localfirst.fm #24 – Ben Holmes: Astro, Simple Sync Engine & Warp
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May 6, 2025 In this dynamic conversation, Ben Holmes, a senior web developer and educator renowned for his engaging whiteboard videos, discusses the transformative potential of local-first software. He delves into the intricacies of building a simple sync engine and navigating the challenges of event synchronization in distributed systems. Ben also shares insights on harnessing client-side technologies, the evolution of terminal interactions with tools like Warp, and the importance of learning resources in the field. Tune in for his expert perspective on modern web development!
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State Synchronization Challenge
- You can either store state fully on the server or fully on the client to avoid messy state synchronization.
- The middle ground of splitting state between client and server creates complex and error-prone synchronization challenges.
Distributed Systems Elephant
- Distributed systems are a core challenge in web apps but often overlooked by web developers.
- Trusting the server as a single source of truth simplifies architecture compared to trusting clients and distributed data.
Frustrations Pushed Local-First Build
- Ben was frustrated with loading spinners and offline warnings using Notion and wanted a faster, local-first note-taking app.
- He built a browser app running SQLite with vector search and local LLMs for fast, offline-capable AI-powered search.
