This episode, I have four things to discuss with you: children and values, old PHP, developers and back pain, and finally a new UI component we're working on for Laracasts.

I recently spent an entire day making a small, but tricky Vue component for the Laracasts forum. There's no doubt that it took longer than I would have liked. But, the fact remains: at the start of the day, I had no clue how to build it. When I clocked out that evening, it was finished and deployed. Let's talk about why this is my favorite aspect of programming, and how it can overflow into the rest of your life.

Representation in the tech community is a tricky topic to discuss. Like a minefield, be careful where you step on this issue. But let's see if we can trace a safe path through.

This week, we're discussing focus, social media, and why we all need to try harder to keep our heads down.

Lately, I've been thinking about the importance of providing examples. Whether you're writing new code, or preparing documentation, or even discussing code, I'm always left with the same thought: "Give me an example."

Developers seem to have a peculiar need to protect their peers from themselves. While I've no doubt that this desire stems from a good place, you need to let people make their own mistakes.

In the last year - after breaking a few of my personal rules - I've become incredibly sensitive to lifestyle creep. In this episode, we discuss why, eight months ago, I asked my pregnant wife to help me slash our lifestyle in half. We'll also talk about important considerations for your own life.

In this episode, line by line, I'll answer a recent question related to remote contractors. We'll discuss choosing an applicant, tips for getting the job, tooling, workflow, and more.

I've focused a great deal on discipline this year. I'm not sure why, but it might be related to the fact that I now have two increasingly time-consuming children that I'm responsible for. While, in the past, I'd often find myself edging toward the "I'll do it tomorrow" path, this year, I've worked hard to sprint in the opposite direction. Or, in other words, even when you're desperate to avoid it, deal with your shit.

It's been over two years since Laracasts last received a fresh coat of paint. For those who know me (Jeffrey), that's two years too long. In this episode, I discuss every facet of the redesign process.