Subscription fees are any household budget's worst nightmare, but they're not limited to just your favorite TV subscriptions. Web developers are also constantly bombarded by subscription fees for everything from development tools, analytics software, and WordPress plugins. Perpetual licenses (one-time fees) are almost a thing of the past and so everything you reach for at the paid tier ends up becoming a recurring cost that you'll need to make the most of to maximize value. Not only can these costs very quickly spiral out of control, but they're also a hard sell when dealing with a client. Every WordPress developer has surely come across a client that expects a feature-add for free, when the plugin to do so is behind a monthly subscription. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed the hidden costs of web development reviewing the dreaded ballooning monthly bill made up of premium WordPress plugins, SEO software, development tools, and more. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml)  and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-hidden-costs-of-web-development Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Tech layoffs, HTMX UI library's rise in popularity, handling family and friends' project ideas. Humorous take on family tech frustrations and navigating expectations in web development.

This week we revive an old episode format where Matt writes the show notes and interviews Mike without him knowing any of the questions or topics before recording. In this "blind episode" Matt and Mike explore building out your web developer portfolio versus a personal website that covers both your personal and professional life. The guys also discussed choosing your developer career path if you were starting out in 2024, what kind of project they would create if money were no object, and philosophically "look back" at their careers once they've come to a close. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml) and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/building-your-web-developer-portfolio-choosing-your-path-as-a-developer-and-making-an-impact-with-your-career Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

It's a new year, maybe it's time for some new gear? If you're a web developer just getting started this year, or looking to maximize your productivity with the latest gadgets, this week's episode has got you covered. We broke up our gear selections into three budgets including minimum, moderate, and max. Matt and Mike discussed gear ranging from budget refurbished laptops that can help you get started on your web development journey, to fancy sets that can accommodate not only web development but gaming and content creation as well. Our gear guide is sure to help anyone out there wondering what they need to get started coding up websites in 2024. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link (https://www.magicmind.com/JANhtml) and promo code (HTML20) for up to 75% off in January 2024! After January? Our code is still good for up to 20% off! Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/essential-gear-guide-for-web-developers-in-2024 Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

We've all heard of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - the latter being used in both frontend and backend technologies. Despite the utility and versatility of JavaScript, other languages still exist and thrive off of large fanbases such as PHP and Python. Why is this? Isn't JavaScript enough? In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed programming languages that you might find useful as a web developer (or other developer for that matter) other than JavaScript. The duo covered the pros and cons of each of these other languages as they discussed which ones you may be interested in learning after mastering the art of JavaScript. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-javascript-enough Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Learn web development for free with learning resources from all over the web including courses, YouTube channels, and written guides.  The holidays are in full swing with many people spending their newfound free time trying their hand at learning web development for the first time. Some are even planning to learn coding as their new year's resolution so they can try their hand at a new career. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed a collection of free learning resources so that you can supercharge your learning without having to commit a small fortune to getting started. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/get-started-in-web-development-for-free Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

AI tools have taken off over the past year touching almost every aspect of the internet, and web development is no exception. Chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot (Bing Chat) can be used to help write code, troubleshoot, and learn web development in a way that is much more interactive than a traditional Google search. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed how they use these AI tools in both their learnings and production work. The duo covered how to approach these new AI chatbots as they're something that is well beyond the commonplace assistants that we have today like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri. Learn how to add AI to your web development toolkit and get work done faster. Thanks to this episode's sponsor Magic Mind. Use our link and promo code (HTML20) for up to 50% off!  Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

There are a lot of courses and guides out there to help you start learning web development. Despite this abundance, it's unfortunately very easy to fall into a common learning pitfall, such as following a tutorial that's out-of-date, or taking a course that glosses over important parts of the process. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed commonly learning pitfalls and how to avoid them. They also discussed how to go beyond courses to ensure you're learning as much as you can before landing a job. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/youre-learning-web-development-the-wrong-way Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

Web developers have a lot of tools to build websites with, but this vast selection opens the door for needless complexities. Needless complexities weigh projects down and can make troubleshooting problems a nightmare. Unforeseen issues arising from tangled webs of WordPress plugins, third-party services updating their endpoints unexpectedly, and installed-yet-forgotten features have taken down more websites than we can count. In this episode, Matt and Mike discussed how and why you should avoid needless complexities in your projects and why some complexities are necessary evils. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/make-web-development-easy-avoid-needless-complexities Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT

AI has been taking the tech world by storm for the past year or so as new chatbots and tools are created seemingly every day. These tools can help revolutionize the every day workflow for a web developer and Mike has been embracing these changes with open arms. In this episode Matt and Mike discussed this "AI revolution" and how Mike uses these new tools to compliment and enhance his every day tasks on the job. The guys also discussed the massive shake up that OpenAI had with their CEO Sam Altman being fired then potentially landing a position at Microsoft. Please note this OpenAI news is developing quickly so our comments may be out of date by the time this episode is published- original recording date can be found in the show notes for context. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/learn-to-use-ai-to-become-a-better-web-developer Scrimba Discount: https://tinyurl.com/ScrimbaHATT