JavaScript Jabber

Join Ryan Christian, core maintainer of Preact, as he explores the lightweight UI library that's gaining traction in the JavaScript world. He dives into how Preact's tiny footprint outshines React, maintaining performance without unnecessary bloat. Hear about its compatibility layer, the engineering behind its speed, and the exciting upcoming features in Preact v11. Plus, Ryan discusses trends in frontend frameworks and why Preact remains unapologetically focused on modularity and simplicity over full-stack aspirations.

In this episode of JavaScript Jabber, I am joined by three incredible guests — Ariel Shulman, Liad Yosef, and Evyatar Alush — to dive into the world of public speaking in tech. From the jitters of their first talk to the professional and personal growth that comes with hitting the stage, we unpack the full journey of becoming a tech speaker. Whether you're just curious about getting started or want to sharpen your presentation game, this episode is packed with real talk and insights from experienced voices in the community.We get personal about the why, the how, and the what next of conference speaking — covering the motivations, the process of getting accepted, tips for preparing standout talks, and even how public speaking can open doors to career-changing opportunities. If you've ever wondered what it really takes to be heard on stage, this conversation might just be your launchpad.🔗 Links & ResourcesReact Next ConferenceNo TLB ConferenceJS Heroes RomaniaSessionize - CFP platformReversim Tech ConferenceReact SummitGitNation ConferencesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/javascript-jabber--6102064/support.

Mathias Madsen, CEO of Holepunch and a prolific open-source contributor, discusses how JavaScript is evolving with peer-to-peer technology. He shares his journey from discovering JavaScript in college to creating Bear.js, a minimalist runtime that simplifies app distribution across platforms. Mathias explains how Holepunch's Pair system enables direct application sharing without servers, revolutionizing app development. He highlights the flexibility of Bear.js, which allows seamless integration across devices, optimizing performance and developer experience.

In this episode, Dan and I (Steve) dove deep into what turned out to be a surprisingly complex, yet incredibly insightful topic: gradually migrating a massive legacy JavaScript project over to TypeScript. We're talking about nearly 1,000 JS files, 70,000+ lines of code, and years of developer history—all transitioning carefully to a typed, modern future.Dan walked us through how he started by setting up the project for success before converting even one file—getting CI/CD ready, setting up tsconfig.json, sorting out test dependencies, dealing with mock leaks, and even grappling with quirks between VS Code and WebStorm debugging.We talked tools (like TS-ESLint, concurrently, and ts-node), why strict typing actually uncovered real bugs (and made the code better!), and why it’s crucial not to touch any .js files until your TypeScript setup is rock solid.Key Takeaways:Gradual migration is 100% possible—and often better—than ripping the bandaid off.TypeScript can and will catch bugs hiding in your JavaScript. Be prepared!Use VS Code extensions or TS-Node to support your devs’ tooling preferences.Don't underestimate the setup phase—it’s the foundation of long-term success.Start small: Dan's team converted just one file at first to test the whole pipeline.If you’re sitting on a legacy JS project and dreaming of TypeScript, this episode is your blueprint—and your warning sign.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/javascript-jabber--6102064/support.

Ariel Shulman, a TypeScript expert and full stack developer, and Liran Tal, a security advocate from Snyk, dive into the nuances of TypeScript and its security implications. They discuss how TypeScript is widely adopted, yet often misinterpreted as a security tool. Key insights include the concept of type juggling and the vulnerabilities it can introduce. They also explore Zod for runtime type checking, highlighting its pros and pitfalls. Join them as they unpack the balance between type safety and real-world application complexities.

In this discussion, Matthew Henage, a full-stack developer and AI innovator, dives into the transformative world of agentic AI. He introduces his platform, WAOS.ai, describing how it simplifies building web apps with embedded AI workflows. Matthew unveils the concept of agent swarms—specialized AI agents collaborating on complex tasks, akin to a dream dev team. The impressive SpeakMagic project showcases this with over 40 agents creating fully animated videos from story prompts. The fusion of creativity, technology, and coding strategies takes center stage!

In this engaging discussion, Aral Roca, an open-source enthusiast from Barcelona and the creator of Brisa, dives into reinventing web development. He shares how Brisa allows for minimal or zero client-side JavaScript, focusing on server-side actions and streaming HTML. The framework’s lightweight nature catches attention, with components that are incredibly small and efficient. Aral reveals future plans for multi-platform integration and improved features, tantalizing developers with endless possibilities in web frameworks.

In this episode, I (Steve Edwards) flew solo on the mic but had the pleasure of hosting a truly insightful conversation with Gilad Shoham, VP of Engineering at Bit.Cloud. Gilad brought the heat from Israel as we explored how Bit is revolutionizing enterprise software architecture—and how AI is being layered on top to supercharge developer productivity.We started by breaking down Bit’s core platform, which helps teams compose applications from reusable, independently versioned components. Think Lego blocks, but for your codebase. It’s all about boosting dev velocity, reducing duplication, and making collaboration across teams more seamless.Gilad walked us through some jaw-dropping features: versioning without Git, deep component CI pipelines, and even Bit’s ability to replace monolithic repositories with a graph of decoupled components. Everything is Node + TypeScript under the hood, and while it’s currently JS-focused, the ambition is clearly broader.Then came the big twist: AI. Bit is now leveraging AI not to just write code, but to compose it using existing components. Instead of bloating your codebase with endless variations of the same button, Bit’s AI understands your graph and builds features by intelligently reusing what’s already there. It’s like Copilot with a memory—and architectural sense.Key takeaways:Bit components wrap your existing code (like React/Vue) with metadata, testing, and versioning.Their infrastructure makes it possible to build and test components independently and in parallel.The AI strategy is reuse-first: generate only when needed, always compose from what already exists.Even massive enterprise codebases can gradually migrate to Bit without a full rewrite.Expect a human-in-the-loop process, but with most of the heavy lifting handled by AI.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/javascript-jabber--6102064/support.

Jack Harrington, a skilled web developer known for creating content on React and Next.js, joins the discussion on the transition from Create React App to the innovative Create TS Router App. They dive into the benefits of CTA, highlighting its type safety, file-based routing, and modern Vite-powered setup. The conversation also contrasts server-side rendering needs for different applications and emphasizes the importance of community feedback for future enhancements. A lighthearted moment features a nostalgic card game inspired by 'Groundhog Day,' blending tech and fun!

In this episode, Lee Robinson, who works at Vercel, discusses the company’s impact on web development despite its relatively small size. He explains their approach to empowering small, founder-led teams to build impactful tools, highlighting their new open-source Flags SDK. They also discuss the importance of server-side feature flagging to improve performance and reduce UI shifts, while warning against exposing sensitive data through client-side experimentation. The conversation then shifts to Vercel’s internal innovation culture, particularly the development of v0, an AI-driven tool for building full-stack web applications quickly, which is especially accessible for non-developers with creative ideas.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/javascript-jabber--6102064/support.