
Modern Web
The modern web is changing fast. Front-end frameworks evolve quickly, standards are emerging and old ones are fading out of favor. There are a lot of things to learn, but knowing the right thing is more critical than learning them all. Modern Web Podcast is an interview-style show where we learn about modern web development from industry experts. We’re committed to making it easy to digest lots of useful information!
Latest episodes

Oct 12, 2022 • 48min
Hot Takes on Frameworks: React, Solid, Qwik, Svelte, Astro, Fresh, Marko, & More!
In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Tracy Lee and Dustin Goodman join Anthony Campolo and Christopher Burns, hosts of the FSJam Podcast, to talk about the latest evolutions in new frameworks. They discuss "meta frameworks", predict trends in JavaScript, and compare the similarities and differences among newer technologies like Svelte, Solid, Qwik, Astro, Fresh, Marko, and more.
Host
Tracy Lee- CEO and Co-Founder, This Dot Labs
Dustin Goodman- Engineering Manager, This Dot Labs
Guests
Chris Burns- Co-Host of the FSJam Podcast
Anthony Campolo- Co-Host of the FSJam Podcast
Sponsored by This Dot Labs

Aug 24, 2022 • 52min
Thinking About TypeScript for New Users with Josh Goldberg
Join Josh Goldberg, author of the O'Reilly book Learning TypeScript, as he gives listeners a holistic introduction to using TypeScript in modern web development. With Rob Ocel, Josh discusses how he would encourage new developers to learn TypeScript, and strategies team leads can employ to introduce their developers to the language. They also discuss how TypeScript got to where it has, how it relates to and differs from other popular typed languages, and where it (and JavaScript) might be heading in the future!
Host
Rob Ocel- Software Architect, This Dot Labs
Guest
Josh Goldberg- Author, Learning TypeScript
Sponsored by This Dot Labs
Enjoy a 30-day free membership to the O'Reilly online learning platform by clicking here!

Aug 10, 2022 • 50min
Accessibility in Testing with Adrián Bolonio
"You don't know who's using your product." In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Adrián Bolonio, Accessibility Engineer at Github, sits down with Rob Ocel to talk about the importance of web accessibility in testing. They start by talking about the diverse benefits that teams can enjoy by prioritizing accessibility in their products, and then continue their discussion by reviewing some tools and concepts developers can employ to enable accessibility in their products.
Host
Rob Ocel- Software Architect, This Dot Labs
Guest
Adrián Bolonio- Accessibility Software Engineer, Github
Sponsored by This Dot Labs

Jul 20, 2022 • 55min
Evolution of the React Paradigm and Modern React Development with Jay Phelps
The landscape of modern web development is constantly changing. In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Jay Phelps, Senior Software Engineer at Netflix talks about the evolution of the React paradigm in contemporary web development and what this means for engineers working with the library right now. They talk about where React thrives and in what contexts it may offer less utility than competing web technologies, as well as the impact that emergent meta frameworks have on the role of React for those building web technologies at the enterprise level.
Hosts
Tracy Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of This Dot Labs (@ladyleet)
Jesse Tomchak, Software Architect at This Dot Labs (@jtomchak)
Guest
Jay Phelps, Senior Software Engineer at Netflix (@_jayphelps)
Sponsored by HARMAN.

Jun 22, 2022 • 1h 5min
Introduction to Remix with Kent C. Dodds
Curious about using the full stack web framework Remix? In this episode of the Modern Web podcast, we're talking to Kent C. Dodds, Co-founder and Director of Developer Experience at Remix. They talk about how Remix formed, what Remix's current goals are, and where the team sees the technology going in the future. Kent also discusses the features offered by the framework, how the team's philosophies about web development inform these features, and the role Remix is playing in the JavaScript ecosystem. Finally, Kent talks about what's happening in the Remix community and invites listeners to get involved.
Host
Rob Ocel, Software Architect at This Dot Labs (@robocell)
Guest
Kent C. Dodds, Co-Founder and Director of Developer Experience at Remix (@kentcdodds)
Sponsored by
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Jun 8, 2022 • 1h
S09E12 Modern Web Podcast- Introduction to SolidJS with Ryan Carniato
In this episode of the Modern Web podcast, hosts Rob Ocel and Nacho Vazquez sit down with Ryan Carniato to talk about SolidJS. They talk about how the frontend JavaScript framework came to be, and what sets SolidJS apart from other technologies in the JavaScript ecosystem. They talk about the similarities between SolidJS and React's expanding features like hooks and fine grain reactivity.They then dig into some of the features offered by SolidJS and compare them to those other available tools like Svelte, JSX, and ReactJS. Finally they discuss the ways in which SolidJS distinguishes itself from other technologies, including its server-side rendering optimization, and fine grain reactivity.
Guest:
Ryan Carniato- Creator of SolidJS (@RyanCarniato)
Hosts:
Rob Ocel- Software Architect, This Dot Labs (@robocell)
Nacho Vazquez- Software Engineer, This Dot Labs (@nacho_devc)
Sponsored by
Cloudways- PHP Cloud Hosting - Developer Friendly Managed PHP Hosting Platform
Get up to 1 Month of Free Hosting by using code “MODERNWEB” and get a $15 free hosting credit. Cloudways offers peace of mind and flexibility so you can focus on growing your business and reaching new milestones instead of dealing with server management. With Cloudways, you get an optimized stack, managed servers, backups, staging environment, integrated Git, pre-configured, Composer, 24/7 support, and the choice of five cloud providers: AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode, Google Cloud, and Vultr.

May 25, 2022 • 40min
S09E11 Modern Web Podcast- Women Who Code with Alaina Percival
In this episode, Tracy Lee speaks with Alaina Percival, CEO of Women Who Code, an international non-profit working to support women in their tech careers. Alaina talks about many of the challenges women face while pursuing careers in technology, particularly in Software Engineering, and what resources Women Who Code offers to help women remain, and grow within, their technical roles.
Guest:
Alaina Percival (@alaina) - CEO, Women In Tech
Host
Tracy Lee (@ladyleet) - Co-Founder and CEO, This Dot Labs
This episode is sponsored by This Dot Labs.

May 11, 2022 • 60min
S09E10 Modern Web Podcast- State of Node.js with James Snell
In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Rob Ocel sits down with James Snell of the Node.js Technical Steering Committee to talk about the State of Node! They begin their conversation by discussing the platform's current place within the JavaScript ecosystem, including how developers are already using it, and how developers might want explore using it in the future. They also talk about new technologies that are changing the state of web app development, and how Node.js is adapting to fill in the gaps presented by factors like edge environments and server-side rendering. James also covers many of the new features offered by Node.js v18, and shares information on how developers who are interested in contributing to Node.js can get involved with the community.
Plus so much more!
Guest:
James Snell (@jasnell)- Node.js Technical Steering Committee Member
Host:
Rob Ocel (@robocell)- Software Architect, This Dot Labs
This episode is sponsored by HARMAN & This Dot Labs.

Apr 27, 2022 • 52min
S09E09 Modern Web Podcast-How to Start Coding & Find Your First Job with Alex Booker
In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Alex Booker, Community Manager at Scrimba and self-taught web developer, joins host Rob Ocel to offer advice on learning how to code for beginners, and how to land your first job. He covers some useful tools and techniques for learning, as well as strategies on how to approach job interviews and technical assessments so that developers can land their first jobs with confidence.
Guest: Alex Booker, Community Manager at Scrimba (@bookercodes)
Host: Rob Ocel, Software Architect at This Dot Labs (@robocell)
Sponsored by HARMAN & This Dot Labs.

Apr 13, 2022 • 50min
S09E08 Modern Web Podcast- ”If You Can JavaScript, You Can Backend” with Swizec Teller
In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Software Engineer and Author Swizec Teller talks about how JavaScript developers have the tools, knowledge, and ability to write backend code whether they realize it or not. Swizec argues that, in a landscape in which serverless, distributed systems are becoming more common, the traditional line that separates frontend from backend development is steadily dissolving. Rather, an industry may emerge where developers are distinguished by their functional areas of expertise, and not whether they work on the interface or backend. They also talk about the distinction between monoliths, microservices, and serverless, with a focus on the purpose and function of the different architectures.
Guest: Swizec Teller, Software Engineer and Author of Senior Engineer Mindset, Serverless Handbook, & React + D3v4.
Host: Rob Ocel, Software Architect at This Dot Labs (@robocell)
Sponsored by HARMAN & This Dot Labs.