Modern Web

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson get real about the current state of AI in software development. They talk about what’s working, what’s frustrating, and why so much of the conversation around AI feels repetitive or disconnected from reality. They explore how AI is actually being used day to day—and where it still falls short. They also discuss the risks of relying too heavily on AI, especially for junior devs, and why understanding fundamentals still matters.

Keypoints from this episode:

- AI fatigue is setting in among developers, with many eager to move beyond hype and explore tools that solve real problems and deliver everyday value.

- Danny built a conversational AI agent named Nexie, trained specifically on Next.js and Vercel documentation, showing how personalized agents can provide focused, meaningful assistance.

- Over-relying on AI can backfire for junior developers. Using it to generate code without understanding the underlying logic undermines learning and growth.

- AI tools are starting to shift how we think about software quality. In some cases, speed and cost-effectiveness may outweigh traditional goals like maintainability.

Chapters

00:00 – Should Juniors Use AI?

01:04 – Real Talk on AI Conferences

03:00 – Building Nexi: A Personal Dev Agent

05:13 – Beyond the Hype: Finding Real AI Use Cases

09:36 – Why Senior Devs Struggle with AI Tools

15:55 – Mentorship, Theory, and Learning the Right Way

21:10 – When to Use AI (and When Not To)

26:50 – The Growing Gap in Dev Skills

30:31 – AI Is Redefining “Good Software”

32:09 – Final Thoughts + Where to Find Us

Follow This Dot Media on Twitter/X: x.com/thisdotmedia

Sponsored by This Dot: thisdotlabs.com

Join hosts Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson for another episode of the Modern Web Podcast, where they sit down with Brad Garropy, senior front-end engineer at Stripe, YouTuber, and all-around tech enthusiast.

Brad shares insights from his journey through big tech—from Dell to Adobe, Atlassian, and now Stripe—while discussing the challenges of scaling front-end engineering across different companies. The conversation covers TypeScript’s major performance boost, the Go vs. Rust debate, and how engineering teams are evolving their tooling for speed and efficiency.

They also explore Remix, why Brad prefers building projects with minimal dependencies, and his approach to self-hosting and keeping costs low for side projects. He reflects on balancing breadth vs. depth in a career, how developers can shape their personal brand, and the importance of learning through building.

Key Points from this Episode:

- TypeScript’s shift to Go has resulted in massive performance improvements, highlighting the impact of language choice on tooling speed and efficiency.

- Scaling front-end engineering in big tech comes with unique challenges, and each company operates differently despite similarities in structure.

- Keeping projects lean with minimal dependencies and self-hosting can reduce costs and provide greater control over development.

-Balancing breadth vs. depth in a career is crucial, as developers must decide whether to specialize deeply or explore a wide range of technologies.

Chapters

0:00 – Intro: Tailwind, Remix, and Thin Abstractions

1:09 – Meet the Hosts & Guest: Brad Garrapy

2:16 – Brad’s Career Journey: Dell → Adobe → Atlassian → Stripe

3:34 – TypeScript Gets 10x Faster: Why Go?

7:55 – Performance, Tooling, and Multi-threading Insights

14:59 – Why Remix? Building with Thin, Flexible Stacks

16:56 – Deployment Strategies & Avoiding SaaS Lock-in

19:57 – Cost, Free Tiers & the Case for DIY Infrastructure

28:13 – Creator Goals: Streaming, Tutorials & Building in Public

33:12 – Identity, Community, and Being Known for Something

38:23 – Where to Find Brad Online + Closing

Follow Brad Garropy on Social Media

YouTube - https://youtube.com/bradgarropy

Bluesky - https://bradgarropy.com/bluesky

Twitter - https://x.com/bradgarropy

Website - https://bradgarropy.com

Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel, Adam Rackis, and Danny Thompson, examine the technical side of modern web development with guest Dennis Ivy, a developer advocate at Appwrite. The discussion explores HTMX, its approach to extending HTML for dynamic UIs, and how it challenges the dominance of JavaScript-heavy SPAs. They examine where HTMX fits in the web ecosystem, its strengths and limitations, and its potential for enterprise applications. The conversation then shifts to backend-as-a-service platforms, with Dennis breaking down how Appwrite provides authentication, databases, and real-time updates as an open-source alternative to Firebase and Supabase. They discuss performance considerations, architectural trade-offs, and the evolving landscape of server-side development.Keypoints for this Episode- HTMX and Its Role in Web Development – The discussion explores how HTMX extends HTML to enable dynamic UIs without heavy JavaScript frameworks, making it a compelling option for certain applications, particularly for backend developers and server-rendered apps.- Backend-as-a-Service with Appwrite – Dennis Ivy explains how Appwrite offers authentication, databases, and real-time eventing as an open-source alternative to Firebase and Supabase, highlighting its performance advantages and developer-friendly approach.- Trade-offs in Modern Web Architectures – The group discusses the evolution of SPAs, the resurgence of server-side rendering, and how tools like HTMX and backend-as-a-service platforms challenge traditional frontend-heavy workflows.- Performance and Scalability Considerations – The conversation touches on Appwrite's efficient architecture compared to other backend solutions, examining how its lightweight design impacts real-world applications and developer experience.Chapters0:00 - Introduction 0:35 - Welcome to the Modern Web Podcast 1:26 - Dennis Ivy’s Journey into Tech 4:03 - Selling a Project for $40K+ 6:39 - Different Paths into Development 8:49 - Learning Through Building 11:16 - The Importance of Side Projects 14:05 - Introduction to HTMX 16:41 - HTMX for Enterprise and Scalability 19:34 - The HTMX Learning Curve and Adoption 24:41 - Comparing Modern Web Development Approaches 27:12 - Introduction to Appwrite's Features 30:46 - Appwrite vs. Competitors like Firebase and Supabase 33:41 - Appwrite's Performance and Scalability 37:49 - Where to Find Dennis Ivy Online 38:54 - Podcast Wrap-Up and ClosingFollow Dennis Ivy on Social MediaTwitter: https://x.com/dennisivy11Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-ivanov/Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.coFollow This Dot Labs on Social MediaThis Dot Media X: https://x.com/ThisDotMediaThis Dot Labs X: https://x.com/ThisDotLabsThis Dot Labs Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thisdotlabs/This Dot Labs BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thisdotlabs.bsky.social

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson chat with Søren Bramer Schmidt, CEO and Founder of Prisma, about the evolution of Prisma to a widely adopted ORM used by 50% of Fortune 2000 companies. Søren shares insights on balancing open-source growth with enterprise adoption, optimizing ORM performance, and addressing concerns like N+1 queries and vendor lock-in.The discussion also covers the launch of Prisma Postgres, a managed database designed to make provisioning as easy as creating a Notion page, and the shift from Rust to TypeScript for better efficiency. With AI transforming development, Søren explores how Prisma is adapting to new demands in database tooling. Keypoints from this episode:1. Prisma’s Evolution – Søren Schmidt discusses how Prisma started as Graphcool and evolved into a widely used ORM, now adopted by 50% of Fortune 2000 companies.2. Balancing Open Source and Enterprise – The conversation explores Prisma’s approach to maintaining an open-source community while ensuring enterprise-grade performance and stability.3. Prisma Postgres & Tech Shifts – Søren introduces Prisma Postgres, a managed database aimed at simplifying provisioning, and explains the decision to shift Prisma’s query engine from Rust to TypeScript.4. AI and the Future of Databases – The episode highlights how AI-driven development is shaping modern database tooling and how Prisma is adapting to meet the needs of today’s developers.Follow Søren Bramer Schmidt on Social MediaTwitter: https://x.com/sorenbsLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sorenbs/?originalSubdomain=de

Chapters

Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks (45:00 - End)Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co

On this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Adam Rackis talk with Noah Harris, Senior Engineering Manager at Launch, to discuss the impact of mob programming and how it can transform engineering teams. Noah shares how pairing and mobbing helped him rapidly level up in his early career, how it fosters stronger communication, and why it’s particularly valuable for remote teams.

The conversation also explores engineering leadership, breaking past career plateaus, and the importance of soft skills in advancing your career. Noah shares insights on servant leadership, how engineers can take ownership without waiting for permission, and the role of code reviews in shaping strong technical leaders.

Key Points

1. Mob Programming for Team Growth – Noah explains how mob programming enhances collaboration, speeds up knowledge sharing, and improves code quality, especially in remote teams.

2. The Role of Pair Programming in Skill Development – Pairing with experienced engineers helped Noah rapidly learn JavaScript and asynchronous programming, reinforcing the importance of hands-on mentorship.

3. Breaking the Engineering Career Ceiling – Engineers looking to step into leadership roles need to be proactive, take ownership, and engage in code reviews to build influence and credibility.

4. Servant Leadership & Soft Skills Matter – Leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about removing blockers, supporting the team, and improving communication. Engineers who master this mindset naturally transition into leadership roles.

Follow Noah Harris on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nharris31/

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/nharris31.bsky.social

On this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson sit down with Marc Backes, a freelance full-stack engineer with a wild journey through Vue.js, Nuxt, and DevRel. Marc shares what makes the Vue community stand out, why DevRel often misses the mark, and how Wikipedia uses Vue 3 to scale content across thousands of languages.Then, things get real. Marc opens up about a $250,000 startup disaster that changed his view on business forever. Meanwhile, Danny breaks down what it takes to run a tech conference on a shoestring budget—and why developers hate traditional marketing.Key Points from this episode:- The Power of Vue & Nuxt – Marc shares why he chose Vue.js, how he built his website with Nuxt, and what makes the Vue community unique.- DevRel: Hype vs. Reality – A discussion on whether DevRel is truly valuable for companies, how it's often misused, and what actually works in developer advocacy.- A $250K Startup Mistake – Marc’s story of losing $250,000 in a failed startup and the crucial lesson about contracts and trust in business.- Scaling Tech & Community – Insights on Wikipedia’s use of Vue 3 for translation, plus Danny’s experience running a tech conference with limited resources.Chapters0:00 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Failure 0:43 - Podcast Introduction and Guest Welcome 4:25 - Mark’s Experience in the Vue Community 9:22 - Working with Large-Scale Organizations 13:05 - Transitioning Between Developer and DevRel 19:00 - Is DevRel Worth It? 24:25 - The Challenges of Running a Tech Conference 26:02 - Lessons from Entrepreneurship 30:56 - The Emotional Toll of Failure 35:03 - Revisiting the $250,000 Grant Story 39:42 - Handling Failure and Moving Forward 41:14 - Where to Find Mark OnlineFollow Marc Backes on Social MediaTwitter: https://x.com/themarcbaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarcba/Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Danny Thompson and Adam Rackis talk with Abdel Sghiouar, Cloud Developer Advocate at Google, Kubernetes Podcast co-host, and CNCF Ambassador. Abdel shares insights from his global tech journey, from Morocco to Google's largest data center in Belgium, and now Sweden. They discuss cloud computing trends, including WebAssembly, AI-driven serverless workloads, and the shifting lines between frontend and backend. They also explore AI’s impact on cloud development, from simplifying tooling to raising questions about job automation. Abdel offers a pragmatic take on AI’s role, emphasizing that those who learn to leverage it will thrive.

Key points from this episode:

📍 Twitter/X:@BoredAbdel

📍 LinkedIn:Abdellfetah Sghiouar

📍 Kubernetes Podcast:kubernetespodcast.com

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson sit down with Mariano Cocirio, Staff Product Manager at Vercel, to discuss Fluid Compute, a new cloud computing model that blends the best of serverless scalability with traditional server efficiency. They explore the challenges of AI workloads in serverless environments, the high costs of idle time, and how Fluid Compute optimizes execution to reduce costs while maintaining performance. Mariano explains how this approach allows instances to handle multiple requests efficiently while still scaling to zero when not in use. The conversation also covers what developers need to consider when adopting this model, the impact on application architecture, and how to track efficiency gains using Vercel’s observability tools.Is Fluid Compute the next step in the evolution of serverless? Is it redefining cloud infrastructure altogether?

Keypoints

• Fluid Compute merges the best of servers and serverless – It combines the scalability of serverless with the efficiency and reusability of traditional servers, allowing instances to handle multiple requests while still scaling down to zero.
• AI workloads struggle with traditional serverless models – Serverless is optimized for quick, stateless functions, but AI models often require long processing times, leading to high costs for idle time. Fluid Compute solves this by dynamically managing resources.
• No major changes required for developers – Fluid Compute works like a standard Node or Python server, meaning developers don’t need to change their code significantly. The only consideration is handling shared global state, similar to a traditional server environment.
• Significant cost savings and efficiency improvements – Vercel’s observability tools show real-time reductions in compute costs, with some early adopters seeing up to 85% savings simply by enabling Fluid Compute.

Chapters

0:00 – Introduction and Guest Welcome

1:08 – What is Fluid Compute? Overview and Key Features

2:08 – Why Serverless Compute Struggles with AI Workloads

4:00 – Fluid Compute: Combining Scalability and Efficiency

6:04 – Cost Savings and Real-world Impact of Fluid Compute

8:12 – Developer Experience and Implementation Considerations

10:26 – Managing Global State and Concurrency in Fluid Compute

13:09 – Observability Tools for Performance and Cost Monitoring

20:01 – Long-running Instances and Post-operation Execution

24:02 – Evolution of Compute Models: From Servers to Fluid Compute

29:08 – The Future of Fluid Compute and Web Development

30:15 – How to Enable Fluid Compute on Vercel

32:04 – Closing Remarks and Guest Social Media Info

Follow Mariano Cocirio on Social Media:Twitter:https://x.com/mcocirio

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcocirio/

Sponsored by This Dot:thisdot.co

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Rob Ocel talks with Mike Chen, Co-founder & CTO of Motivo, about the evolving world of web animations. Mike shares his enthusiasm for tools like Framer Motion (now Motion) and the View Transitions API, discussing how they make complex animations more accessible and intuitive. The conversation explores the practicality of animations in real-world applications, balancing user delight with business value, and avoiding unnecessary complexity. They also discuss the state of decentralized social media, with Mike sharing his thoughts on Blue Sky and its approach to user control. Finally, Mike talks about his Let's Get Technical Discord, a mentorship-focused space helping mid-level engineers sharpen their skills. Making Animations More Accessible – Mike Chen discusses how tools like - - Framer Motion (now Motion) and the View Transitions API simplify complex animations, making them easier to implement while maintaining performance.-Balancing Business Value and User Delight – The group explores when animations enhance UX versus when they become unnecessary, emphasizing the importance of practicality in real-world applications.- Decentralized Social Media Challenges – Mike shares his perspective on Blue Sky, its approach to user-controlled feeds, and the trade-offs between decentralization and usability.-The Power of Mentorship in Tech – Mike talks about his Let's Get Technical Discord, a space dedicated to helping mid-level engineers grow through in-depth discussions and guided learning.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast 00:23 - Guest Introduction: Mike Chen from Motivo 01:05 - Technologies That Have Caught Mike's Attention 01:40 - Web Animations and Their Growing Accessibility 02:13 - Framer Motion and the View Transitions API 02:50 - The Evolution of Animation Tools 03:31 - The Role of Spring Animations in UI 04:07 - Framer Motion vs. Framer as a Platform 05:05 - Expanding Animation Tools Beyond React 05:41 - Practical Use Cases for Animations in Development 06:17 - Business Justifications for Implementing Animations 07:02 - Subtle UI Enhancements vs. Overuse of Animations 08:04 - Good Animation Practices in UX 09:16 - How Companies Like Vercel and Linear Use Animations 10:55 - The Importance of Thoughtful UI Design 12:02 - The Impact of Animation on Brand Perception 13:27 - Animation as a Way to Reduce Cognitive Load 14:45 - Social Media Shifts and Blue Sky’s Growth 16:09 - The Vision Behind Blue Sky’s Decentralization Model 18:14 - The Challenges of Building User-Controlled Feeds 19:35 - Limitations of Blue Sky’s Decentralization Approach 21:48 - Blue Sky vs. Mastodon: Usability and Adoption 24:05 - Scaling Challenges as Blue Sky Reaches 30M Users 26:43 - The Trade-offs Between Centralization and Convenience 28:59 - The Role of UI in Establishing Trust in Brands 30:27 - The Value of Mentorship in Engineering Growth 32:09 - The Struggles of Learning Without Proper Guidance 33:51 - Why Context Matters in Technical Decisions 35:15 - Where to Find Mike Online and Discord Community 36:02 - Closing Remarks and Sponsor MessageFollow Mike Chen on Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chenmike.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenhmike/Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Rob Ocel, along with co-hosts Adam Rackis and Danny Thompson, explores the sustainability of open source with Chad Whitacre, Head of Open Source at Sentry. Chad discusses the Open Source Pledge, an initiative encouraging companies to fund the open source projects they rely on. He breaks down the challenges maintainers face, the imbalance between corporate benefit and community support, and why businesses need to step up. The conversation touches on alternative funding models, the history of open source licensing, and the push to make sustainability a core part of the industry.