ConTejas Code

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Become a guest on the podcast: https://forms.gle/wMqBmVhuzL46Ha3P7- ZurichJS Discount: https://conf.zurichjs.com?utm_source=contejas&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=zurichjs-conf-2026- Faris on X: https://x.com/farisaziz12- Faris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farisaziz12/- ZurichJS: https://zurichjs.com- SmallPDF: https://smallpdf.comWhat does it take to become an Engineering Manager at 21? How do you rebuild your identity when a chronic illness takes away your physical strength? In this episode of ConTejas Code, I sit down with Faris Aziz, a Staff Engineer at Smallpdf and the lead organizer of ZurichJS. At just 25 years old, Faris has lived a career’s worth of highs and lows. From failing his first coding bootcamp module to building a career ladder for a fintech startup, and from ranking as the 2nd fittest CrossFit athlete in Switzerland to being bedridden by an autoimmune condition, Faris shares the mindset required to navigate extreme volatility.This conversation moves beyond technical skills into the "internal garden"—how emotional regulation, sleep, and nutrition directly impact your ability to lead others. Faris breaks down his philosophy on "Peace of Mind" as the primary metric for promotion, why invisible work builds character, and how to steward authority without intimidation. Whether you are an aspiring manager, a developer looking to level up, or someone navigating a personal setback, this episode offers a blueprint for resilience and professional excellence.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:04:33 Getting into Tech at 1900:08:12 Failing (and Surviving) Bootcamp00:11:00 Building a CrossFit App During Lockdown00:13:38 Getting Hired Without Writing Code00:18:49 Accidental Managers: Leading at 2100:22:19 Choosing a Pre-seed Startup Over High Salary00:28:53 Red Flags in Leadership00:33:41 Tending the Garden: Balancing Work & ZurichJS00:42:51 Health Crisis: From Top Athlete to Bedridden00:48:51 Emotional Regulation & Bio-Hacking00:59:36 Mindset: Gratitude vs. Bitterness01:07:44 Invisible Work & Building Character01:11:18 How to Get Promoted: Giving Peace of Mind01:17:28 Confidence vs. Arrogance01:21:42 Owning Mistakes Confidently01:25:38 Stewarding Authority (The Kent C. Dodds Example)01:28:06 Don't Just Be an Engineer: Solve Business Problems01:35:02 Managing "Diva" 10x Engineers01:40:12 Organizing the First ZurichJS01:46:30 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Clerk: https://clerk.com- Auth0: https://auth0.com- Arctic (OAuth Library): https://arctic.js.org- Lucia (Session Library): https://lucia-auth.comWhy do we still use passwords in 2026? In this episode of ConTejas Code, we tear down the complex world of digital identity. From the horror story of getting hacked at a hookah bar to the mathematical elegance of public-key cryptography, we cover how the internet knows who you actually are.Let's break down the history of web authentication, explain why "logging in" is so much harder than it looks, and demystify the new standard taking over the web: Passkeys (WebAuthn). Whether you are a developer looking for an implementation playbook or just curious why your banking app requires a fingerprint, this deep dive explains the difference between Identity, Identifiers, and Credentials—and why you should stop rolling your own auth immediately.Chapters00:00:00 Welcome to ConTejas Code00:01:06 Sponsor: CodeCrafters00:01:42 Why Authentication Matters (High Stakes vs. Low Stakes)00:07:30 Storytime: Getting Hacked at a Shisha Bar00:19:48 The Vocabulary: Identity, Identifiers, and Credentials00:27:45 The Three Factors (Something You Know, Have, Are)00:34:28 Real World Analogies: House Keys, Speak-easies, and Hotel Cards00:41:10 A History of Web Auth: From Basic Auth to the "Social Login" Mess00:49:15 Authentication vs. Authorization vs. Accounting00:57:00 The Problem with Passwords & MFA Fatigue01:00:40 How Passkeys Work: Public Key Cryptography Explained01:07:00 Under the Hood: WebAuthn, FIDO2, and The "Ceremonies"01:13:40 Synced vs. Device-Bound Passkeys01:16:30 The Playbook: How to Design Auth for SaaS, Mobile, and B2B01:21:00 The Golden Rule: Don't Roll Your Own Crypto01:23:00 Libraries & Tools You Should Use (Clerk, Auth0, Arctic)01:28:40 The Minimum Viable Security Checklist01:32:30 The Future of Passwordless Identity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- Codecrafters: https://tej.as/codecrafters- Why We Sleep: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316- Matthew Walker's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1aIVAabjRjnmiouX0zCzF3- Sleep latency paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33865376/#:~:text=Oral%20magnesium%20supplementation%20for%20insomnia,insomnia%20symptoms%20in%20older%20adults- Glycine for sleep: https://glowable.com.au/blogs/news/glycine-the-calming-nutrient-for-soothing-anxiety?srsltid=AfmBOor_YWMUUsqdS9AJjfSJLQb1F0CSEKrbw-0AhjCVkXCcHdjPGtWq#:~:text=of%20Pharmacological%20Sciences%20found%20that,often%20closely%20linked%20to%20anxiety- Dr. Andy Galpin's podcast: https://performpodcast.com/- Detachment paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19592515/#:~:text=Results%3A%20%20Higher%20PEAT%20scores,of%20depression%20and%20negative%20affect- Quantified Scientist: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheQuantifiedScientistIn this episode, we learn how to engineer better health outcomes for ourselves to live fitter and healthier than ever before drawing on the latest research.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:05:24 Episode Outline00:12:08 Sleep Architecture: Deep and REM00:24:17 How to Sleep Well00:34:31 My Routine with Sleep00:39:25 Using Temperature to Sleep Well00:41:55 Eating before Bed00:45:14 Getting more Deep Sleep and REM Sleep00:52:49 How to Eat Well00:56:05 How to Lose Fat01:02:35 How to Gain Muscle01:07:47 Vices: Alcohol, Nicotine, etc.01:10:28 Loneliness and Social Connection01:18:34 How to Develop Quality Social Connections01:25:54 Maximizing Productivity and Work/Life Balance01:33:36 Psychological Detachment01:36:33 Dealing with Getting Sick01:42:08 How to Avoid Jetlag and Travel Well01:46:14 Heart Rate Variability: Managing Stress and Recovery01:50:53 Conclusion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links- CodeCrafters (partner): https://tej.as/CodeCrafters- Pratim on X: https://x.com/bhosalepratim- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this conversation, we explore the journey from backend development to becoming a Google Developer Expert in Golang. We discuss the significance of microservices architecture, the importance of search technologies, and the development of Cargo Chat, a tool for searching codebases. Pratim shares insights on building effective search pipelines, Matryoshka embedding models, and the integration of hypothetical documents in search processes. The conversation concludes with a discussion on a mental health journaling app that connects personal reflections with religious texts for encouragement. Chapters00:00 Pratim Bhosale02:19 Introduction05:16 The Shift to Backend Development and Golang08:16 Becoming a Google Developer Expert11:20 Understanding Microservices Architecture14:19 Building Innovative Tools: Cargo Chat17:12 Search Technologies and Their Applications20:15 The Search Pipeline and Embedding Models29:49 Building a Vector Database33:13 Local First Movement and Security34:14 Understanding Hyde: Hypothetical Document Embeddings36:48 Matryoshka Embedding Models41:59 The Search Problem in AI43:57 Developing a Mental Health App48:02 Comparing Approaches to Vector Search52:56 Developer Experience and Product Growth01:02:52 Understanding Developer Experience Levers01:04:32 Making API Products Click01:07:40 The Role of Developer Advocacy01:11:06 Navigating Career Paths in Tech01:13:58 Finding Your Niche in Developer Relations01:20:18 Work-Life Balance and Avoiding Burnout01:24:01 The Importance of Mentorship01:27:07 Emerging Technologies and Trends Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging discussion, Shivay Lamba, a Conference speaker and WebAssembly expert, shares his insights on running AI securely in browsers. He covers the powerful synergy between WebAssembly and AI, emphasizing privacy and performance gains for edge computing. Shivay explains how developers can optimize machine learning models for web use, including techniques like quantization and leveraging TensorFlow.js. He also dives into emerging hardware solutions and the future potential of AI inference APIs, making complex topics accessible and relevant for software developers.

Links- Codecrafters (Partner): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_- Mary Thengvall, The Business Value of Developer Relations: https://develocity.io/measuring-devrel-success-effective-metrics-for-impact/#:~:text=In%20a%20talk%20given%20at,5- Matthew Revell, “What is Developer Relations?”: https://developerrelations.com/guides/what-is-developer-relations/#:~:text=Most%20companies%20invest%20in%20DevRel,because%20they%20want%20to%20affect- Quinton Wall, Does Developer Relations Belong Under Marketing or Engineering?: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-developer-relations-belong-under-marketing-engineering-wall-z9gic#:~:text=For%20early%20stage%20companies%2C%20Developer,the%20detriment%20of%20developer%20experience- Mike Stowe, A Brief History Of Developer Relations Programs: https://influitive.com/blog/brief-history-developer-relations-programs-developer-communities/#:~:text=When%20I%20joined%20Constant%20Contact,across%20one%20of%20these%20companies- R. Scott, Developer Relations: A Growth Engine from Day One: https://www.delltechnologiescapital.com/resources/devrel-day-one#:~:text=%E2%80%8DDeveloper%20Relations%20is%20at%20its,%E2%80%9D- Matt Bernier, The intersection of DevRel and Product Management: https://developerrelations.com/talks/intersection-dev-rel-product-management/#:~:text=The%20Barbican%2C%20London%2C%20UK- Develocity.io, Measuring DevRel Success: Effective Metrics for Impact: https://develocity.io/measuring-devrel-success-effective-metrics-for-impact/#:~:text=impact%20on%20user%20engagement%20and,2- Jake Prins, 10 Ways to Build a Developer Community: https://www.apideck.com/blog/ten-ways-to-build-a-developer-community#:~:text=in,seminar%2C%20or%20webinar- Francine Hardaway, DevRel: Marketing, Product Management, or Neither?: https://medium.com/influence-marketing-council/devrel-marketing-product-management-or-neither-77d6c4666f7f#:~:text=Most%20developer%20relations%20programs%20wrestle,sourced%20by%20DevRel%20are%20invaluableChapters00:00:00 Introduction00:02:28 The Core Thesis of DevRel00:12:41 History of DevRel: From Apple in the 80s to Today00:19:08 The Value of DevRel & Success Stories (Stripe, MongoDB)00:25:08 The Critical Role of the Feedback Loop00:27:03 The Danger of Ignoring DevRel Feedback00:34:33 Where DevRel Sits: Marketing vs. Product & Engineering00:37:22 The Gold Standard: A Product Engineer with a Megaphone00:49:37 Measuring DevRel Success: Beyond Vanity Metrics00:52:00 Key Metrics: Community, Satisfaction, & Monthly Active Developers (MAD)01:01:31 Practical DevRel: How to Build Community01:03:37 Practical DevRel: Content Strategy & "Carving the Turkey"01:06:50 Practical DevRel: Improving the Onboarding Experience01:11:00 Practical DevRel: Events, Public Speaking & Internal Advocacy01:17:20 Start of Q&A with Africa's DevRel Community01:18:02 Defining AI Engineering vs. Machine Learning01:20:01 Defining DevRel: It's High-Quality Customer Relations01:26:32 Q&A: Is Developer Experience (DX) the same as User Experience (UX)?01:29:14 Q&A: How AI is Changing UX/DX with Model Context Protocol (MCP)01:35:32 Q&A: Biggest Opportunities for DevRel in AI01:38:25 Q&A: Necessary Skills for AI DevRel (Communication is #1)01:44:22 Q&A: Where to Find Developers for New Niche Tools01:48:08 Q&A: What's Most Exciting in Tech Right Now?01:53:22 Q&A: Advice for New Developers in the AI Era (Build and Ship!)01:58:00 Q&A: How to Balance Technical Work with Community Management02:00:57 Q&A: How to Form Meaningful Professional Relationships02:05:56 Conclusion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging discussion, Dev Agrawal, a software engineer at Solvio and a key member of the SolidJS core team, dives into the art of becoming a notable developer. He shares his experiences in DevRel, stressing the impact of intentional networking and content creation on a tech career. The intricacies of event sourcing are explored, highlighting its benefits for performance and testing in modern applications. Agrawal also compares SolidJS with React, showcasing its advantages in UI rendering, which is crucial for developers looking to enhance user experiences.

Lu Wilson, an engineer at tldraw, dives into the evolution of innovative whiteboard technology. They discuss the groundbreaking tldraw platform and its AI-driven features, such as real-time image generation. Lu shares insights from projects like Make Real, highlighting the democratization of AI tools for creative workflows. The conversation also covers the importance of fostering a culture of experimentation in tech teams and the collaborative potential of AI, making complex technology accessible to everyone.

In this engaging discussion, Sean Roberts, Head of Agent Experience at Netlify, explores the innovative field of Agent Experience (AX) and its impact on AI interactions. He highlights how contextual alignment protocols, like MCP, can enhance agent performance. The conversation dives into the challenges of agent authentication and the importance of user-friendly APIs. Sean also discusses the necessity of adapting business practices to this new landscape, emphasizing that effective AX leads to improved user experiences across digital platforms.

Santosh Yadav, a Staff Engineer at Celonis and an open-source contributor, shares his inspiring journey from engineer to staff engineer. He discusses why moving into management isn't always a step up and explores the frequent job changes many engineers face. Santosh also opens up about his health transformation after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, from running a half marathon to prioritizing wellness in his life. His advocacy for balancing career ambitions with personal health makes for a compelling listen!