Modern Web

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, we sit down with Shashi Lo, Senior UX Engineer at Microsoft and the founder of the Gridiron Survivor project. Shashi shares his approach to mentoring junior developers by helping them bridge the gap between boot camp and their first job in tech. We cover the challenges of onboarding, the importance of code reviews, and how companies can better support new talent by investing in mentorship and training. Shashi also talks about his experience with building a community of learners, the process of de-risking junior candidates, and why companies should be more proactive in nurturing the next generation of developers. 

00:00 - Meet Shashi Lo

02:25 - The Gridiron Survivor Project

05:02 - The Importance of Code Reviews

07:25 - Teaching the Basics of Project Communication

09:47 - Code Reviews as a Learning Tool

12:06 - Why Shashi Mentors: Giving Back to the Community

14:26 - The Importance of De-Risking Junior Candidates

16:41 - Building in Public: Transparency and Learning

19:00 - Assessing Candidates for the Gridiron Survivor Project

21:25 - The Power of Simple Coding Tests

23:45 - Scaling Up Skills: From Small Tasks to Big Projects

26:07 - Should Companies Be Doing This?

28:25 - Finding Hidden Gems in the Job Market

30:47 - The Challenges of Filtering Candidates

33:02 - Where to Find Shashi Online

34:38 - Closing Remarks

Follow Shashi Lo on Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/shashiwhocodes

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

Github: https://github.com/shashilo

In this episode, Rob Ocel sits down with Gant Laborde, CIO at Infinite Red, to explore Gant's journey in the tech industry, his transition into leadership, and his role as a Chief Innovation Officer. Gant shares insights into the challenges and rewards of innovation within a company, how to manage upward and downward effectively, and the importance of trust in leadership. They also discuss the evolving landscape of AI, the significance of experimentation, and the courage needed to make bold decisions. 

Chapters

1. Introduction and Opening Remarks - 00:00

2. Gant's Background and Journey in Tech - 02:05

3. Transitioning to Leadership at Infinite Red - 05:08

4. Defining Innovation at an Agency - 07:28

5. The Role of AI in React Native - 09:39

6. Navigating the Hype and Troughs of Technology - 11:35

7. The Challenges of Middle Management - 15:12

8. Building Trust and Managing Upwards - 16:25

9. Empowering Teams and Passing the Torch - 19:40

10. Developing Courage and Taking Risks - 22:30

11. Why Leadership is Worth It - 30:28

12. Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up - 31:53

Follow Gant Laborde on Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/GantLaborde

Github: https://github.com/GantMan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gant-laborde/

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@gantlaborde

In this episode of the Modern Web podcast, Tracy Lee and Rob Ocel sit down with Sarah Shook, a UI/UX engineer at Hunter Industries. They discuss the topic of Sarah’s THAT Conference talk on color theory, exploring the intricacies of RGB, HSL, and hex color models. The discussion also touches on the importance of understanding how color accessibility impacts your page’s performance.

Chapters

- 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

- 01:30 - Balancing Work and Parenthood

- 03:20 - Family-Friendly Conferences and THAT Conference Experience

- 05:45 - Overview of Sarah's Presentation on Color Theory

- 07:00 - Understanding Additive and Subtractive Color Models

- 09:00 - RGB to Hex Conversion Explained

- 11:45 - Importance of Color Theory in Web Development

- 14:00 - Accessibility and Color Luminescence

- 16:00 - Tools and Resources for Color Accessibility

- 18:30 - Sarah’s Experience with Vue and Other Frameworks

- 21:00 - Discussion on Framework Deployment and Tooling

- 23:15 - The Challenges and Benefits of Learning Multiple Frameworks

- 25:00 - Tailwind, TypeScript, and Framework Preferences

- 27:00 - Vue Community and Tooling Insights

- 29:00 - Advanced JavaScript and TypeScript Content with DropJS

- 31:00 - Sarah’s Color Utility Project and Where to Find Her

- 32:30 - Closing Thoughts and Outro

Follow Sarah Shook on Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/shookcodes

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

Github: https://github.com/shookcodes

Tracy Lee and Rob Ocel sit down with Mark Thompson, aka "Mark Techson", to explore key themes around personal branding, workplace culture, and leadership. Mark shares his journey of building a strong personal brand, discussing how consistent online presence can shape public perception and create professional opportunities. The conversation provides valuable insights into the art of leading without a formal title, emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity and gradual influence in workplace environments.

A significant portion of the discussion is devoted to Mark's motto of "Do what matters with who matters while it matters." This practical approach encourages listeners to focus on meaningful work, prioritize important relationships, and make the most of their time. Mark also reflects on the challenges of maintaining resilience in the face of personal adversity, offering a candid look at how to balance personal and professional life effectively.

Listeners will find actionable advice on how to take control of their career trajectory, foster a positive work culture, and navigate the complexities of leadership, all while staying true to themselves.

Chapters 

[00:00] Introduction

[02:19] Personal Branding and Online Presence

[06:36] Navigating Workplace Culture

[08:56] The Story Behind 'Well Dressed Wednesdays'

[11:12] Developing the "Do What Matters" Framework

[13:29] Balancing Public and Private Life

[18:10] Overcoming Personal Challenges

[20:28] Taking Control of Your Career

[22:49] Practical Takeaways for Listeners

Follow Mark on Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/marktechson

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

Github: https://github.com/MarkTechson

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/marktechson.com

Sponsored by Wix Studio.

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Anthony D. Mays discusses code exercises, landing your first job, and how to succeed in interviews. He shares his personal journey to becoming a software engineer and career coach, and emphasizes the importance of not only having technical knowledge but also a strong problem-solving process. The conversation also touches on the role of senior engineers in guiding and empowering junior engineers, the interview processes at different companies, and tips for success in interviews. In this conversation, Anthony covers the interview process and how candidates can best prepare for technical interviews. emphasizing the importance of collaborative problem-solving and being authentic in interviews. They also explore the idea of secret questions and whether or not they are effective in assessing a candidate's skills. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

03:24 The Importance of Problem-Solving Process in Interviews

06:32 Guiding and Empowering Junior Engineers

10:20 Understanding Different Interview Processes

19:51 Tips for Success in Interviews

24:57 Collaborative Problem-Solving in Technical Interviews

26:26 The Effectiveness of Secret Questions

29:42 Defining the Interview Process

30:37 The Importance of Authenticity

32:30 Interviewer Training and Feedback

35:18 Selecting the Right Opportunity

Follow Anthony D. Mays Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/anthonydmays

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

Github: https://github.com/anthonydmays

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anthonydmays.com

Kent C. Dodds joins Tracy Lee and Rob Ocel at THAT Conference-WI for a discussion about his journey from being an Angular developer to becoming a leading figure in the React community. Kent shares his motivations for making the switch, detailing how React's focus on JavaScript fundamentals and its incremental adoption of new features appealed to him. He also reviews his current and upcoming projects, including the launch of EpicWeb.dev, a comprehensive platform designed to provide end-to-end web development education. Kent talks about the updates coming to EpicReact.dev, including a new tutorial where developers can build useState and useEffect from scratch, aimed at deepening their understanding of React hooks. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:41 Preparing for a 90-Minute Keynote

05:37 Writing a Book and Other Projects

08:04 Surrounded by Ambitious People

09:01 Personal Stories and Balance

10:22 Lessons from Domo and Joe Eames

11:21 Learning from Experienced Engineers

12:41 The Importance of Surroundings

13:33 Choosing the Right People to Associate With

14:46 Kent's Organizational Skills

15:41 Balancing Work and Family

17:06 Committing to Big Things

18:04 Avoiding Burnout and Assessing Priorities

19:26 Sharing Personal Stories in Talks

20:21 Finding Effectiveness and Efficiency

21:17 Dealing with Burnout and Overwhelm

22:46 The Entrepreneurial Mentality

23:15 Running to the Top and Figuring It Out

24:14 Kent's Various Projects

25:41 Transitioning from Angular to React

Follow Kent C Dodds on Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/kentcdodds

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kentcdodds.com

Github: https://github.com/kentcdodds

EpicWeb.dev: https://www.epicweb.dev/

EpicReact.dev: https://www.epicreact.dev/

Learn More About THAT Conference Wisconsin 2024: https://thatconference.com/wi/2024/

Rachel Lee Nabors talks about the challenge of remaining current with new APIs and libraries, and how to prioritize which technologies you should invest your time in. Along with Tracy Lee, Rachel discusses their project of refactoring a demo using modern APIs and the benefits of challenging oneself with browser native APIs. The conversation also covers Rachel's involvement in standards development, and the evolving web technologies landscape.

Sponsored by This Dot

Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel

Read more on our blog

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Intro.

[00:03:10] Refactored code, removed external libraries, streamlined.

[00:04:35] Understanding web APIs requires deep knowledge.

[00:05:19] Focus on problem solving, not memorization.

[00:06:39] Many regions, new technologies, use cases.

[00:10:03] React Docs collaboration inspires Angular.

[00:12:17] Career advice and success stories.

Rachel Nabors' Social Media

Bluesky: nabors.bsky.social​ (Bluesky Social)​.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelnabors/?hl=en

Twitter: https://x.com/rachelnabors

GitHub: https://github.com/rachelnabors

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

Substack: The Tech Career Survival Guide​ (The Scrimba Podcast)​.

Additional Links

CascadiaJS: https://cascadiajs.com/

Rachel Nabors’ “Alice” Project: https://dribbble.com/rachelthegreat/projects/350942-Alice-in-Web-Animation-API-Land

Jonan Scheffler talks about bridging gaps between a brand and a developer community while also discussing the challenges DevRel teams face when aligning their goals with organizational objectives. 

Sponsored by This Dot Labs

Watch this episode on YouTube

Read more on our blog

Tim Neutkens, Co-author and Tech Lead for Next.js, discusses how open source maintainers are simplifying the web, and covers the challenges faced with the current Next.js setup. Tim  talks about TurboPack, a solution that optimizes bundling, improves parallelism, caching, and module graph calculations. He also talks about TurboAC, which focuses on addressing performance and compatibility issues, providing seamless transitions for Next.js users. Tim highlights the importance of efficient bundling processes to avoid excessive recompilation and discusses the updates in Next.js versions to enhance caching, rendering behavior, and client-side caching. Tim also discusses some exciting upcoming features in Next.js 15. 

Socials

Twitter: @timneutkens

GitHub: timneutkens

Bluesky: timneutkens.bsky.social

Website: https://timn.tech/

Links

Vercel on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, GitHub and Vercel's website

Next.js on Twitter, GitHub, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, official Next.js website

Turbopack on Twitter, GitHub, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Official Turbopack Docs

Webpack on GitHub, Twittvser, YouTube, and Official Webpack Website

Show Notes

[00:00:02] Next.js and the upcoming release of TurboPack.

[00:04:27] JavaScript bundlers evolving to handle growth.

[00:07:58] TurboPack solves Webpack limitations efficiently.

[00:12:12] Bundler compatibility for optimal app performance.

[00:16:50] Client components separated in webpack instance. Turbo pack for better parallelism and stability. Industry moving towards server-side. Feed and rollup still relevant. Collaboration between tools for future.

[00:20:57] Replacing part with roll down, similar to Webpack. Overlapping ecosystem with Avonetic Conference. Limits with unbundling and loading on demand. Cycle of building frameworks and hitting limits. History of using Webpack for client-side code. Two compiler architecture for server and client. Coordination between server and client with Webpack.

[00:25:38] Server action imports, turbo pack improves performance.

[00:30:04] Next.js is popular for websites.

[00:34:18] Chipotle using Next in Vercel, exciting improvements.

[00:38:51] Next.js 15 release candidate with changes.

Sponsored by Wix Studio.

Tejas Kumar and Tracy Lee discuss AI models, tool calling, and Vercel's AI SDK for generating components. They explore AI agency, the importance of documentation, safety concerns, regulation, and the need for human oversight in AI development.

Sponsored by This Dot

Watch this episode here.