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

Scope creep is a very dangerous thing that can endanger a team's productivity and mental health. It involves taking the original scope of a project, and slowly but surely, adding more and more tasks to it. Often times scope creep is not done nefariously, as those that request tasks from developers are ignorant of the technical complexities of their requests. Unfortunately, there are those that will add to a project's scope willingly to take advantage of their employees, or there may be some mismanagement within the company that leads to additional work in a short period of time. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the who, what, where, when, and why of pushing back against customer requests in order to keep projects in-scope. They discussed the importance of pushing back sometimes, when to push back, and whether it's appropriate to push back when acting as a freelance contractor. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/saying-no-to-scope-creep-how-web-devs-can-push-back Thanks to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode, enjoy 20% off one-time purchases and subscription using our link and code (Link: https://magicmind.com/HTMLPOD20 Code: HTMLPOD20) Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

Code quality matters! When developers write better, cleaner, and safer code - their deliverables improve significantly. When code is safer, there are less problems with crashes and unintended errors. When code is cleaner, team members find it easier to read, peer review, and add on to down the line. Improving the quality of your code is easier said than done, however, as it takes more than just "getting good" at coding. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the importance of and how to improve your code quality by keeping coding styles consistent with your team, refactoring, writing good tests, using prettier formatting, and linting. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/why-code-quality-matters-testing-linting-refactoring Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

Should AI run in the cloud or on-device? Some people think that on-device is the only way forward as it ensures a certain level of privacy, while others worry that our local hardware (PC, smartphone, smartwatch) is not powerful enough to deliver cutting-edge features. In this episode, Matt and Mike explore how on-device AI and cloud-based AI work. The guys discussed the benefits of each approach while analyzing and debating their differences on both a hardware/software and user-experience level. Are you worried about your AI information being out in the cloud? Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/should-our-ai-data-be-in-the-cloud---on-device-ai-vs-cloud-based-ai Thanks to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode, enjoy 20% off one-time purchases and subscription using our link and code (Link: https://magicmind.com/HTMLPOD20 Code: HTMLPOD20) Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

This week Matt and Mike took a trip down memory lane to discuss, debate, and reflect on some of their biggest projects that shaped their careers as web developers. As with many tech careers, the road to becoming a web developer is anything but straightforward. In the case of Matt and Mike, their planned IT startup took a hard right turn based on the opportunities they were afforded over the years such as working for a large medical clinic under the scrutiny of strict government regulations, being caught up in Chrome OS fever as Chrome Apps landed on Windows, helping a large fast food franchise deliver important info to their franchisees, and many more! The pathway to becoming a web developer is anything but linear and the guys hope that this episode's conversations prove that there is no one single pathway to success in the web dev game. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/our-biggest-projects-how-we-became-developers Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

It's often said that in order to become a junior developer, you should learn the three foundational pillars of web development before moving onto a framework, plugin, or other specialty. These pillars are of course: HTML (for site structure), CSS (for page styling), and JS (for advanced UI interactivity) - we refer to them as vanilla tech. Way back in the day, these pillars were pretty much the only thing most developers used to create websites (minus backend tech), but these days most jobs require that you have experience with a popular toolset like React + Next.js, or Svelte + SvelteKit. In this episode, Matt and Mike check in on HTML, CSS, and JS in 2024. The duo discussed these technologies through the frontend lens exclusively, pushing aside things such as JavaScript usage in the backend, or being typed by TypeScript - in order to capture what these technologies were initially used for. Through this discussion the guys question how relevant vanilla tech is 2024, and whether or not it is primarily used as a learning tool by today's standards. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-vanilla-tech-just-for-juniors-exploring-the-role-of-html-css-and-js-in-2024 Thanks to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode, enjoy 20% off one-time purchases and subscription using our link and code (Link: https://magicmind.com/HTMLPOD20 Code: HTMLPOD20) Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

In this episode, Matt and Mike dive deep into the results of the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024, uncovering the latest trends, technologies, and tools shaping the programming world. From the most popular programming languages and frameworks to the evolving work environments and career satisfaction of developers, the guys break down the data to give you a comprehensive look at the state of software development today. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into where the industry is headed and how you can stay ahead of the curve. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/developers-hate-technical-debt-stack-overflow-survey-2024 Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

Today, we're diving deep into the vital topic of navigating ethics in web development. As developers, we face numerous decisions that fall under the umbrella of ethical practice, from ensuring digital privacy and user consent to integrating accessibility features and prioritizing data security. We'll explore how ethical considerations influence our choices, such as selecting sustainable hosting options, responsibly implementing cutting-edge technologies like AI, and making mindful UI/UX design decisions. Additionally, we'll discuss the complexities of client intentions and our responsibility as developers to uphold ethical standards. Join Matt and Mike as they unpack these essential aspects to create a more ethical web. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-right-way-to-code-navigating-ethics-in-web-development Magic Mind Trial using our link (https://magicmind.com/HTMLPODTRIAL) and our code (HTMLPODTRIAL) - Full details can be found in the show notes! Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

Web development is regarded by many as an absolute cluster f*ck. You can't just grab the "right" language and start making a website, there is a seemingly endless supply of no-code tools, libraries, JavaScript frameworks, and more. Even if you and a developer friend are trying to make the exact same project, your finished product will likely be largely the same...but the technology that powers it can be wildly different. What makes matters worse is that problems in the industry are addressed relatively quickly by community projects that of course spawn competing alternatives, and then rather quickly (at times) become old and outdated by even more modern solutions that push them out of the way. While it's great to have such an active community, if you're looking from the outside in, the web development industry looks like a total disaster. In this episode, Matt and Mike explore why web development seems so messy. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/why-is-web-development-a-cluster-f-ck Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers via this link: https://www.wix.com/studio

Explore the dynamics of synchronous vs asynchronous work as Matt and Mike discuss, analyze, and debate these two popular team workflows. Learn the pros and cons of both work styles, including security, flexibility, and team collaboration. Discover how these methods impact web developers with practical examples of onboarding, mentoring, and deep work. Tune in to understand how to effectively balance sync and async environments for optimal productivity and employee satisfaction. Whether you're a team leader or a solo developer, this episode has valuable takeaways for everyone in the tech industry. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/async-work-for-web-developers-revolution-or-redundancy Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers.

In this episode we dive into the toughest situations web agencies face. From budget cuts and impossible deadlines to social media crises and viral success, Matt and Mike discuss practical strategies for managing stress, negotiating with clients, and maintaining quality. Learn from the guys' experience as they explore real-life scenarios like “The Budget Slash,” “The Perfect Storm,” and “The Design Diva,” offering insights and solutions to keep your agency thriving. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/navigating-difficult-situations-as-a-web-agency Thank you to this episode's sponsors! Check them out below. Limited Time Magic Mind Discount: Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases. Use our link and code (at checkout) to claim the discount! Link (affiliate): https://magicmind.com/HTMLPOD20 Discount Code: HTMLPOD20 Wix Studio: The Web Platform for Agencies and Enterprises Give Wix Studio a try today: https://www.wix.com/studio

In this episode, we dive into the challenges companies face when balancing rapid feature development with maintaining stability and processes. We explore what it means to build fast, including establishing a tech stack that allows for quick iteration, easy rollback, and efficient database management. We discuss the importance of getting ideas from concept to production swiftly, while ensuring quality through early QA involvement. The episode also covers why it’s sometimes okay to break things, especially when dealing with a small user base, and the critical areas where building fast is not advisable, such as user data security. Join us as we unpack strategies for maintaining velocity without compromising on quality. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/build-fast-and-break-things Thanks to Wix Studio for sponsoring this episode! Check out Wix Studio, the web platform tailored to designers, developers, and marketers.

In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed time management and time respect as a web developer, specifically diving into their thoughts on different types of billing, invoicing, and availability requirements. Some freelancers feel as though they should charge for every minute that they're on the clock since they're trading their time for money - while others believe more in the project angle, they're dedicated to getting the job done and therefore will often work "unpaid overtime" or will essentially be on-call for no additional pay. For small business owners, the duo also discussed their thoughts on invoicing, comparing and contrasting invoices will very little detail, versus ones that describe every thing that was done and how much those items cost. Then towards the end of the episode, the guys zoomed in on package deals - and how loose or strict you should be when enforcing the confines of a package deal (ie website maintenance package). Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/do-you-respect-your-time-as-a-web-developer Limited Time Magic Mind Discount: Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases. Use our link and code (at checkout) to claim the discount! Link (affiliate): https://magicmind.com/HTMLPOD20 Discount Code: HTMLPOD20

Learning web development is not a clear linear path. At the highest level there's frontend development and backend development...but these categories break down into a tonne of different technologies including (but not limited to) React, Vue, Svelte, SvelteKit, HTML, CSS, JavaScript....and the list just keeps going on. For a beginner, this spider-web of technologies seems like an insurmountable learning path. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed where they think you should start learning web development, touching on different pathways, and eventually laying out their preferred path in detail. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/where-the-f-ck-do-i-start-learning-web-development Scrimba 20% discount - time limited, details in show notes: https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings

The classic 5-page website is often called a "small business website" or a "basic website" among web development agency owners. It's a staple of the industry because it symbolizes a basic site that many businesses will start their online presence with, and it can easily be sold as a package deal alongside hosting to onboard new clients. As the web has matured, other tools such as Squarespace, Wix, and Webflow have come up with DIY solutions that bring the power of web design, ecommerce, and hosting to users with often a single affordable monthly fee. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the small business website landscape to-date in 2024. Through their discussions they debate whether it's worth it for a web dev agency to offer 5-page small business websites anymore, if there's any value in a 5-page website in today's SEO, and whether a business' budget makes a difference which direction they should go. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/do-small-businesses-need-web-dev-agencies-in-2024 Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/links/htmlallthethings

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Clark Sell, the creator of THAT Conference to discuss the importance of community among developers, and different relationships that you can have with your community. We also discussed at length the who, what, where, when, and why of THAT Conference - diving into Clark's inspiration when creating THAT, what the event is all about, and what the speaking landscape is like there. We even talked a little bit about Clark himself and what he used to do before THAT. Get 10% off Wisconsin 2024 tickets with promo code: HTMLALLTHETHINGS Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/what-is-that-conference-w-clark-sell Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/links/htmlallthethings

JavaScript has seen its fair share of insults and critiques over the years, with some developers outright refusing to touch it and other skirting around the edges by relying heavily on the server-side of things (ie PHP). Love it or hate it, JavaScript is what the web runs on and it's been that way since 1995. Vanilla JavaScript runs in the client's browser, bringing interactivity to user interfaces, while keeping the server out of calculations and computations. With the introduction of Node.js, JavaScript escapes the client-side, and moves it's way into the backend scene. With such a versatile language, why does JavaScript get so much hate? Is JavaScript really that bad? Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-javascript-really-that-bad Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/links/htmlallthethings

Creating a website is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, as projects can vary wildly in complexity and amount of work needed. Over the years we have come up with a process that defines a clear structure while providing enough flexibility to accomodate most web development projects for small to medium businesses. The process helps keep development on-track, payments flowing, mitigates working with clients that aren't serious about their project. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/our-website-creation-process-2024 Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Sometimes web development deadlines can come up faster than expected, or even worse, your workload may overwhelm the amount of time you have left until a deliverable is due. When this happens, it's easy to panic, procrastinate, or even quit altogether. Thankfully, development has a lot of wiggle room in how tasks are performed and can typically be worked on anywhere (in office, at home, on-the-go). This week, Matt and Mike discussed how to save time when you're working on your website's UI, more specifically, Matt reflected on a recent busy week where he pulled out all the stops on time saving while doing front-end development. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/time-saving-tips-for-front-end-developers Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Jacob Jackson, the creator of TabNine and Supermaven to discuss AI as a whole. It's no surprise that LLMs are taking over most of the current chatter in the tech world, but their rapid rise in popularity has also led to a rapid rise in concern. Many people believe that AI is coming for our jobs, working to replace human developers and other workers. On the other side of the fence, people are using AI to boost their productivity both at work and at home. Developers seem to be getting a great deal of this productivity boost with the creation of tools like Supermaven that can help speed up coding. If you've ever had any questions or doubt surrounding AI, or LLMs in general, then you're not going to want to miss this episode. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/will-ai-replace-us-w-the-creator-of-tabnine-and-supermaven-jacob-jackson Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Web development is a multifaceted field that demands the integration of numerous technical skills for success. Given its complexity, it's common to encounter various pitfalls while navigating the terrain. In this episode, Mike divulges a list of insights he wishes he had known before embarking on a career in web development—advice that could have spared him time and frustration. This includes mastering your tools to fully leverage them (such as AI), recognizing the importance of completing projects, the advantages of engaging with a community, and many other valuable tips. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/things-i-wish-i-knew-before-becoming-a-web-developer Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

What should you do when you need to build a website quickly? While Matt and Mike often say that you should take the time to create a website that you're happy with and will last a long time, sometimes your situation demands that the job be done quickly. In this episode the guys discussed how to build a website quickly using not just ready-made solutions like no-code tools and templates, but also productivity drivers such as hiring out developers while you and your team work on content at the same time. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/how-to-build-a-website-quickly Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Transitioning from coding to management can be a career goal for some, and a dreaded pathway for others. In his recent work experience, Mike has been managing a team of developers while continuing to code a bit himself. In this episode, Mike shares his recent experiences and enlightens us with some of the lessons he's learned along the way. While managing a team of developers may seem easy for those at a senior development level, it's easy to forget that the code is not the only thing you have to worry about, the human element becomes a factor that can make or break a team's productivity and effectiveness. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/lessons-ive-learned-from-managing-a-team-of-developers Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

SEO is an important part of a healthy website, but it can be a lot harder than it looks. When you follow advanced SEO guides, or use programs that scan your site for SEO problems, you'll commonly come out with a laundry list of fixes that will take weeks to implement and a developer's expertise to install. These advanced SEO checks can help you modify your site down to the smallest SEO molecule, but it's a large undertaking that can easily be pushed off for months or years. In this episode, Matt and Mike steer away from the intricate and daunting, opting to cover SEO tips that you can implement on your website today. The guys touch on topics like writing more content, defining your website, learning keyword research, and technical SEO. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/seo-tips-you-can-implement-today Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Hiring junior developers has become a hot topic as of late with AI threatening to take their place and some employers outright refusing to hire self-taught developers citing the quality of their work as justification. The problem with taking out this critical career starting point is that we're breaking the traditional career cycle - junior developers get hired, learn skills to become a senior developer, then eventually change over to management, or decide to retire. By "turning off the tap" of new talent we're essentially limiting the amount of professional developers that there will ever be, forcing salaries to rise, and companies to poach each other's talent (more than they already do). In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed why you should still be interested in hiring junior developers at your company in order to keep the industry happy and healthy. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/we-need-to-hire-junior-developers Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

What is the best way to make a website? Websites can be made with no-code builders, custom code, marketing software, and unique combinations of available tech. Even if we narrow down our choice to custom code, we're still left wondering what our tech stack should be. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed if there is in fact a best way to make a website. Websites are complex and they're made for humans, whom are also complex. Beyond technical requirements we have to consider the site's audience, who will be editing content, deadlines, and social limitations. Just like many things in life, there may be an objectively best way to make a website...somewhere in the gray area, after you've analyzed your needs, wants, and realities. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-there-a-best-way-to-make-a-website Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Today we celebrate this past week's milestone of 300 released episodes. Now we know that this number is a bit wishy-washy because we have some "side episodes" like Tidbits and Web News...and it doesn't help that we changed how we number our episodes in the feed at some point down the line. But despite all that, we're considering the episode that released just this past Tuesday as of recording this, as episode 300! In this special edition episode, we won't be talking so much about web development, but instead of reflecting on the past 300 episodes of the HTML All The Things Podcast and discuss our future goals on where we want HATT to be in the future. Thank you all for listening and here's to another 300! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/celebrating-300-episodes-whats-next-for-html-all-the-things

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with the creator of MacOS Web, Puru Vijay to discuss how creating projects can help land you a job in the web development field. MacOS Web has come up in Puru's job interviews and has helped him build a connection with the development community, including those that are hiring. He is also passionate about contributing to open source projects and ensuring that navbars at the bottom of smartphones have left-handed and right-handed detection. Matt and Mike had a blast with this interview and hope that you enjoy it too! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/make-a-project-get-a-job-w-puru Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

AI is a hot topic these days with LLMs dominating much of the tech talk we see online. In the web development scene, chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot are able to develop and debug code through simple conversational prompts that don't require complex developer-level knowledge. This simplicity has brought with it a lot of discussion and debate about AI's role in the development space. Will it replace all developer jobs? Is it simply another tool to increase a developer's productivity? Should aspiring junior developer use AI in their learning. In this week's episode, Matt and Mike discussed learning to code alongside ChatGPT and Copilot. The guys explored the dangers of using AI while you learn, when you should reach for a chatbot, and then touch on their thoughts surrounding the future of the industry. Will Devin take all our jobs? Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/should-junior-developers-use-chatgpt-to-help-them-write-code Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Vendor lock-in in web development refers to a situation where a company becomes overly reliant on a single vendor's products or services, making it difficult and costly to switch to another provider. This can lead to several issues, such as reduced flexibility, high switching costs, and a lack of interoperability with other systems. This might mean that a business is using a specific technology stack or platform that does not easily allow for migration to other systems, potentially leading to increased costs and limited innovation. On the flip side, vendor lock-in can provide benefits to a business such as great pricing (ie sales and loyalty benefits), increased productivity as users master a limited toolset, and the avoidance of "reinventing the wheel" repeatedly with custom code. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed vendor lock-in in both a negative and positive light. Breaking down what you should be looking out for when choosing vendors to build products with. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/beware-of-vendor-lock-in Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Free tiers are no stranger to web developers as many look to them to get them started on a new tool, try out hosting, or help with some basic design work. The problem is that free tiers are sometimes downgraded, or even completely removed from existence if a service decides that they're more trouble than they're worth. For those relying on free tiers to do their work, this can spell disaster and even cause some businesses to shut down. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the dangers of free tiers, what they're good for, and why you should be ready to pay up at some point down the line. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/free-tiers-are-dangerous Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Kevin Powell, known to many as the King of CSS, joins Matt in this packed episode to discuss the current status of CSS, how to tailor your content absorption for learning, and more. The duo discussed whether or not popular CSS toolkits (ie SASS, TailwindCSS) outweigh the need to learn vanilla CSS. They also discussed whether naming conventions like BEM are still relevant since most web developers use frameworks that have localized CSS per component. And that's just getting started, the guys also discussed tutorial hell mitigation, browser support + using features in production, focusing your educational content absorption, and much more. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/css-styling-the-web-learning-through-content-w-kevin-powell Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

WordPress is a very popular tool for making websites that can be easily extended to get the job done. While the original focus of WordPress was blogs, over time other websites started being created with it through the use of plugins like WooCommerce (eCommerce sites), ACF (dynamic data-driven sites), and Elementor (sites that can be built visually). This versatility fuels WordPress' continued popularity, but also brews a community that believes it's a bloated and dated tool. Having recently make a website with WordPress, Matt takes us through a deep dive of what he believes is an identity crisis stemming from Gutenberg/FSE, no built-in disaster recovery, and limitations forcing the use of multiple plugins. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/wordpress-is-a-no-code-tool-that-requires-coding Learn with Scrimba: https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

With the tech job market seemingly exploding with layoffs recently, nailing your technical interviews is possibly more important than ever. With that said, there are a lot of opinions out there on how much prep you should be doing and whether you should be applying everywhere, or just to a few select places so you can focus your studies. This week we had that pleasure of speaking with Kyle from TechSquidTV to discuss all things technical interviews. We also discussed what to do after you've been laid off and then switched gears to discuss the marrying of hardware and software together into unique projects. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/technical-interviews-exposed-w-kyle-techsquidtv Learn with Scrimba - https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Progressing through your web development career is unique depending on the companies you decide to work for, but there are some common positions that companies will use to help guide their promotion process. These positions include junior developer, developer (intermediate), senior developer, tech lead, and staff engineer. Each one of these positions will have a unique flare depending on who's setting up the teams but in general as you climb the ladder through them you'll collect more cash, more responsibility, and slowly transition to less code/more management. In this episode Matt and Mike discussed the common promotions that web developers progress through and how they can vary company to company. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/junior-developer-vs-senior-developer Learn with Scrimba - https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Work-life balance is an important topic to talk about in the tech field, especially in 2024 with the recent layoffs and overall industry downturn. It can be easy to sacrifice some personal time to log extra hours at the office in an attempt to give yourself some job security or impress your boss. The problem is that this can be a slippery slope that leads you to work all the time for no additional pay and if your company restructures, or has problems keeping up revenues, you may still get a layoff. Digital availability is also a major problem in the tech field and other industries that rely on technology heavily - work is always ready to be done 24/7, with messages and emails coming in at all hours of the day. It's easy to just "check one email" when you get home from a long day at the office, quickly leading to getting pulled into a situation that could have you working throughout the evening. During these trying times it's important that we keep our families, friends, and mental health in mind alongside our careers. In this episode Matt and Mike discussed the importance of work-life balance for web developers during these trying times. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/work-life-balance-for-web-developers-in-2024 Learn with Scrimba - https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Running a web development agency isn't easy from both the technical and customer service side of things. Luckily, Matt and Mike have been running their web development agency for 7+ years, making plenty of mistakes, and claiming even more successes over the years. In this episode, they lay out the top 5 tips insider tips that have helped them maintain a successful business for all these years including: presenting technical solutions to non-technical customers, avoiding scope creep, pushing back on customer ideas that won't work, and more. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/top-5-insider-web-developer-agency-tips Learn with Scrimba - https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Almost everyone has a unique story on how they joined the field in which they eventually made a career, but many aren't as unique as Francesco Ciulla's. His development journey has lead him to work with the European Space Agency as a full-stack developer, developer relations at Daily.dev, become a Docker Captain, and most recently create a massive YouTube following in just a few short weeks. This week Matt and Mike had the pleasure of sitting down and discussing Francesco's unique developer journey at length discussing his previous jobs, education, passion for teaching and much more! Show Notes - https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/francescos-unique-developer-journey Learn with Scrimba - https://scrimba.com/?ref=htmlallthethings

Web development, often hailed for its versatility, empowers us to create websites, progressive web apps (PWAs), mobile applications, and robust web-based tools. However, beneath the surface lies a complex landscape far from utopian. To make web development sustainable without the need for networking engineers, IT managers, and server admins - tools that go beyond the vanilla platform (HTML, CSS, JS) have become staples of the industry (NodeJS, Svelte/Kit, Angular, etc.). These tools provide web developers with the ability to perform complex and time-consuming tasks with relative ease and without having to touch the underlying layers of technology. The side effect is that many web developers are left learning an absolute ton of technology at a high-level, with very little expertise in one area versus another. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the current mess that web development finds itself in as they converse about the sheer amount of material to learn, abstraction layers, and more. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/web-development-is-a-mess-do-we-need-frameworks-is-there-too-much-to-learn Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Learn how to land a web development job with this week's guest, James Quick. James is a content creator that focuses on teaching web developers through his YouTube channel and podcast. Our discussion this week focused on landing and keeping a web developer role with our conversation focusing on what you should do before landing the job, immediately after getting into your role, and how to keep your career going into the future. First off, our conversation on what to do before getting a developer job focused on studying, coding practice, and standing out as an applicant. Second, we discussed what to do right after landing the role conversing about whether you should keep learning on/off work hours and whether you should make an effort to learn job-related tech or branch out. Lastly, we discussed what to do once you've had a developer job for a while, touching on whether you should bother having a side hustle, how much learning you should do, and if you should update your portfolio or not. At the end of the interview, we asked James to expand and explain Astro, a web framework for content-driven sites. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/how-to-land-a-web-development-job-w-james-quick Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Back in the days of Internet Explorer web developers struggled with keeping their websites compatible across various versions. This problem exemplified as more modern browsers like Firefox and Chrome were added to the mix, forcing many web devs to create websites that could utilize modern features and fall back onto old ones for users still on IE. Today, these problems are largely solved, but not entirely. There is still some feature disparity between Edge, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox...and even now some developers need to continue to support Internet Explorer. It's also widely known that as newer versions of these browsers seem to squash more of these differences, users won't always have the most up-to-date version of the browser due to update neglect, or system compatibility. In this episode, Matt and Mike focus on CSS feature disparity between browsers and how to handle site development when your user base doesn't all have the latest features that you're utilizing. When is it safe to use a new CSS feature on a production website? Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/css-browser-support-when-can-i-use-this Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

React is a powerful tool that empowers web developers to create reactive websites and web apps. Unfortunately, sometimes projects built with React can struggle to reach their maximum performance potential. To solve this, Million 3 (million.js) steps in to help make your React project up to 70% faster. Million boasts a simple setup using an easy-to-use installer so that you don't need to spend hours installing and troubleshooting. In this interview episode, Matt and Mike discussed Million.js with Aiden and Tobiloba, exploring when Million should be used, when it should not be used, and what it helps with the most. With the release of Million 3 just this week, the guys learned about some cool new features that should help Million be even more useful than it already is. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/make-react-faster-using-million-3-million-js-w-aiden-tobiloba Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

When a junior developer is assigned to your team, it's easy to give them the "new guy" treatment. You might give them jobs you don't like to do or play some sort of harmless prank on them, but take it a step further and you're in danger of becoming a toxic workplace. Handing over jobs that are simply too difficult for a junior developer and ridiculing them when they inevitably fail is one large example of how a team joke can take a dark turn, forming a habit of treating junior developers poorly in the hopes that they'll "rise to the challenge." In reality, most teams would benefit from having another experienced developer, so why not help the newbie grow into someone you can trust? In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed how to challenge and mentor a junior developer by giving them achievable challenges, avoiding a "trial by fire" that they will inevitably fail. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/working-with-junior-developers-teaching-training-and-mentoring Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Subscription fees are any household budget's worst nightmare, but they're not limited to just your favorite TV subscriptions. Web developers are also constantly bombarded by subscription fees for everything from development tools, analytics software, and WordPress plugins. Perpetual licenses (one-time fees) are almost a thing of the past and so everything you reach for at the paid tier ends up becoming a recurring cost that you'll need to make the most of to maximize value. Not only can these costs very quickly spiral out of control, but they're also a hard sell when dealing with a client. Every WordPress developer has surely come across a client that expects a feature-add for free, when the plugin to do so is behind a monthly subscription. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the hidden costs of web development reviewing the dreaded ballooning monthly bill made up of premium WordPress plugins, SEO software, development tools, and more. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml) and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-hidden-costs-of-web-development Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Three web development topics grace this episode's contents as Matt and Mike discussed the seemingly never ending tech layoffs that keep making headlines. The guys also discussed HTMX, a lightweight UI library that has taken off in popularity recently to the pleasure of some and dismay of others - is HTMX the "Tailwind CSS" of backend technology? Finally the guys discussed how to handle your family and friends approaching you with their ideas and wanting you to work on them. We've all been there, you're at a family gathering, and someone wants to work with you on their new idea that's sure to "take the world by storm" - or in a twist, sometimes they just want you to be their mentor...what do you do if you just don't have the time? Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml) and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/more-tech-layoffs-htmx-is-real-friends-with-ideas Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

This week we revive an old episode format where Matt writes the show notes and interviews Mike without him knowing any of the questions or topics before recording. In this "blind episode" Matt and Mike explore building out your web developer portfolio versus a personal website that covers both your personal and professional life. The guys also discussed choosing your developer career path if you were starting out in 2024, what kind of project they would create if money were no object, and philosophically "look back" at their careers once they've come to a close. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml) and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/building-your-web-developer-portfolio-choosing-your-path-as-a-developer-and-making-an-impact-with-your-career Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

It's a new year, maybe it's time for some new gear? If you're a web developer just getting started this year, or looking to maximize your productivity with the latest gadgets, this week's episode has got you covered. We broke up our gear selections into three budgets including minimum, moderate, and max. Matt and Mike discussed gear ranging from budget refurbished laptops that can help you get started on your web development journey, to fancy sets that can accommodate not only web development but gaming and content creation as well. Our gear guide is sure to help anyone out there wondering what they need to get started coding up websites in 2024. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml) and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/essential-gear-guide-for-web-developers-in-2024 Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

We've all heard of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - the latter being used in both frontend and backend technologies. Despite the utility and versatility of JavaScript, other languages still exist and thrive off of large fanbases such as PHP and Python. Why is this? Isn't JavaScript enough? In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed programming languages that you might find useful as a web developer (or other developer for that matter) other than JavaScript. The duo covered the pros and cons of each of these other languages as they discussed which ones you may be interested in learning after mastering the art of JavaScript. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-javascript-enough Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Learn web development for free with learning resources from all over the web including courses, YouTube channels, and written guides. The holidays are in full swing with many people spending their newfound free time trying their hand at learning web development for the first time. Some are even planning to learn coding as their new year's resolution so they can try their hand at a new career. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed a collection of free learning resources so that you can supercharge your learning without having to commit a small fortune to getting started. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/get-started-in-web-development-for-free Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

AI tools have taken off over the past year touching almost every aspect of the internet, and web development is no exception. Chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot (Bing Chat) can be used to help write code, troubleshoot, and learn web development in a way that is much more interactive than a traditional Google search. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed how they use these AI tools in both their learnings and production work. The duo covered how to approach these new AI chatbots as they're something that is well beyond the commonplace assistants that we have today like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri. Learn how to add AI to your web development toolkit and get work done faster. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link and promo code (HTML20) for up to 50% off! Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

There are a lot of courses and guides out there to help you start learning web development. Despite this abundance, it's unfortunately very easy to fall into a common learning pitfall, such as following a tutorial that's out-of-date, or taking a course that glosses over important parts of the process. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed commonly learning pitfalls and how to avoid them. They also discussed how to go beyond courses to ensure you're learning as much as you can before landing a job. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/youre-learning-web-development-the-wrong-way Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT