Why Open Source Might Be Your Best Career Move w/ Shruti Kapoor
Whiskey Web and Whatnot · Skill Issue Studios
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Show Notes
Recorded at All Things Open 2025, Robbie Wagner and guest co-host Jason Lengstorf chat with developer-turned-creator Shruti Kapoor about her leap from Slack and PayPal to YouTube, the joys and pitfalls of open source, and eternal web dev debates.
In this episode:
- (00:00) - Intro
- (01:37) - Wine rating & review: Fre Sparkling Brut
- (06:33) - Hot Take: git rebase vs. git merge
- (09:11) - Hot Take: Is HTML a programming language?
- (09:41) - Hot Take: Is CSS a programming language?
- (10:20) - Hot take: classes vs. functional components
- (11:13) - Hot Take: Remix, TanStack, or Next.js?
- (15:02) - Hot Take: console.log vs debugger
- (16:11) - Hot Take: Were React server components a mistake?
- (20:42) - How open source changed Shruti’s career
- (22:23) - The real value of contributing to open source
- (26:05) - What is the React Foundation and why it matters
- (28:58) - Highlights from React Conf and new features
- (31:01) - From Slack engineer to independent creator
- (34:34) - Choosing what content to make (and why)
- (37:58) - Shruti’s dog, discipline, and life lessons
- (40:01) - What would Shruti do if not in tech?
- (40:30) - Where to find Shruti online
Links
- Fre Sparkling Brut: https://www.frewines.com/
- Wes Bos: https://wesbos.com/
- Syntax: https://syntax.fm/
- Slack: https://slack.com/
- PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com
- React: https://react.dev/
- JavaScript: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript
- HTML: https://www.w3schools.com/html/
- CSS: https://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/
- Ember: https://emberjs.com/
- TanStack: https://tanstack.com/
- Next.js: https://nextjs.org/
- Remix: https://remix.run/
- Astro: https://astro.build/
- VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/
- All Things Open: https://allthingsopen.org/
- GitHub: https://github.com/
- React Conf: https://conf.react.dev/
- React Foundation: https://react.dev/blog/2025/10/07/introducing-the-react-foundation
- Linux Foundation: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/
- Vercel: https://vercel.com/
- Google Home: https://home.google.com/welcome/
- Primeagen: https://x.com/ThePrimeagen
- ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
- MCP: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
- Shruti's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@shrutikapoor08
- 16 Common React useEffect Mistakes You’re Making: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGOPO2V6MHI
Connect with Jason
- Website: https://jason.energy/
- X / Twitter: https://x.com/jlengstorf
Connect with Shruti
- Website: https://shrutikapoor.dev/
- X / Twitter: https://x.com/shrutikapoor08
Connect with the hosts
- Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
- Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd
- Adam Argyle: https://x.com/argyleink
Subscribe and stay in touch
- Website: https://whiskey.fm
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
- Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot
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