169: How the Heck Do We Hire Developers in 2026?

Coding interviews were a shaky signal before AI showed up, so how the heck do we hire developers now? We dig into a proposal to test junior engineers on product thinking with AI customers and graders, and why getting good with AI tools is no longer optional. Plus, a Railway employee hacks a competitor with its own AI agent, the NY Times sues Brave over its paywall blocker, and Squarespace cuts 19% of its staff.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:18 - How to hire junior engineers in an age of AI25:02 - Railway admits an employee hacked a competitor37:09 - The NY Times sues Brave42:30 - 20-somethings and old phone OSes47:55 - Squarespace is laying off 19% of its employees51:01 - What’s making us happyNewsAll: How to hire junior engineers in an age of AILightning NewsRailway got hacked then hacked a competitor with its AINY Times sues BraveSquarespace is laying off 19% of employeesWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Blu-Tack Reusable AdhesiveJack: Happy with US midterm resultsTJ: Kids learning to driveThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. Join us in our Discord, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-End Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

What even is a dev conference in the age of AI? Jack is fresh back from React Advanced in London with a road report, and we dig into how conferences are rethinking their focus as attendance shifts. We also break down how the Claude Code team handles code reviews, unpack GitHub Universe's updates, cheer on CSS-Tricks' new owner, and say a fond goodbye to the Arc browser.TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro1:58 - React Advanced conference update12:40 - How the Claude Code team does code review21:34 - GitHub Universe highlights38:58 - CSS Tricks has a new owner41:34 - RIP Arc50:11 - What's making us happyNEWSPaige - GitHub Universe 2026 highlights: https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-universe-2026-evolving-every-layer-of-the-stack/Jack - React Advanced conference update: https://reactadvanced.com/TJ - How the Claude Code team does code review: https://x.com/addyosmani/status/2114604912520921136LIGHTNING NEWSRIP Arc: https://arc.net/CSS Tricks has a new owner: https://css-tricks.com/css-tricks-has-a-new-owner/WHAT'S MAKING US HAPPYPaige - The Diplomat TV series: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17491088/Jack - Dungeon Crawler Carl book series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Crawler_CarlTJ - The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36337550-the-7-deaths-of-evelyn-hardcastleThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. You can join us in our Discord channel, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-end Fire website: https://front-end-fire.comBlue Collar Coder on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vRUjYqDuoUsYsku86LrswBlue Collar Coder on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/ddMZFtTDa5Reach out via email: [email protected] at us on X @front_end_fire: https://twitter.com/front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.com: https://bsky.app/profile/front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast: https://www.youtube.com/@Front-EndFirePodcast

AI is generating more code than ever, and reviewing it has become a lonelier, more exhausting slog. This week we dig into whether ideas like shared review sessions can actually make code review better. Then we run through a brutal week of hacks hitting OpenCode, PHP, Next.js, and TLS certificates, count the many new TypeScript forks, and look at the custom source control Anthropic built to merge 30,000 changes a day.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:31 - How can we make code review better?19:45 - A roundup of this week’s hacks30:04 - Claude Duet34:31 - Everyone is forking TypeScript41:05 - Anthropic’s new source control tool47:00 - What’s making us happyNewsAll: Code reviews suck, but how do we actually make them better?Lightning NewsHacks! OpenCode hacked, PHP hacked, new CVEs in Next.js and React, eMudhra certificate hacksWho isn’t forking TypeScript?? ts-rust, bun check, tsc-ts, tsrs, and the OG TS team dropped TS 7.1 betaClaude Duet: Anthropic’s Muse or DotsAnthropic’s new source controlWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Ted Lasso season 4TJ: Vibe coded game ticket tracking siteThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. You can join us in our Discord channel, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-end Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

The AI clone wars continue. The developer who vibe-coded replacements for Adobe's Creative Suite last week is back, this time with open-source clones of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. How long before the cease-and-desist letters start arriving? We also dig into the newly stable TanStack Start 1.0, check out what's new in OpenCode 2.0, and take a look at Meta's new Wonder models and what they mean for AI agents.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:00 - TanStack Start 1.018:37 - The Office suite has been vibe cloned now too31:11 - OpenCode 2.041:00 - Meta’s new “Wonder” models50:48 - What’s making us happyNewsPaige: OpenCode 2.0Jack: TanStack Start 1.0 is stableTJ: The Office suite has been vibe cloned now too (and this legal writeup)Lightning NewsMeta’s new “Wonder” modelsAnthropic redesigns source controlWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: WhirlyballJack: University of Miami footballTJ: Video podcastsThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. You can join us in our Discord channel, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-end Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

Open source was fun while it lasted. AI-generated submissions are swamping maintainers and bug bounty programs, so the gates are closing, and we can’t say we blame the people closing them. We also dig into Pi 1.0 and the new Pi Durable framework, and a dev who used Claude to reverse engineer Adobe Creative Suite and release it as open source. Plus: Deno joins Cloudflare, and an ice cream map that divided us.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:45 - OSS maintainers and companies are shutting off PRs and bug bounty programs9:07 - Pi 1.016:06 - Someone vibe coded a free knockoff of Adobe Creative Suite36:31 - Deno is joining Cloudflare39:53 - example.com changes41:38 - Controversial state-by-state ice cream infographic46:32 - What's making us happyNewsPaige: Pi 1.0 and Pi DurableJack: Someone vibe coded a free knockoff of Adobe Creative SuiteTJ: OSS maintainers and companies are shutting off their external PR & bug bounty programsLightning NewsDeno is joining Cloudflareexample.com changesControversial state by state ice cream infographicWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Black Sails showJack: OSX shortcut to reorder the menu bar iconsTJ: Using AI to clean up old photosThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. Join us in our Discord, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-End Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

The State of Devs 2026 survey results are in, and... they’re not great. We discuss. We also dig into a huge week of 1.0 releases (EmDash, Vinext, and Vite+), OpenAI's Dev Day, and more!Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:12 - State of Devs 2026 survey28:26 - EmDash 1.030:37 - Vinext 1.032:46 - Vite+ 1.035:03 - OpenAI Dev Day40:55 - Agent safety42:38 - <model> element46:15 - What's making us happyNewsAll: State of Devs 2026 survey results are inLightning NewsVite+ 1.0EmDash 1.0Vinext 1.0<model> updateOpenAI Dev DayAgent safetyWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Shogun (Asian Saga #1) novelJack: Hanging with friends and making musicTJ: Mike Tomlin's Minecraft cityThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. Join us in our Discord, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-End Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

DHH took the Rails World stage to announce that he and Basecamp are no longer writing code by hand, wouldn't necessarily recommend Rails for a new app, and are going all in on native. That kicks off this week's big question: in an era of agentic coding, do frameworks still matter? We also dig into Safari 27's WebKit release, which is packed with a Safari MCP for agents, customizable selects, the HTML model element, and a pile of CSS improvements. In Lightning News, GitHub Copilot's runtime moved to Rust, and OpenAI's agents hacked an Australian government Medicare portal.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:36 - DHH's Rails World Keynote12:28 - Do frameworks matter anymore?19:50 - Safari 27 WebKit updates37:32 - GitHub Copilot's runtime migrated to Rust39:23 - OpenAI agents hacked an Australian government website44:30 - What's making us happyNewsPaige: Safari 27 WebKit updatesJack: Do frameworks matter anymore?TJ: DHH's Rails World KeynoteLightning NewsGitHub Copilot's runtime migrated to RustOpenAI agents hacked an Australian government websiteWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds TV seriesJack: Learning Blackbird on guitarTJ: Ted Lasso TV seriesThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. Join us in our Discord, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-End Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

The React core team just shipped 19.3 with view transitions, fragment refs, and Context support in server components. A startup called TypeSafe AI is making waves with Jev, a fast, cheap "System One" model built for structured decisions instead of full LLM reasoning. And Shopify is walking away from React Native after six years, heading back to native Swift and Kotlin. We also cover Matt Mullenweg's whirlwind week at Automattic and how white hat hackers used Claude to ethically hack OpenAI.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:11 - React 19.37:22 - Shopify moves from React Native back to Swift and Kotlin21:12 - Jev AI model30:07 - Matt Mullenweg is back at Automattic33:45 - Claude ethically hacked OpenAI41:32 - What's making us happyNewsPaige: React 19.3Jack: Jev AI modelTJ: Shopify moves from React Native back to Swift and KotlinLightning NewsMatt Mullenweg was ousted from Automattic, but days later he was backClaude ethically hacked OpenAIWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Great British Bake Off starts next weekJack: Sumo is back in September Basho!TJ: Yesteryear novelThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. Join us in our Discord, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-End Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

There are finally some real-world consequences for the Shai-Hulud npm attacks: Australian Federal Police and the FBI arrested two men behind TeamPCP, a group that's been running supply chain attacks using npm since last year. Meanwhile, the open source acquihire train rolls on as Shopify buys Tailwind CSS. In Lightning News the WordPress/WP Engine saga returns as Matt Mullenweg is ousted as Automattic CEO, an Anthropic researcher quits with a warning that AI could kill us all inside a decade, and OpenAI claims it cracked a millennium math problem with 10,000 agents and 88 hours of compute.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:08 - Shopify buys Tailwind7:24 - Two men arrested for Shai-Hulud hacks15:35 - Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg placed on leave of absence23:37 - AI researchers think AI will kill us all32:04 - OpenAI cracks a math millennium problem39:44 - What's making us happyNewsPaige: Shopify buys TailwindTJ: Two men arrested for the TeamPCP Shai-Hulud supply chain attacks on npmLightning NewsAutomattic CEO Matt Mullenweg placed on leave of absenceAI researchers think AI will kill us allOpenAI cracks math millennium problemWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Reacher TV seriesTJ: Wake Up Dead Man movieThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. Join us in our Discord, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-End Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast

Both big AI labs shipped their best models yet this week: OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra finally takes computer use seriously, and Anthropic's Fable & Mythos 5.1 land with gains in coding, knowledge work, and long-running tasks. Jack also went down a rabbit hole on how LLM watermarking actually works. Plus a Roomba with two floor-cleaning brains, a website tallying up AI agent felonies, and OpenAI cutting Cursor off from its models.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:16 - GPT-6 Astra11:58 - How LLM watermarking works29:47 - Fable & Mythos 5.141:48 - Felony Bench43:21 - iRobot unveils the Roomba Duo45:51 - OpenAI blocks Cursor48:27 - What's making us happyNewsPaige: Anthropic debuts Fable & Mythos 5.1Jack: How LLM watermarking worksTJ: GPT-6 AstraLightning NewsOpenAI blocks Cursor after its acquisition by SpaceXiRobot unveils the Roomba DuoFelony BenchWhat's Making Us HappyPaige: Silo TV series, season 3Jack: Kenwood CarPlay UnitTJ: Pablo Torre Finds OutThanks as always to our sponsor, the Blue Collar Coder channel on YouTube. You can join us in our Discord channel, explore our website and reach us via email, or talk to us on X, Bluesky, or YouTube.Front-end Fire websiteBlue Collar Coder on YouTubeBlue Collar Coder on DiscordReach out via emailTweet at us on X @front_end_fireFollow us on Bluesky @front-end-fire.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel @Front-EndFirePodcast