Todd Gardner, co-founder of TrackJS and RequestMetrics, shares his entrepreneurial journey and insights on bootstrapping SaaS products. He discusses competing against VC-backed firms and the significance of early customer payments. The conversation dives into JavaScript error monitoring and web performance optimization, emphasizing image loading improvements. Todd also explores the challenges of balancing product development with marketing, while reflecting on the importance of continuous learning and the impact of personal experiences in tech.

In this 20th episode of The Frontend Masters Podcast, Francesca Sadikin, a software engineer at Netflix, shares her journey from architecture to tech. She discusses her experience at a software engineering consulting firm, rapid career progression, and landing a role at Netflix. Sadikin offers insights on transitioning into tech, the benefits of software consulting for skill accumulation, and the challenges of working at a top-tier tech company. She also delves into her approach to teaching and public speaking, emphasizing the importance of practice and preparation. The conversation covers strategies for managing imposter syndrome, the value of autonomy in Netflix's work culture, and balancing career growth with personal life as a new parent. Check out Francesca’s Frontend Masters courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/francesca-sadikin/ Frontend Masters Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontendMasters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMasters Instagram: https://instagram.com/FrontendMasters About Us: Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer!  https://frontendmasters.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=home_link&utm_campaign=podcastepisode20

In this episode, Kadi Kraman, a software developer at Expo, discusses her journey from scientific programming to React Native development. She shares insights on her experiences at companies like Formidable and her work on projects such as the Puma app. Kadi delves into the evolution of Expo, explaining how it has addressed previous limitations and become the recommended framework for React Native. She explores the concept of React Native frameworks, the benefits of Expo Go, and the introduction of development builds. The conversation also touches on emerging trends in React Native, including React Strictum and efforts to align React Native more closely with web standards. Finally, Kadi offers advice on getting into tech speaking and teaching, and reflects on the importance of tackling challenges and continuous learning in software development. Check out Kadi’s Frontend Masters courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/kadi-kraman/ Frontend Masters Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontendMasters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMasters Instagram: https://instagram.com/FrontendMasters About Us: Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer! https://frontendmasters.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=home_link&utm_campaign=podcastepisode19

In this episode, Maximiliano Firtman discusses his journey as a web and mobile developer spanning over 20 years. He shares insights on the evolution of mobile web development, from early WAP and J2ME applications to modern Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Firtman reflects on his experiences teaching, speaking at conferences, and consulting internationally from his base in Buenos Aires. He explores the changing landscape of web technologies, the current state of PWAs, and the industry's shift in terminology from "PWAs" to "web apps." Firtman also delves into the importance of understanding vanilla JavaScript in today's development ecosystem and offers advice for aspiring speakers and teachers in the tech industry.Check out Maximiliano’s Frontend Masters courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/firt/Find Frontend Masters Online:Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontendMastersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMastersInstagram: https://instagram.com/FrontendMastersAbout Us:Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer! https://frontendmasters.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=home_link&utm_campaign=podcastepisode18

In this episode, Evgenii Ray discusses his journey from a remote, economically challenged region to becoming a software engineer at Meta and a Frontend Masters instructor. He shares insights on transitioning from backend to frontend development, the importance of persistence in learning, and his experience creating educational content on YouTube. Ray emphasizes the value of internships, studying abroad, and continuous learning in advancing one's tech career. He also touches on his work at JetBrains and his current role at Meta, his preparation for technical interviews, and his passion for teaching and sharing knowledge with the developer community. The conversation covers topics such as system design for frontend, the benefits of teaching as a learning tool, and the challenges of overcoming significant cultural and geographic barriers for career growth.Check out Evgenii’s Frontend Masters courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/evgenii-ray/Find Frontend Masters Online:Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontendMastersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMastersInstagram: https://instagram.com/FrontendMastersAbout Us:Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer! https://frontendmasters.com/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=home_link&utm_campaign=podcastepisode17

In this episode, Marc sits down with Charlie Gerard as she shares her cutting-edge experiments, including hacking a car using JavaScript, tracking live data from airplanes, and controlling interfaces with brain sensors. Charlie also discusses using machine learning with TensorFlow.js, her creative projects during the pandemic like detecting running movements to play videos, and her journey from marketing to coding. This episode offers deep insights into the practical applications of JavaScript and the importance of mentorship in a tech career.Check out Charlie’s Frontend Masters courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/charlie-gerard/Find Frontend Masters Online:Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontendMastersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMastersInstagram: https://instagram.com/FrontendMastersAbout Us:Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer! https://frontendmasters.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=home_link&utm_campaign=podcastepisode16

Veteran web designer Paul Boag discusses his transition from traditional to modern web design, focusing on CSS adoption, web standards impact, and the importance of accessibility. He shares insights on moving away from agency life to a travel-oriented work style. Topics include technical evolutions in web design, challenges faced by web professionals, and the critical importance of accessible design.

In this episode, we talk with Melkey, a popular Twitch streamer (and Twitch employee) with a unique background in robotics, machine learning, and a wide range of sports. We talk about the technical challenges of machine learning, wrestling to rugby, his first job fixing go-karts, and eventually getting into software dev and landing at Twitch. Expect tech and career advice mixed with lighthearted banter as Melkey shares his experiences and insights, significantly impacting tech and streaming content.  Check out Melkey’s Frontend Masters courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/melkey/ Find Frontend Masters Online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontendMasters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMasters Instagram: https://instagram.com/FrontendMasters About Us: Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer! https://frontendmasters.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=home_link&utm_campaign=podcastepisode14

(Video Podcast available on Spotify and Youtube) In this episode Marcy Sutton Todd shares her deep dive into web accessibility, emphasizing the critical role of foundational HTML and CSS, and the nuanced application of ARIA for enhancing web user experiences. With her background in working on the Axe accessibility tool, Sutton Todd underscores the importance of screen reader testing and leveraging accessibility tools to identify and rectify common web accessibility issues. She reflects on her journey into accessibility, marked by a pivotal moment at the CSUN conference, which solidified her commitment to advocating for digital access rights. The episode also explores Sutton Todd's creative side, revealing how her visual skills and passion for photography have influenced her web development career. She discusses the evolving job market, highlighting how expertise in accessibility can distinguish developers and the strategic importance of contributing to open source projects to gain visibility and experience. Sutton Todd's narrative is a blend of technical guidance, career advice, and personal insights, offering listeners a comprehensive view of the importance of accessibility in web development and the potential paths for professional growth in this field. Check out Marcy’s Frontend Master’s courses here: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/marcy-sutton/ Find Frontend Masters Online: Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/FrontendMasters⁠  LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontend-masters/⁠  Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FrontendMasters⁠  Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/FrontendMasters⁠ About Us: Advance your skills with in-depth, modern front-end engineering courses — our 150+ high-quality courses and 18 curated learning paths will guide you from mid-level to senior developer! ⁠https://frontendmasters.com/

Lydia Hallie shares her tech journey, from self-taught coder to Staff Developer Relations Engineer at Vercel, focusing on authenticity in tech talks and visual storytelling. She discusses challenges in public speaking, collaboration on patterns.dev, and strategies for engaging audiences. Her insights on burnout, self-care, and maintaining passion offer valuable lessons for balancing work intensity and well-being in the tech industry.