overwhelmed-by-ai-youre-not-alone

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In this episode, Matt and Mike talk about the current state of the dev world—layoffs, AI tools, and the unstable job market—while highlighting the real opportunities that still exist. They share actionable ways to stand out, build useful projects, network, and niche down to land work in a tough economy.

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In this episode of HTML All The Things, Mike chats with William Madden, Developer Advocate at Prisma, to uncover what makes modern ORMs essential in today's development workflows. They break down what an ORM is, why developers should care, and how Prisma sets itself apart in the crowded ORM space. William also dives into the technical challenges of building an ORM, the reasoning behind Prisma’s shift from Rust binaries to TypeScript, and what’s on the horizon for the platform. Whether you’re deep in backend development or just getting started with databases, this episode offers insights you won’t want to miss.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/why-prisma-is-still-the-best-orm-w-william-madden

Try out Prisma: https://www.prisma.io/docs/getting-started

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As developers and business owners, it’s easy to get stuck in the daily grind — coding, responding to emails, handling support — and forget to actually build the business. In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into what it really means to work on your business instead of just in it. The guys explore strategies to avoid becoming your own overworked employee, how to delegate or automate low-leverage tasks, and the mindset shifts that help you move from operator to true owner. Inspiration for this episode came from the guys' own experience regarding their business for the past few years, where the workload from clients has overwhelmed their day-to-day, leaving strategy and business development completely stagnant.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/work-on-your-business-not-just-in-it

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In this episode, Matt sits down with Tom Barrasso from Cloud Phone to explore why flip phones are still relevant in 2025. They discuss the rise of digital detox, who’s using feature phones today, and how developers can still build apps for low-spec devices. From KaiOS and Cloud Phone to nostalgia and screen-time reduction—this is a deep dive into the flip phone revival and the tech powering it.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/why-flip-phones-still-matter-in-2025-w-tom-barrasso

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Even if you’re not "doing DevOps," understanding it can seriously level up your development career. In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into why every web developer should care about DevOps practices, even at a basic level. They explore how deployment pipelines work, how Git supports safe code changes, and how you can prevent and fix production issues faster. You'll hear real-world examples showing how small habits—like writing good commit messages, checking build logs, and knowing when to rollback—can make you a better teammate and a more reliable developer. Whether you're working with GitHub Actions, Vercel, Jenkins, or another CI/CD system, this episode will help you work smarter, troubleshoot faster, and stay calm under pressure.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/what-junior-web-developers-need-to-know-about-devops

Use our affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.

In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the temptation to always chase the latest and greatest in tech—whether it's new frameworks, tools, or workflows that dominate developer discourse. While the buzz can be exciting, blindly adopting bleeding-edge technology can lead to serious downsides like poor documentation, tiny communities, and unstable tools. The guys discuss how these risks affect both personal and client projects, when it's actually worth going cutting-edge, and why it's perfectly okay (and often smarter) to use tried-and-true tech. If you've ever felt FOMO seeing everyone jump to the next hot thing, this one's for you.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-hype-trap-why-cutting-edge-isnt-always-the-best-choice

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In this episode, Mike shares his theory that AI will make it easier to prototype and launch startups, potentially opening more opportunities for developers outside of big tech. Matt and Mike compare working in startups versus big tech across several categories like career growth, pace, culture, job security, and more. Drawing on personal experiences and industry research, they explore how each environment can shape a developer’s career—and how AI might change the game.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/startups-vs-big-tech-for-web-developers

In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the full stack of a website, highlighting what clients often overlook when requesting a new site. While it's easy to focus on what’s visible—like product pages, landing pages, and design elements—the real complexity lies beneath the surface. A professional website requires thoughtful planning around content management systems (CMS), performance optimization, SEO, hosting infrastructure, and security. They dive into how CMS setups vary across industries, how performance issues can impact user experience and search rankings, and why hosting choices matter for scalability and deployment workflows. The conversation also touches on spam protection, third-party integrations, and the ongoing nature of SEO and content strategy. Whether you're a developer trying to educate your clients, or a business owner looking to understand what really goes into a website build, this episode breaks down why a website is so much more than what you see on the screen.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-full-stack-of-a-website-what-clients-often-overlook

On this episode of HTML All The Things, Jonathan Schor joins us to discuss why coding may be the next essential skill for kids in our tech-driven world. We explore the gamification of coding education, how it engages young learners, and why it could transform traditional teaching methods. Jonathan shares insights on whether coding should be part of elementary school curriculums and addresses concerns about AI’s impact on the future of coding careers. Plus, we look into CodeMonkey’s exciting plans and how it’s shaping the future of coding education.

‍Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/should-kids-learn-to-code-with-jonathan-schor