
ConTejas Code
ConTejas Code is a podcast in the web engineering space that has deep dives on various topics between frontend engineering with React, TypeScript, Next.js, and backend engineering with Kafka, Postgres, and more. The series is a mix of long-form content and guest episodes with industry leaders in the web engineering space.From the podcast, listeners will take away actionable best practices that you can integrate into your workflows as well as valuable insights from prominent people in the industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Jul 1, 2024 • 1h 41min
Clark Sell, Founder THAT Conference: How to Organize a Large Multidisciplinary Tech Conference
LinksCodecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecraftersTHAT Conference: https://www.thatconference.com/Clark on X: https://x.com/theclarksellTHAT Conference on X: https://x.com/thatconferenceTejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryClark Sell discusses the origins and purpose of THAT Conference, a multi-day conference for software engineers and their families. He emphasizes the importance of human connection and the need for conferences to provide a space for engineers to learn, grow, and connect with others in the industry. Clark also addresses the challenges of balancing technical and soft skills in conference programming and the value of attending conferences for personal and professional development.This conversation explores the challenges and complexities of organizing a large conference, focusing on the specific example of That Conference. The chapters cover topics such as the difficulties of booking venues and the long-term contracts and financial commitments involved.TakeawaysFinding your why and being clear about your motivations is essential when starting a conference.Conferences should prioritize the human side of tech, offering a balance of technical and soft skills talks to help engineers become better individuals and professionals.Attending conferences can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being, especially for remote workers who may feel isolated in their careers.Companies should recognize the value of conferences and allocate budget for employees to attend, as it contributes to their personal and professional development.Organizing a large conference involves challenges such as booking venues and dealing with long-term contracts and financial commitments.Sponsors play a crucial role in supporting conferences and their involvement can be both sought after and initiated by the organizers.Building a tribe of organizers and engaging with other conference organizers can provide valuable support and insights.Chapters00:00 Clark Sell06:49 Starting That Conference15:40 The Purpose of That Conference28:53 The Importance of Human Connection33:18 The Value of Attending Conferences37:21 Agent Conf and the Importance of Tech39:13 Organic Panel Discussion and Open Spaces40:04 Exploring New Conference Formats41:02 The Importance of Open Spaces41:59 Blowing Up the Conference Format44:03 The Challenge of Selling White Spaces45:33 The Role of Hackathons46:27 Building a Custom Conference Platform48:07 Motivation Behind Building a Custom Platform50:07 Using Google Sheets as the Front End51:52 The Stack and Open Source Nature of the Platform55:19 Refactoring and Rebuilding the Platform59:05 The Challenges of Organizing a Conference01:01:31 Encouraging Speakers to Put Effort into Submissions01:05:40 The Financial Challenges of Organizing a Conference01:09:52 Considering Dropping Food from the Conference01:11:06 Exploring a Kickstarter-like Model for Ticket Sales01:12:11 Challenges of Booking Venues01:12:54 Long-Term Contracts and Financial Commitments01:14:35 The Ugly Side of Contracts01:17:03 The Entrapment of Venue Commitments01:18:00 Financial Struggles and Commitments01:18:56 The Role of Sponsors01:20:27 Sales and Sponsorship Relationships01:24:08 Starting a Conference: Find Your Why01:25:39 Building a Tribe of Organizers01:26:33 Engaging with Other Organizers01:28:19 The Importance of Balance and Sustainability01:32:44 Contributing and Getting Involved with the Conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 24, 2024 • 1h 33min
Steven Fabre, CEO Liveblocks: How We're Building Realtime Collaboration, Design Engineering
Links- Codecrafters (Sponsor): https://codecrafters.io- Liveblocks: https://liveblocks.io- Steven on X: https://x.com/stevenfabre- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummarySteven Fabre, the co-founder of Liveblocks, shares his journey from a design-focused background to starting his own company. He discusses the importance of combining design and engineering skills and the challenges of building a collaborative dev tool. Steven also talks about the decision to raise venture capital and the trade-offs between being an indie developer and seeking VC funding. He shares insights on starting a company during the pandemic and dealing with stress and anxiety as a founder. Finally, he touches on the benefits and challenges of remote work.Liveblocks is a platform that enables developers to add real-time collaboration features to their applications. It offers low-level APIs and pre-built React components for easy integration. The key to effective remote work, according to Liveblocks, is being truly remote-first and having time zone overlap. They also emphasize the importance of being intentional about culture and recognition in a remote team. Liveblocks recently announced a new product called Text Editor, which provides integration to make any text editor collaborative. They are also launching comments and notifications out of beta.Takeaways1. Combining design and engineering skills can lead to building polished and visually appealing products.2. Starting a company around a problem you personally face can provide unique insights and timing advantages.3. Dealing with stress and anxiety as a founder requires finding a balance, prioritizing sleep, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.4. Being truly remote-first and having time zone overlap are key to effective remote work.5. Being intentional about culture and recognition is important in a remote team.Chapters* [00:00:00] Steven Fabre* [00:03:34] Introduction and Background* [00:05:55] The Journey from Design to Starting Liveblocks* [00:10:15] The Role of Design Engineers in Building Polished Products* [00:17:45] The Trade-Offs of Indie Development vs. Venture Capital* [00:30:13] Dealing with Stress and Anxiety as a Founder* [00:33:54] Unlocking the Benefits of Remote Work* [00:37:36] Creating a Remote-First Culture* [00:43:34] Introducing Liveblocks: Enabling Real-Time Collaboration* [00:54:23] Unveiling the Future of Collaboration with Liveblocks* [01:04:45] Building a Useful and Non-Overwhelming Notification System* [01:07:55] The Importance of Positioning and Marketing* [01:12:51] Showing Momentum and Providing Value* [01:22:52] The Challenges of Being a CEO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 17, 2024 • 1h 34min
David Khourshid, CEO Stately.ai: How State Machines Create Robust Software
Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Stately: https://stately.ai- XState on GitHub: https://github.com/statelyai/xstate- David on X: https://x.com/davidkpiano- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this conversation, David Khourshid (CEO, Stately.ai) discusses XState, a state management library that uses state machines and the actor model to solve complex state management problems. He explains that state management is not a problem in itself, but it becomes complex when frameworks and libraries expect state updates in different ways.XState provides a simpler model for managing complex state by using state machines and transitions triggered by events. David also introduces the concept of state charts, which take state machines to the next level by allowing for hierarchy and orthogonality. XState provides tools for visualizing state machines and helps identify modeling issues early in the software development lifecycle.We continue to discuss the use of agents in observing environments and the potential for building practical applications using state machines. David shares his journey of founding Stately and productizing XState, highlighting the challenges and lessons he has learned as a first-time CEO. They also touch on the importance of making mistakes, transitioning to a paid model, and the future plans for Stately.Takeaways- State management becomes complex when frameworks and libraries expect state updates in different ways.- XState provides a simpler model for managing complex state by using state machines and transitions triggered by events.- State charts, a more advanced form of state machines, allow for hierarchy and orthogonality.- State machines are useful in AI programming and can be used to build agents that observe environments and take actions based on goals.- As a first-time CEO, it is important to make mistakes, learn from them, and be open to continuous learning and improvement.- Transitioning to a paid model can help focus on users who have real use cases and are willing to pay for advanced features.Chapters[00:00:00] David Khourshid[00:03:17] Introduction and Background[00:05:28] The Problem of State Management[00:09:16] XState: A Solution for Complex State Management[00:13:27] XState and Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs)[00:15:55] State Machines and State Charts[00:29:45] Orthogonality and Modeling Complex States[00:33:11] The Value of State Machines in Software Development[00:35:32] The Use Cases for State Machines[00:39:40] Balancing Time Investment and Fast-Paced Development[00:45:20] The Connection Between State Machines and AI[00:50:47] The Potential of AI in Stately.ai[01:01:35] Understanding the Actor Model[01:09:19] Building a To-Do App with XState[01:10:17] Introduction to X-State and Actor Interface[01:11:32] Snapshot and State in X-State[01:12:54] Agents and Observing Environments[01:14:16] State Machines in AI Programming[01:15:17] Building State Machines for Practical Applications[01:16:52] State Machines and AI Limitations[01:18:34] Founding Stately and Productizing X-State[01:21:20] Challenges and Lessons as a First-Time CEO[01:24:46] Importance of Making Mistakes and Learning[01:27:03] Transitioning to a Paid Model[01:30:32] Future Plans for Stately Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 13, 2024 • 1h 56min
Mark Erikson: How Replay.io is Built, Maintaining Redux
Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/Codecrafters- Replay Protocol Examples: https://github.com/replayio/Protocol-Examples- Mark on X: https://x.com/acemarke- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryMark Erikson, the maintainer of Redux and developer at Replay.io, discusses the process of modernizing the Firefox DevTools UI (a React app!) and the challenges of code migration. He shares insights on migrating to TypeScript and the value of staying up to date with the latest techniques. Mark also explains how Replay captures and transmits data for debugging purposes. Replay is a tool that captures and replays browser interactions for debugging purposes. It requires a browser because extensions do not have the same privileged access as a browser.During the recording phase, Replay captures network data. The captured data is stored in a binary archive. When a user opens the debugger, the recording is downloaded and cached in the backend. The debugger includes a video playback feature, which is actually a series of JPEG images rendered on a canvas. The element picker in the debugger is a bespoke canvas that interacts with the paused browser process.In this conversation, Mark Erikson discusses the capabilities of Replay, a debugging tool for web applications. He explains how Replay allows developers to console log in replays, run code in the browser, and work with source maps and minified code. Mark also discusses the use of Replay in Node.js and the ability to manipulate events in replays. He highlights the backend API of Replay and the potential for future features such as root cause analysis and React time travel.Takeaways1. Modernizing legacy codebases requires careful planning and a step-by-step approach.2. Migrating to TypeScript can improve code maintainability and reduce bugs.3. Replay.io captures and transmits browser events and interactions for debugging purposes.4. Extensions do not have the same privileged access as a browser, which is why Replay requires a browser.5. Replay can be used in Node.js environments, and developers can manipulate events in replays to simulate different outcomes.6. Future features of Replay include root cause analysis and React time travel, which will further enhance the debugging experience for developers.Chapters00:00:00 Mark Erikson00:02:40 Introduction and Background00:03:59 Replay.io and Time Travel Debugger00:08:48 Modernizing the Codebase00:11:44 The Challenges of Code Migration00:13:39 Finding Joy in Legacy Code00:16:11 Migrating to TypeScript00:19:16 The Process of Modernization00:30:19 The Pressure and Value of Modernization00:35:47 The Trade-offs of Using the Latest Techniques00:37:12 Capturing and Transmitting Data in Replay00:38:11 Replay: Capturing and Replaying Browser Interactions00:45:56 Why Replay Requires a Browser00:46:51 Capturing Network Data and Security Concerns00:48:54 Recording and Storing the Binary Archive00:56:21 Downloading and Caching the Recording00:58:46 Pre-Processing and Caching Basic Data01:03:30 The Video Playback and Memory Snapshots01:10:39 Inspecting Elements and the Bespoke Canvas01:14:26 Building the Replay Debugger01:16:49 Replay's Capabilities01:18:12 Console Logging in Replays01:19:50 Running Code in the Browser01:20:51 Source Maps and Minified Code01:22:44 Shipping Source Maps01:25:41 Replay in Node.js01:26:12 Using Replay in the Terminal01:33:50 Manipulating Events in Replay01:38:02 Replay's Backend API01:51:33 Future Features: Root Cause Analysis and React Time Travel01:54:41 Closing Remarks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 10, 2024 • 1h 37min
Zack Chapple, CEO Zephyr Cloud: How Module Federation Works, Micro-Frontend Architecture
Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Zephyr Cloud: https://zephyr-cloud.io/- Module Federation: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@module-federation/node- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this conversation, Zack Chapple, CEO of Zephyr Cloud, discusses the concepts of module federation, micro frontends, and the role of Zephyr Cloud in simplifying developer workflows. He explains the evolution of module federation, its relationship with Webpack and RSPack, and the impact of these technologies on build times and developer productivity. The conversation delves into the evolution of micro front-end architecture, starting with the use of iframes and progressing to module federation. It explores the challenges of iframes, the benefits of lazy loading, and the finer control offered by module federation. The discussion also covers the founding of Zephyr Cloud and its innovative approach to deploying micro front-ends to the edge. Zack Chapple discusses the innovative features of Zephyr Cloud, including its seamless integration with module federation, real-time deployment to the edge, and observability capabilities. He also shares insights on the challenges and decision-making process for technical founders and CEOs.Takeaways1. Module federation and micro frontends are key concepts in modern web development, allowing for the decomposition and distribution of front-end applications.2. Zephyr Cloud simplifies the complexity of module federation and micro frontends, providing a platform that accelerates developer workflows and enhances production reliability for micro frontends.3. Finer control and deployment to the edge with module federation and Zephyr Cloud Zephyr Cloud enables real-time deployment to the edge, making it easy for developers to integrate with module federation and streamline the development process.4. The platform offers robust observability features, allowing users to monitor and analyze the impact of remotes on performance and user experience.5. Zack Chapple emphasizes the importance of aligning company values with personal values as a founder, highlighting the need for individualized approaches to leadership and decision-making.Chapters00:00 Zack Chapple03:49 Introduction and Overview of Topics05:49 The Birth of Zephyr Cloud and its Mission11:06 Understanding Module Federation and Micro Frontends30:05 RSPack, ESBuild, and the Future of Module Federation36:12 Evolution of Micro Front-End Architecture40:25 Challenges and Benefits of Lazy Loading56:50 Innovative Edge Deployment with Zephyr Cloud01:06:05 Revolutionizing Deployment with Zephyr Cloud01:11:55 Seamless Deployment and Rollbacks01:31:09 Navigating the CEO Journey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 6, 2024 • 1h 45min
Svenja Schäfer: Mastering Regular Expressions and Automated Testing
Links- CodeCrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Understanding RegEx Once and for All Post Series: https://www.codegram.com/blog/understanding-regex-once-and-for-all-part-one- RegEx 101: https://regex101.com/- (Golang to .d.ts) go2dts: https://github.com/fabien0102/go2dts- Svenja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenjaschaefer/- Svenja on GitHub: https://github.com/slickepinne- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this conversation, Svenja Schäfer, a development team lead at Thoughtbot, discusses her background, experience, and the importance of testing in software development. She shares her journey into tech, the value of testing, and the benefits of test-driven development. Svenja also talks about her work at Thoughtbot, a consulting agency that focuses on Ruby on Rails and JavaScript development. The conversation touches on the challenges of learning new technologies and the fast-paced nature of the industry. The importance of collaboration, taking breaks, and finding a balance between pairing and individual work is also highlighted.In this part of the conversation, Svenja and I discuss the importance of communication and belonging in remote teams. We also dive into the topic of regular expressions and how they can be used to accelerate robustness in testing. We also do a live coding exercise to demonstrate how regular expressions work. Svenja then shares her experience as a team lead and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance between coding and people management. She introduces a three-question communication framework to help manage time and prioritize tasks. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the significance of feedback and the importance of open and honest communication.Takeaways- Testing is essential in software development as it provides confidence, reduces errors, and helps developers understand the codebase.- Test-driven development (TDD) is a valuable approach that involves writing tests before implementing features, leading to more robust and maintainable code.- Collaboration and pairing can enhance productivity and code quality, but it's important to find a balance and allow for individual work and breaks.- Taking breaks and allowing time for the brain to reset can lead to fresh ideas and solutions.- Effective communication and a sense of belonging are crucial in remote teams.- Regular expressions can be a powerful tool for testing and accelerating robustness in software development.- Regular expressions can be used for email validation, form input validation, and searching in code editors.- Understanding the building blocks of regular expressions, such as the caret (^), dot (.), asterisk (*), and word boundaries, is essential for writing effective patterns.- Tools like regex101.com can be helpful for testing and experimenting with regular expressions. Regular expressions can be a powerful tool for searching and manipulating text.- It is important to be aware of the potential challenges and gotchas when using regular expressions.- As a team lead, it is important to maintain a balance between coding and people management.- Effective communication involves asking the right questions and providing feedback in a constructive manner.- Prioritizing tasks and managing time can be achieved through frameworks like the three-question communication framework.Chapters00:00 Svenja Schäfer03:39 Introduction and Background11:59 Challenges and Learning in the Fast-Paced Tech Industry19:42 Staying Up-to-Date with Evolving Technologies50:42 Understanding the Building Blocks of Regular Expressions58:48 Live Coding Exercise: Matching Words with Regular Expressions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 3, 2024 • 1h 35min
Chris Coyier, CEO CodePen: How We're Building CodePen 2.0, CSS-Tricks
Links- Codecrafters (Sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Codepen: https://codepen.io- TailwindCSS Play CDN: https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation/play-cdn- Chris on X: https://x.com/chriscoyier- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this episode, Chris Coyier (CEO of CodePen) discusses his background and the projects he is involved in, including CSS-Tricks and CodePen. He talks about the workload and challenges of running these projects, particularly the complexities of managing advertising and the business models. Chris also shares insights into the tech stack used at CodePen, including Next.js and GraphQL. He highlights the benefits of GraphQL and the code generation tool, which helps ensure data consistency and type safety. Finally, he discusses the future plans for CodePen, including the adoption of server components. In this part of the conversation, Chris Coyier and Tejas Kumar discuss the Apollo code gen and type checking, the features of CodePen 2.0, the balance between simplicity and complexity, NPM install in CodePen, NPM support in CodePen 2.0, and the differences between ESM and CommonJS. In this conversation, Chris Coyier, the co-founder of CodePen, discusses various topics related to CodePen's architecture, development stack, and future plans. He talks about the use of CommonJS and GraphQL, the transpilation process in CodePen, the serverless architecture and Lambda functions, onboarding and familiarity with CodePen's codebase, staying up-to-date with industry trends, CodePen's design system, using Tailwind CSS in CodePen, the data layer in CodePen, and the potential acquisition of CodePen.Takeaways1. Running projects like CodePen/CSS-Tricks involves a significant workload, including managing advertising and the business models.2. The tech stack at CodePen includes Next.js and GraphQL, which provide powerful tools for building and managing web applications.3. Code generation with tools like Apollo helps ensure data consistency and type safety in GraphQL queries.4. Onboarding and becoming familiar with CodePen's codebase is relatively straightforward.5. Tailwind CSS can be used in CodePen by linking to a CDN-hosted URL.Chapters00:00:00 Chris Coyier00:03:27 Introduction and Background00:06:49 Running CSS-Tricks and CodePen00:12:45 Workload and Challenges00:25:37 Moving to Next.js00:29:49 Server Components and Future Plans00:32:27 Code Generation with Apollo00:34:10 Apollo Code Gen and Type Checking00:38:45 CodePen 2.0 Features00:46:43 Simplicity vs Complexity00:48:08 NPM Install and CodePen00:54:50 NPM Support in CodePen 2.000:59:12 ESM vs CommonJS01:01:54 Common JS and GraphQL01:02:31 CodePen's Architecture and Transpilation01:04:58 Serverless Architecture and Lambda Functions01:08:14 Onboarding and Familiarity with CodePen's Codebase01:08:42 Staying Up-to-Date with Industry Trends01:12:46 CodePen's Design System01:20:48 Using Tailwind CSS in CodePen01:25:01 CodePen's Data Layer01:29:03 AI Features and CodePen 2.001:31:26 Potential Acquisition of CodePen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 30, 2024 • 1h 57min
Dan Shappir: How to Maximize Web Performance
Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Improving Wix Performance: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/11/improving-performance-wix-websites-case-study/- Dan on X: https://x.com/danshappir- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryIn this episode, Dan Shappir discusses his journey in web performance, starting from gaming networks before the web. He explains the web vs. internet distinction, offline-first web apps, and remote access solutions. Dan's role at Next Insurance as a performance tech lead is highlighted. The talk covers improving browser performance, server-side rendering at Wix, modern CSS, CDNs, backend issues, and encapsulation impacts. Dan and Tejas discuss the BF cache's workings, browser compatibility, and telemetry impacts. Tips for staying updated in tech are shared, emphasizing passion and teaching. The episode concludes with support for Gaza and the Speculation Rules API.Takeaways1. Avoid overloading the browser with excessive JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.2. Keep things small and lean to improve performance.3. Implement server-side rendering, use modern CSS, and leverage caching with CDNs to enhance performance.4. To stay relevant in the tech industry, follow your passion, accept that you can't know everything, and focus on understanding core concepts rather than chasing every new technology.5. The BF cache (back-forward cache) allows browsers to store a memory snapshot of a web page when the user navigates away, enabling instant retrieval when the user returns.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Honoring the Situation01:17 Dan's Background and Early Career07:46 Dan's Journey into Web Performance15:09 Offline-First Web Application25:34 Joining Wix and Improving Performance34:09 Transition to Next Insurance45:46 The Beauty of Constraints59:13 Using CSS for Layout01:04:12 Backend Performance Issues01:20:30 BF Cache01:25:32 Performance Strategies01:31:25 Advice for Staying Relevant in Tech01:42:42 Speculation Rules API01:43:14 Resource Hints: Prefetch and Preload01:48:12 Script Tags and JSON Representation01:51:39 Closing Remarks and Homework Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 27, 2024 • 1h 33min
Sanket Sahu, CEO GeekyAnts: How to Build and Scale a Company to 400+ with Open Source
Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- GeekyAnts: https://geekyants.com- Sanket on X: https://x.com/sanketsahu- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummarySanket Sahu, founder and CEO of GeekyAnts, built a successful IT consulting company focused on web and mobile app development. Starting as a freelancer, he scaled the company to over 400 people, emphasizing problem-solving and strong culture. GeekyAnts began contributing to open source with NativeBase, transforming from a web shop to a mobile and web shop. This boosted their reputation, leading to global requests and organizing the largest React Native meetup group.They developed GlueStack, a full-stack framework, and GlueStack UI, a component library prioritizing accessibility and performance. GeekyAnts explores AI for code generation and AI-driven workflows, building an engineering studio with a user-first and AI approach. They emphasize evolving every six months, customer focus, and quarterly OKRs. The future involves productized services, dev tools, and internal products.In this episode, you will learn how Sanket Sahu built GeekyAnts from freelancing to a 400+ team, contributed to open source with NativeBase, and leveraged AI for growth. Discover their emphasis on problem-solving, culture, evolving every six months, and future plans involving productized services and dev tools.Takeaways1. Problem-Solving Attitude: Building a successful IT consulting company requires a problem-solving mindset at every level.2. Open Source Contributions: Contributing to open source can build your brand and establish credibility, as seen with GeekyAnts' release of NativeBase.3. Balancing Processes and Speed: Processes are essential for scaling but should not impede speed and innovation.4. AI Integration: Exploring AI for code generation and AI-driven workflows can positively impact business by increasing efficiency and problem-solving capabilities.5. Continual Evolution: Regularly evolving and rebuilding your company, as GeekyAnts does every six months, is crucial for sustained growth and adaptation.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background 05:46 Starting Geeky Ants and Scaling to 400+ People 10:15 Transition from Developer to Founder 13:44 The Importance of Problem-Solving and Culture 19:05 Adapting to Changing Environments and Roles 26:04 The Role of Open Source Contributions 32:01 GeekyAnts' Journey into Open Source and React Native 38:15 The Impact of Open Source on GeekyAnts' Reputation 41:16 GeekyAnts: From Web Shop to Mobile Plus Web Shop 48:03 Solving Fragmentation and Unifying React Native 52:27 Introducing GlueStack: A Framework for Full-Stack Applications 56:15 GlueStack UI: Prioritizing Accessibility and Performance 01:03:59 Focusing on Visual Accessibility and AI 01:05:45 Exploring AI in Code Generation and Workflows 01:08:08 The Impact of AI on Business 01:10:05 Building an Engineering Studio with a User-First and AI Approach 01:20:10 The Importance of Evolving and Rebuilding 01:26:57 Using Quarterly OKRs for Planning and Objectives 01:29:57 The Future of GeekyAnts: Productized Services, Dev Tools, and Internal Products Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 23, 2024 • 1h 39min
Shruti Kapoor: How Slack is Built and Tested, How Patents are Filed
Links- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters- Shruti on X: https://x.com/shrutikapoor08- Slack Kit design system: https://slack.engineering/the-gradual-design-system-how-we-built-slack-kit/- Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_SummaryShruti Kapoor, a member of technical staff at Slack, discusses her role, the impact of Slack on users, and recent redesign efforts. She covers the patenting process, technical implementation of features like clips and huddles using Amazon S3 and Chime SDK, and front-end development practices at Slack.Shruti also shares insights into Slack's interview process and compares it to Tejas' experience at Spotify, discussing the use of 'for' loops in interviews and her approach to code review. She concludes with thoughts on choosing between startups and big tech companies and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry.Takeaways1. Slack ships code frequently, even on Fridays, and rolls back quickly if issues arise.2. The redesign aims to reduce cognitive overload and enhance user experience.3. User feedback is crucial and actively gathered from social media, Zendesk tickets, and user research.4. Slack's interview process includes breaks and at-home assignments, focusing on both technical skills and empathy.5. Diversity and inclusion are vital, with efforts to ensure equal representation in technical discussions and panels.Chapters00:00 Shruti Kapoor09:39 Working at Slack and Impact on Users18:35 Redesigning Slack and User Feedback33:00 Patenting and Inventing42:39 Clips and Huddles51:40 Design System and Front-end56:02 Testing and Iteration57:59 Career Journey and Joining Slack01:00:38 Slack's Interview Process01:01:38 At-Home Assignment01:02:35 Comparison with Spotify's Interview Process01:03:34 Technical Interview Experience at Spotify01:05:02 Preference for Functional Programming01:05:43 Using 'for' Loop Instead of 'reduce'01:06:39 Approach to Code Review01:08:35 Code Review as a Learning Experience01:09:58 Testing Code during Code Review01:11:10 Choosing Between Startups and Big Tech01:11:39 Advantages and Trade-offs of Big Tech01:16:57 Advantages and Trade-offs of Startups01:18:47 Changing Teams in a Big Company01:22:51 Navigating Conversations about Changing Teams01:25:40 Role of Diversity and Inclusion in the Job Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.