819: Fun & Profitable Side Projects for Developers

Scott and Wes talk with Scott Jehl about the benefits, challenges, and use cases of web components, particularly in design systems and performance. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:55 Scott’s background and career Responsible Responsive Design Webpagetest.org 06:46 An overview of web components 09:06 Why should people care about web components? 13:16 Should you write your own web components? 14:39 Reactivity in web components 15:56 DOM parts 18:23 Styling web components 22:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io 22:33 CSS custom properties Mux Player Customizer 24:28 Responsive video 28:27 The polyfill use case 30:55 Shadow DOM challenges 36:04 Web components in design systems 41:58 How are people using web components? 43:25 Web components and server-side rendering 45:00 Scott’s thoughts on build tools 47:33 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Enhance Shameless Plugs Scott: Squarespace is hiring Web Components Demystified - Get 30% off with coupon code “syntax” Web Components Community Group Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes are back with their annual Syntax Holiday Gift Guide! They’ve curated the best gadgets, tools, games, and even kitchen essentials for the dev in your life — plus a few treats anyone would love to unwrap. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:46 Brought to you by Sentry.io. Open Source Pledge Members. 01:59 Syntax holiday gift guide. 02:25 Our absolute favorites. Leatherman Arc. Peak Design Everyday. 1.5 KG of Maldon, Salt Cellars. Anker Cube. Anker MagGo. Theragun, Off-Brand Massage Gun. Subscription to Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT. Syntax Swag. 13:33 Our (Scott’s) top games. Factorio. Cascadia. Azul. SteamDeck. 19:01 Gifts under $30. Braided USB-C Cables Right Angle Thunderbolt. Battery Daddy. MagSafe Popsocket. Hempz Apple Cider + Nutmeg Hand Lotion. Mens Cremo Body Wash. 27:50 Clothing gifts. Uniqlo Stretch Selvedge Denim. Naked and Famous Selvedge Denim. Scott DU/ER Jeans. Wool Toque Anything from Huckberry. 35:02 Desk item gifts. MX3s Master Mouse Target Candles Candle Melter Wax. Laptop Stand Rain Design mStand. Any Foldable Amazon Stand Desk Treadmill. Insta360 Link 2. Small Rig Rotatable Collar Mount. Thermal Printer. Cable Management Straps + Clips Mini Tripod. Super Clamp. Fishskyn. 45:02 Kids gifts. Yoto Player. Toniebox. First Cat in Space. Bathbombs. Kahn Academy Kids App. Codespark. 51:11 Kitchen gifts. Carbon Steel Frying Pan. Viral Egg Cooker. Glass Straws. Danish Whisk. Oxo Salt + Pepper Grinders. Paper Wheels. Whetstone. WÜSTHOF Nakiri Knife. Carbon Knife Co. Can Tumbler Glasses. Squirrel Rice Paddle. OTOTO Splatypus Jar Spatula. 59:02 Eatables. Hot Sauce: Truff Hot Sauce. Secret Aardvark. Cholula Gift Pack. Laoganma Chili Crisp. Merfs. Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce. 01:00:51 Smart home gifts. Smart Dimmers ESP32 + WS2815 LED Strips 01:03:06 Shameless Plugs. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes unpack their experiences as electric car owners, sharing the highs and lows of making the switch. From range anxiety to charging infrastructure and cost savings, they talk about everything from the tech perks to the unexpected challenges of driving electric. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:11 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:14 What cars and how long have we had them. Hyundai IONIQ 5. Tesla Model Y Long Range. 10:41 Range and dealing with range anxiety. 11:45 The EPA specs. 12:24 Things that affect range. 14:46 Charging. 17:52 Charging levels. 17:56 Level 1 charging. 19:01 Level 2 charging. 19:39 Level 3 charging. 20:10 Charging standards. 21:51 Electric car pricing. 25:56 Regenerative braking. 27:27 General maintenance. 29:04 Pricing and expenses. 31:48 Machine Gun Kelly Effect. 36:46 Would you go completely electric? 38:46 Electric-only tech. 40:57 Buying a new EV. 42:21 Edison Motors website, TikTok. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes talk with Taylor Desseyn about the shifting developer job market. Taylor shares practical tips for standing out, building genuine connections, and finding opportunities in a competitive hiring landscape. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:38 Meet Taylor Desseyn 03:51 Is the dev job market as bad as it seems? 06:47 How to stand out when applying for a dev job? 11:03 Who is getting hired? 14:16 What tech/languages are companies hiring for right now? 16:37 Is there less work? 20:10 The small things that get you hired 24:19 What to do when you get laid off 27:42 Brought to you by Sentry.io 28:07 How to make yourself more appealing to employers 32:39 Networking tips and tricks 39:01 Remote work and office return trends 40:58 Why you should negotiate carefully 43:38 What’s the most important thing right now for getting hired? 45:48 Should devs understand stakeholders and business goals? 46:42 Creating a good resume 52:00 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Taylor: heydey mic Randy Rektor’s YouTube Channel Shameless Plugs Taylor: Torc Guidance Counselor 2.0 Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes serve up listener questions on everything from SvelteKit’s limits and the quirks of branded types in TypeScript to handling email queues and secure token storage in cookies. Plus, they get into app security, the evolution of checkout flows, and why QA teams can actually be game-changers for dev teams. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:50 Catching up. 01:52 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:56 What are the limitations of SvelteKit? 06:41 Svelte 5 updates. 07:53 Branded types in TypeScript. EggHead.io Blog. 11:56 Queue applications and a ‘poor man’s queue’. 17:20 The real value of a functional QA team. 21:34 Invoker commands. Invokers Explained. Denver Script Talk. 26:29 Growing security and permissions concerns. Little Snitch. 33:03 Stripe vs PayPal in 2024. 38:24 Christmas gift guide. 38:39 Websockets vs streams vs polling. 41:04 Storing access and refresh tokens in a cookie. 45:41 Shipping with TypeScript errors. 49:34 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: The Black Stuff Deodorant. Wes: Apple Watch Charging Brick. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes react to the big GitHub Universe announcements, recorded live at GitHub Universe. They dive into Copilot’s new features, exploring how its advancements stack up against Cursor AI in the battle for the ultimate AI-driven developer tool. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:12 Our Syntax Meetup. 02:54 AI is everywhere. 03:22 Sherlocking and jockeying for position. 04:49 GitHub Copilot introduces alternative LLMs. GitHub Copilot 06:31 New tools are build upon existing LLMs. 09:14 VSCode reclaiming ground from Cursor. Cursor 10:31 The new features. 10:34 Multi-file editing. 10:54 Use-cases for multi-file editing. 12:58 Multi-model selection. 13:05 Repo indexing. 13:50 Copilot instructions. 14:34 Examples of Cursor rules. 16:39 No mention of multiple-line suggestions. 18:02 Multi-file edit? 20:26 Code review. 22:36 GitHub Pull Requests plugin. 24:34 Investing in AI ‘big bets’. 26:29 Scott’s mysterious YouTube unreleased feature. 27:11 3-minute YouTube shorts. Wes’ TikTok. 28:29 GitHub Marketplace. 32:18 Copilot Workspace. 34:53 Copilot Workspace features yet to come. 36:25 GitHub Spark. Bolt.new. 42:44 Final thoughts on Copilot vs Cursor. 44:03 What products do you think are in trouble? 50:26 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Waymo. Wes: Waymo. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes talk with Andrea Giammarchi (aka WebReflection) about his projects, including LinkDOM and PyScript, and the exciting future of running Python in the browser via WebAssembly. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:04 Andrea’s background and early work LinkDOM 07:25 Brought to you by Sentry.io 09:56 Pyscript 14:31 Why run Python in the browser? 20:17 Using WebAssembly to run different languages in JS 23:33 The advantages of WebAssembly 25:55 What excites Andrea about WASM Proposal: ESX as core JS feature 31:10 What is WASI? 32:21 Andrea’s experience with IOT and microcontrollers 35:35 How can the JS ecosystem be improved? 38:07 Should we have reactivity in the browser? Signals 41:06 Andrea’s thoughts on server-side APIs 43:43 Andrea’s thoughts on TypeScript 49:13 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Andrea: ESP32 Shameless Plugs Andrea: Andrea’s X / Twitter Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes continue to share hair-raising developer horror stories submitted by listeners. From accidentally severing access to crucial databases to a limitless coupon code that cost millions, these tales will have you on the edge of your seat. Tune in for more wild mishaps, close calls, and hard-learned lessons from the dark side of coding. You won’t want to miss this second round of spooky web dev stories! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:49 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 01:32 ‘Monkey Business’ 03:21 ‘Spooky Integration Bug’ 06:25 ‘Worst Case Wake Up’ 08:57 ‘Severed Trunk and Missing Backups’ 11:21 ‘Brute Force Too Brutal’ 12:30 ‘A Dorm Room Bee Movie’ 15:46 ‘No Goats’ 16:45 ‘Pokémon Problems’ 18:08 ‘Late Night’ 22:21 ‘Bootcamp Bungle’ 26:19 ‘Film School F*** Up’ 30:26 ‘AWS Clusterf***’ 31:26 ‘Limitless Coupon Disaster’ Episode #451, Episode #609. 33:55 ‘Ruined Vacation’ 35:47 ‘Console.swear’ 37:28 ‘Another Coupon Disaster’ 40:46 ‘The Doctor’ Wes’ Burner List. 43:01 ‘Marketing Nightmare’ 45:10 What did we learn this year? 45:12 You need processes. 48:42 Ask for help. 49:44 Dry-run queries + soft delete. 51:14 Code reviews. Episode #830. 52:11 Version control. 53:58 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Nobody Wants This. Wes: Truffle Hot Sauce. Shameless Plugs Scott: syntax.fm. Wes: syntax.fm/spooky. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes unpack the spookiest web dev stories submitted by listeners in this episode. From forgotten MX records to infinite loops, these real-life coding horrors will have you double-checking your WHERE clauses and git backups. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:39 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 00:48 What is Spooky Stories? Submit a story. 02:45 ‘Needs a Coffee’ 04:43 ‘Deleting Github’ Defunkt X Post. 07:42 ‘Rejected’ 09:08 ‘Infinite Loop’ 09:26 ‘MySqueeel Horror’ 11:02 ‘Pet Company’ 12:09 ‘Git Corrupted’ 12:57 ‘Circular Horror’ 14:25 ‘The Haunting of the Forgotten MX Records’ Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Scott and Wes talk with Søren Bramer Schmidt, Founder and CEO of Prisma, about database best practices, including the latest developments in serverless, local-first, and typed SQL solutions. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:55 Søren’s thoughts on GraphQL 03:53 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:57 Common database mistakes 08:52 Prisma’s stability and user experience 10:42 Typed SQL and advanced querying Announcing TypedSQL: Make your raw SQL queries type-safe with Prisma ORM Prisma Optimize 20:47 Serverless challenges and solutions Prisma Accelerate 27:11 Cloudflare’s potential to dethrone AWS 29:13 Prisma and local-first development Prisma & Expo: A Better Path to Local-First Apps | App.js Conf 2024 35:30 Making local-first development mainstream 40:10 Challenges with async 42:43 Søren’s thoughts on Drizzle 43:41 Søren’s favorite database 47:21 The read your writes problem 48:58 Prisma hosted Postgres 51:44 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Søren: Cursor Shameless Plugs Søren: 1: Prisma Optimize 2: Prisma Postgres (coming soon) Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads