
The Call Kent Podcast
The Call Kent podcast is a regular podcast where you call in with a question and Kent answers.
Kent C. Dodds
Show overview
The Call Kent Podcast has been publishing since 2021, and across the 5 years since has built a catalogue of 227 episodes. That works out to roughly 25 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence, with the show now in its 5th season.
Episodes typically run under ten minutes — most land between 4 min and 7 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Technology show.
There hasn’t been a new episode in the last ninety days; the most recent episode landed 3 months ago. The busiest year was 2022, with 68 episodes published. Published by Kent C. Dodds.
From the publisher
The Call Kent podcast is a regular podcast where you call in with a question and Kent answers. Call in with your questions right from your web browser with any device at https://kentcdodds.com/call
Latest Episodes
View all 227 episodes
S5 Ep 27Exposing internal styles from design system
A caller wants to expose internal styles from their component library to consumers. Kent suggests using a variable to export the class names and using a library like CVA to create multiple variants of a set of class names. He also recommends against using disabled buttons as a workaround and instead suggests creating individual components for each use case. Exposing internal styles from design system

S5 Ep 26What to learn
Kent C. Dodds answers a question about what to focus on in the future of software development, including the role of agents, MCPs, and workflows. He shares his thoughts on how to bring clarity to problems and how software developers will continue to be needed in the future.7 developer skills you’ll need in 2026Building Semantic Search on my ContentWhat to learn

S5 Ep 25Bridging the Gap to Community Influence as a Senior Engineer
Kent C. Dodds shares his insights on navigating the transition from a senior engineer to a recognized leader in the community. He emphasizes the importance of having a solid proof of work, creating a tight feedback loop, and using your SaaS products to guide your teaching. Kent also relates to the hesitation of losing hands-on engineering edge and provides a practical solution to maintain credibility as an educator. You can find the caller's YouTube channel and Medium below: https://www.youtube.com/@sebastianquiroga1153 https://medium.com/@sebasqui1995 Bridging the Gap to Community Influence as a Senior Engineer

S5 Ep 24Call Kent Podcast Updates
Kent discusses the new features on the Call Kent Podcast, including the ability to type questions and have them answered with an AI voice, and the option to remain anonymous. He also explains how these changes will improve the relevance of answers and titles. Call Kent Podcast Updates

S5 Ep 23From AI Automation to Full-Stack Engineering
How to build toward full-stack software engineering while already working in AI automation, without starting over or losing career stability. https://www.EpicWeb.dev/faq From AI Automation to Full-Stack Engineering

S5 Ep 22Conference Workshop Advice
Asking for advice on workshops at tech conferences. I'm one of the planners for a conference we host in Chattanooga, https://sceniccitysummit.com/. Last year we hosted our first day of workshops. It wasn't as successful as we had planned. We want to try this again for our next event that will be on June 5th, 2025. I know that you have held workshops at conferences. So I was wondering if you could give me any advice on this subject. what are some ways to attract workshop teachers what is the typical financial commitment with the teacher and the event what is a target class size for a workshop is there typically a written agreement with the teacher and the event any other guidance or words of wisdom I would really appreciate any help that you could give us! Conference Workshop Advice

S5 Ep 21Getting a Developer Job in the AI chaos
I ask Kent -- how to get a full-stack role at a great product-focused team given the AI scenario around. I added a mini-question as well that -- I want to build my own small things on the side, may be they can turn out to be a SaaS business, so will a full-time role be viable to let me do my own small things on the side...? Looking forward to your thoughts Kent! -- Vivek Getting a Developer Job in the AI chaos

S5 Ep 20Significance of '===' in typescript applications
As '===' compares both type and value, what is the significance of '===' in Typescript app when variables are already typed. When the same functionality can be achieved with '==', why do we need to use '===' esp in Typescript applications Significance of '===' in typescript applications

S5 Ep 19In which situations would you recommend using RSC with React Router?
Follow up to our little discussion on Twitter / X. What is the advantage of using RSCs? When is it better to use loaders and actions? What are the trade-offs? In which situations would you recommend using RSC with React Router?

S5 Ep 18Web Framework Choice
Recently, I asked you about the career suggestion which definitely had helped me clear certain of my goals.. However, I would like to know about the framework that is more efficient and as per industry. Web Framework Choice

S5 Ep 17Suggestion on Career Advice
I'm currently learning React.js and building small projects to strengthen my fundamentals. From this stage, what would be the right next steps to grow further in web application development? (e.g., backend, full-stack, or advanced React concepts), I'd also like to understand the earning potential in this field as a career. What skills or milestones do you think contribute the most towards improving one's earning capacity? Your suggestions and advice would mean a lot and help me navigate the right direction. Thank you for your time and for sharing your experience with people like me. Suggestion on Career Advice

S5 Ep 16Request for oAuth implementation
I want to learn how you have managed oAuth flow in your mcp server that let's you connect your mcp server with chat gpt and other clientshttps://github.com/kentcdodds/kentcdodds.comRequest for oAuth implementationMCP Cohort 2025

S5 Ep 15How far can nested UI loaders go for UIs with list of components
the UI at https://nothing.tech/products/phone-3 renders a list of "widgets". I would like each of these widgets to have their own loaders to maximise page speed, furthermore I'd be able to "deeplink" a user straight into a widget. But how do I do that when a route can only have one Outlet? Here's an example with Promise.all. Before: // routes/dashboard.tsx export async function loader() { const user = await fetch('/api/user').then(r => r.json()) const projects = await fetch(`/api/projects?userId=${user.id}`).then(r => r.json()) const notifications = await fetch(`/api/notifications?userId=${user.id}`).then(r => r.json()) return { user, projects, notifications } } After: export async function loader() { const userPromise = fetch('/api/user').then(r => r.json()) const projectsPromise = userPromise.then(user => fetch(`/api/projects?userId=${user.id}`).then(r => r.json()) ) const notificationsPromise = userPromise.then(user => fetch(`/api/notifications?userId=${user.id}`).then(r => r.json()) ) const [user, projects, notifications] = await Promise.all([ userPromise, projectsPromise, notificationsPromise, ]) return { user, projects, notifications } } Kent's notes: I forgot that defer is now unnecessary, simply return an object from your loader and any properties on that object that are promises will be sent along as deferred data automatically. Learn more from the links below. Full Stack Components Streaming with Suspense React Router and React Server Components: The Path Forward promiseHash from remix-utils How far can nested UI loaders go for UIs with list of components

S5 Ep 14What should I learn next?
I know that Epic React 2 and Epic Web are completely different courses. Given that I’m already on the verge of completing Epic React 1, I’m currently confused about how to proceed next. Should I go for Epic React 2 to solidify my React knowledge and learn about React 19? Or should I pivot towards Epic Web, which offers a broader, full-stack curriculum that could help me become a more well-rounded developer? I’d appreciate any guidance on which path might be more beneficial at this point in my learning journey. What should I learn next?

S5 Ep 13Does MCP make sense confined to a single app to rethink UX?
I was wondering if you could also use the tool calling, etc. inside of a single app to rethink the way that user interfaces work? The future of AI interaction: Beyond just text Does MCP make sense confined to a single app to rethink UX?

S5 Ep 12Stuck in Stack Switching: How Do You Commit to One?
In this recording, I talk about a recurring challenge I face when building proprietary solutions—constantly switching between frameworks like Next.js, React Router, and TanStack. I tend to shift tools when I hit roadblocks (like authentication issues), which makes it hard to commit and go deep with one tech stack. I’m reaching out to ask Kent for advice on how to stay focused and build with confidence without always second-guessing my choices. Stuck in Stack Switching: How Do You Commit to One?

S5 Ep 11Building and Maintaining a Software Blog
What does it take to start a blog about software - and actually keep it going? Blog Recorder Building and Maintaining a Software Blog

S5 Ep 10Securing Routes in React Router Framework
I’m transitioning from SPAs with REST APIs to SSR applications using React Router Framework. While I’ve used layout routes and tools like SWR/React Query for route protection in React Router DOM, I just found out that actions in React Router Framework are still vulnerable to unauthorized POST requests. I use JWT auth with tokens stored in cookies—do I need to verify the JWT in every action on each route, or is there a global solution like Fastify’s onRequest hook? React Router v7.3.0 changelog which introduces middleware support Securing Routes in React Router Framework

S5 Ep 9Adding Auth to MCPs
How could a user authenticate themselves to access certain information that isn't public. Referring to Epicstack's MCP example. MCP Spec on Authorization Cloudflare Blog Post on MCPs Adding Auth to MCPs

S5 Ep 8Running audio in background while still offline
In a web application what are the ways one can use custom audio file for notification on user devices while the user is offline. Running audio in background while still offline