Modern Web

On this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson sit down with Marc Backes, a freelance full-stack engineer with a wild journey through Vue.js, Nuxt, and DevRel. Marc shares what makes the Vue community stand out, why DevRel often misses the mark, and how Wikipedia uses Vue 3 to scale content across thousands of languages.Then, things get real. Marc opens up about a $250,000 startup disaster that changed his view on business forever. Meanwhile, Danny breaks down what it takes to run a tech conference on a shoestring budget—and why developers hate traditional marketing.Key Points from this episode:- The Power of Vue & Nuxt – Marc shares why he chose Vue.js, how he built his website with Nuxt, and what makes the Vue community unique.- DevRel: Hype vs. Reality – A discussion on whether DevRel is truly valuable for companies, how it's often misused, and what actually works in developer advocacy.- A $250K Startup Mistake – Marc’s story of losing $250,000 in a failed startup and the crucial lesson about contracts and trust in business.- Scaling Tech & Community – Insights on Wikipedia’s use of Vue 3 for translation, plus Danny’s experience running a tech conference with limited resources.Chapters0:00 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Failure 0:43 - Podcast Introduction and Guest Welcome 4:25 - Mark’s Experience in the Vue Community 9:22 - Working with Large-Scale Organizations 13:05 - Transitioning Between Developer and DevRel 19:00 - Is DevRel Worth It? 24:25 - The Challenges of Running a Tech Conference 26:02 - Lessons from Entrepreneurship 30:56 - The Emotional Toll of Failure 35:03 - Revisiting the $250,000 Grant Story 39:42 - Handling Failure and Moving Forward 41:14 - Where to Find Mark OnlineFollow Marc Backes on Social MediaTwitter: https://x.com/themarcbaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarcba/Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co

In this discussion, guest Abdel Sghiouar, a Cloud Developer Advocate at Google and CNCF Ambassador, shares insights from his tech journey spanning Morocco to Europe. He dives into the transformative role of AI in cloud development, making tooling more efficient while clarifying misconceptions about job automation. Cultural differences in tech shape his perspective on collaboration and work dynamics. Abdel emphasizes the need to understand cloud fundamentals as AI simplifies tasks, ensuring developers remain relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Mariano Cocirio, Staff Product Manager at Vercel, dives into Fluid Compute, an innovative cloud computing model that revolutionizes serverless applications. He discusses how this model tackles AI workload challenges by optimizing resource management and reducing costs related to idle time. Mariano highlights that developers can adopt Fluid Compute without major changes, while still benefiting from improved performance and scalability. The conversation also sheds light on the role of observability tools in maximizing efficiency and managing costs.

Mike Chen, Co-founder and CTO of Motivo, dives into the evolving realms of animation and decentralized social media. He discusses how tools like Framer Motion simplify complex animations, enhancing user experience. The conversation turns to Blue Sky, where Mike explores the challenges of usability and user control versus traditional platforms. He also emphasizes the significance of mentorship through his Let's Get Technical Discord, aiming to support mid-level engineers in skill development. It's a fascinating blend of tech trends and community growth.

Chad Whitacre, Head of Open Source at Sentry, dives into the Open Source Pledge, aiming to secure funding for crucial projects. He discusses the pressing challenges of sustainability in open source, including maintainer burnout and a lack of funding models. Whitacre highlights the imbalance between corporate benefit and community support, advocating for companies to contribute financially. He explores innovative funding methods and the historical evolution of open source, emphasizing the need for a culture of sustainability in tech.

Brandon Mathis, Engineering Lead at This Dot Labs, shares insights into software development and emerging trends. The discussion dives into the benefits and challenges of programming abstractions, urging developers to understand foundational concepts. Mathis emphasizes learning through experimentation and stepping out of comfort zones, particularly with tools like SolidJS. The talk also explores emerging opportunities in building plugins and apps on platforms like Stripe, encouraging innovation and monetization in the developer community.

Bree Hall, also known as "Bytes of Bree," is a developer advocate at HubSpot and a vibrant content creator. In this conversation, she shares her journey from front-end engineer to developer advocate, revealing insights on balancing travel with productivity. Bree offers practical tips for working on the go and emphasizes the importance of mastering a specific tech stack. The discussion also dives into the nuances of short vs. long-form content and the impact of authenticity in the tech community, showcasing how unique experiences can foster genuine audience connections.

Pat Clarke, Director of Engineering at Lumen Learning, shares his insights on the evolving world of web development. He discusses why the web feels monotonous with cookie-cutter designs dominating the landscape. Pat emphasizes the importance of specialization in front-end roles and the need for creativity to enhance user experience. He also explores the delicate balance between innovation and stability in projects and offers strategies for developers to effectively navigate their learning in this fast-paced industry.

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Danny Thompson sits down with David Mytton, founder and CEO of Arcjet and creator of the console.dev DevTools newsletter. They explore what makes a truly successful developer tool, the importance of great documentation, and how Arcjet is redefining "security as code" for modern applications. David shares insights into open-source strategies, balancing speed and innovation in startups, and the evolving role of AI in developer tools. Chapters 0:00 - 1:41 Episode Introduction 1:42 - 2:55 David Mitten’s Background & Dev Tools Expertise 2:56 - 4:17 The Importance of Great Documentation 4:18 - 6:43 Challenges in Keeping Documentation Updated 6:44 - 9:20 Simplistic vs. Over-Stylized Docs 9:21 - 11:19 Why Arcjet Stands Out 11:20 - 13:01 Developer Security & Perceptions 13:02 - 15:07 Layered Security & Best Practices 15:08 - 16:46 Encouraging Developers to Prioritize Security 16:47 - 18:48 Dependency Management Challenges 18:49 - 20:30 Evolving Dev Tools Over Time 20:31 - 22:54 Modern Code Editors & Terminal Innovation 22:55 - 25:41 AI’s Role in Dev Tools 25:42 - 27:08 Benchmark Reliability in Dev Tools 27:09 - 30:57 Open Source Contributions & Strategy 30:58 - 32:54 Shipping Fast as a Small Team 32:55 - 34:06 Closing Remarks Follow David Mytton on Social Media Twitter: https://x.com/davidmytton Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmytton/ Website: https://davidmytton.blog/ Github: https://github.com/davidmytton Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co

In this discussion, Gláuber Costa, founder and CEO of Turso, brings his deep expertise in databases and Linux to the table. He explains the resurgence of SQLite and its role in modern architectures, particularly for offline-capable databases. The conversation dives into the advantages of local-first design and how Turso's innovations enhance database synchronization. Gláuber also touches on the shifting landscape from NoSQL back to SQL, showcasing real-world examples that highlight SQLite's efficiency and future in edge computing and mobile applications.