Why is it important to think about a future project hand-off at the beginning of a client relationship? Aaron and Joel share their approach.

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Last episode we discussed how to deal with a "slow app" complaint. This episode we discuss some technical approaches to find and fix the issue.

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The dreaded support ticket gets filed: App is slow! Before you get defensive or close as "Won't fix", consider a few tips on how to successfully approach this situation.

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Ed Balls Day wikipedia article

Aaron and Joel have joined a fair number of projects over the years. Listen as they share some tips on how to make process less painful for your team.

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Laravel and PHP have a rich ecosystem, but it's good to weigh the pros and cons before reaching for a new package. We share some things to consider.

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Where are some good starting points for modernizing and improving a legacy codebase? Joel and Aaron discuss a few ideas where you could start.

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Does anyone read these? Tweet @jclermont if you see this.

The eternal question that every developer hears: How long is that going to take? Aaron and Joel discuss some ways to frame that question, and how to provide an estimate that will avoid unnecessary disappointment.

• 00:00 Accurate estimates can be difficult
• 02:00 Disconnect between a developer and a stakeholder
• 03:00 How Aaron approaches an estimate
• 06:05 Pad the estimate? Ranges?
• 07:38 The importance of open communication
• 08:12 Translating "hours" into real world time
• 09:50 Planning not pricing
• 11:56 Silly bit

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Stepping into an unfamiliar codebase with a long history can be a challenge. Aaron and Joel share some tips on how to get started and build confidence that you're making things better.

• 00:00 What is a "legacy" code base?
• 01:00 Getting those first tests in a legacy code base
• 03:05 Starting with unit tests can be hard
• 04:20 Be extra careful with external APIs
• 07:15 Onboarding a new project
• 08:35 Getting more specific on the first few tests
• 10:38 Silly bit

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Some shy away from code review, not wanting to be critiqued. Aaron and Joel share some tips on how to get the most out of code reviews, and things to look for as a code reviewer.

• 00:00 The value of a code review process
• 02:53 Look at it as a learning opportunity
• 04:06 Approaching a pull request to review it
• 06:05 Should we make this better?
• 07:00 Did the programmer have a reason for what they did?
• 09:05 Everyone on the team should get their code reviewed
• 10:25 Silly bit

Aaron and Joel talk about why they write tests and what sorts of tests they find valuable.

• 00:00 Why do we write tests?
• 03:05 Implied trust in packages
• 04:15 What do you test? How do you write them?
• 06:30 Testing the happy path
• 07:05 Testing the "unhappy" paths
• 08:12 It's less work than you think
• 11:30 Testing a dumb mistake with range validators
• 14:40 Silly bit