The PHP Podcast 2025.10.16 with Nuno Maduro

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Making PHP Attractive to New Developers

Discussion on marketing, community, and why younger developers favor JavaScript over PHP.

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Episode notes

In this special live episode of The PHP Podcast, hosts Eric Van Johnson and John Congdon welcome the legendary Nuno Maduro from the Laravel Core Team — live and in person! This episode is packed with energy, laughs, and deep insights as Nuno shares stories from behind the scenes of Laravel development, the philosophy that drives the framework’s evolution, and his approach to open-source collaboration. The trio dives into developer productivity, testing, and the craft of writing elegant code, all while keeping the conversation lighthearted and fun. Whether you’re a Laravel enthusiast or just love hearing passionate devs talk shop, this episode is a must-listen celebration of the PHP community and the people who keep it thriving.

Links from the show:

The State of PHP 2025 – Expert review

Duration: 91:09

Key Takeaways

| Eric Van Johnson and John Congdon host the PHP Podcast featuring Nuno Maduro from the PHP community.
| Laravel has a thriving community of developers, which plays a crucial role in PHP’s ecosystem.
| JavaScript’s wide adoption among new developers is attributed to its marketing and the appeal of being cutting-edge.
| PHP’s stability and continued innovation make it a reliable choice for developers.
| Debugging practices vary, with preferences for tools like Xdebug and DD (Dump and Die).
| Meeting influential figures in conferences can be an eye-opening experience, showcasing the PHP community’s camaraderie.

A Friendly Introduction

00:00

In their usual conversational style, Eric and John introduce the episode, touching on PHP and development topics. As Eric mentions, a significant part of these podcasts is about sharing stories within the PHP community, which they find inspiring and essential.

PHP: A Developer’s Tale

06:01

“You guys are too nice, man. You’re getting close right here,” shared Nuno Maduro, reflecting on interactions within the PHP community. Maduro appreciates the diverse atmosphere at tech conferences and considers PHP tech meetings a refreshing change from traditional corporate gatherings. His story reveals the excitement and true connections formed in developer circles.

Reflections on PHP Conferences
“Being able to be surrounded by people with this energy and positivity, that’s the kind of person you want to be around.”

PHP Development Journey
16:01

Nuno recounts his transition from JavaScript back to PHP, expressing his enduring passion for PHP development. He speaks of the Laravel framework and its contribution to his career, detailing his involvement and professional growth within Laravel’s core team.

Role	Timeline
First PHP Job	2 years
Move to Paris (Zend Framework)	2 years
Return to PHP (Laravel Involvement)	Engaged for 5 years

Community Dynamics

26:01

John and Eric discuss community support and the discourse surrounding PHP among developers. Eric: “How do we make PHP sexy for the younger generation?” They explore ways of rejuvenating PHP’s image, such as focusing on creating high-quality content aimed at engaging younger developers.

Creating Engaging Content
Involving energetic influencers and dynamic content creation can enhance PHP’s appeal to the younger generation.

Technical Insight: Debugging Tools

36:01

Nuno and the hosts examine prevalent debugging strategies and express varied preferences for the tools used in debugging PHP applications.

Debugging Preferences	Tool
Nuno	DG (Dump and Die)
Eric	Xdebug
John	DD with additional exploration using Xdebug

Testimonies highlight Xdebug for detailed examination while some developers lean on DD’s simplicity and immediacy for testing.

Quick Debugging
“90% of my debugging is DD and then I’ll reach for Xdebug.”

Laravel and Enterprise Growth

46:01

As the PHP community rapidly advances, John outlines the significant roles PHP and Laravel frameworks play in modern web environments. They discuss the growing application and appeal of Laravel within diverse sectors and its continuous evolution accommodating the enterprise.

Adaptability: Increasing shifts towards enterprise capabilities.
Scalability: Larger teams leveraging Laravel’s flexibility for dynamic solutions.
Community Involvement: Sustained support from both emerging and established developers.

Nuno on Laravel
“We’ve always been a big part, and we told people we need to make this kind of content.”

Survey Highlights

56:01

The hosts review recent PHP Storm’s survey data, spotlighting adoption trends and version usage among developers.

PHP Version Usage in 2025:

Version	Adoption
PHP 8	89%
PHP 7	33%
PHP 5 or older	8%

Interestingly, Japan shows a significant rise in PHP-related activity, reflecting global shifts and adoption rates.

Addressing Legacy Support
Future efforts need to transition remaining PHP 5 users to updated versions for better security and performance.

The Human Connection

66:01

Concluding the conversation, Nuno shares reflections on engaging with the community, both online and in-person. He describes interactions with fans and tech enthusiasts as a humbling yet energizing experience, underscoring the power of personal connection in development circles.

Remember the Humanity
“You spend eight hours talking photos and everything… overwhelming and I’m an extrovert, you know.”

These testimonials emphasize the importance of networking in tech conferences and the unique opportunities they present for collaboration and learning.

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