This week, Chuck and special guest co-host Aaron Francis talk with Henri Helvetica live from React Miami. They explore the evolving challenges of web performance, why genuine research skills still matter in an AI-driven world, and how developers can stay curious and resilient in a fast-moving industry. Henri shares insights from his React Miami talk, his passion for performance advocacy, and why literacy—both digital and physical—matters more than ever.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro
(00:54) - Meet Henri Helvetica
(05:36) - Rum review and rating: Rhum Barbancourt 15
(12:34) - Why the best JS framework is the one you like
(14:38) - What makes a good rum?
(19:33) - Have performance and accessibility been left behind?
(22:32) - Where Henri’s working now—and how he’s pushing for better performance
(26:47) - Hot Take: Why modern dev learning paths are hurting growth
(35:43) - Henri’s advice for junior devs who want to master performance
(39:05) - How to use AI without sabotaging your future learning
(43:36) - Henri's passion for running and exercise
(52:19) - Building and growing Henri's dev running community
(54:27) - If not tech, what would Henri do instead?
(55:26) - Plugs

Links

Rhum Barbancourt 15: https://barbancourt.com/
React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/
Remix: https://remix.run/
Ryan Florence: https://x.com/ryanflorence
Buffalo Trace: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/
Pappy Van Winkle: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/van-winkle.html
Maker's Mark: https://www.makersmark.com/
Weller: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/w-l-weller.html
Ember: https://emberjs.com/
James Earl Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones
Appleton Estate: https://appletonestate.com/
Zacapa 23: https://www.zacaparum.com/
Guillermo Rauch: https://x.com/rauchg
ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
Web.dev: https://web.dev/
Performance.now(): https://perfnow.nl/
Couch to 5k: https://c25k.com/

Connect with Henri

X / Twitter: https://x.com/henrihelvetica

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

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