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Web development is constantly evolving, and so are the tools we use to build. In this episode, Amy and Brad chat with the organizers of Squiggle Conf about the future of web dev tooling, how conferences shape the developer experience, and why community matters just as much as code.
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:34 - Meet the Guests: Squiggle Conf Organizers
Squiggle Conf
1:19 - What Makes Squiggle Conf Unique
3:19 - Tooling and Developer Experience
3:30 - Penguins, IMAX, and the Conference Venue
4:18 - Who Should Attend Squiggle Conf
5:31 - How Talks Are Selected and Curated
6:51 - Social and Community Aspects of the Conference
12:19 - Behind the Scenes of Organizing a Conference
17:46 - Lessons Learned from Running Events
23:30 - The Role of Tooling in Modern Development
27:21 - Browser-Based Tools and Their Impact
28:51 - Shoutout to Astro and Other Frameworks
Astro
Starlight - Astro's template for documentation
33:51 - Comparing Different Conference Experiences
38:55 - Building Momentum in the Developer Community
40:45 - Looking Ahead: The Future of Squiggle Conf
42:02 - Final Thoughts from the Organizers
43:43 - Picks and Plugs
Are the Types Wrong? — a package & CLI tool by Andrew Branch from the TypeScript team
The Harry Potter movie series
Cloudflare
One Switch - Mac Menu Bar App
RedwoodSDK

Vue developer Alex Riviere joins Amy to explore the fundamental differences between Vue and React, diving deep into Vue's unique approach to reactivity, templating, and developer experience. From the magic of V-Model eliminating controlled/uncontrolled input complexity to Vue's proxy-based reactivity system that "just works," Alex explains why Vue's mental model clicked for him coming from jQuery. The conversation covers Vue 3's Composition API and Script Setup syntax, the evolution from VueX to Pinia for state management, and exciting developments like Vue Vapor Mode that will eliminate the virtual DOM entirely. Alex also breaks down Evan You's recent $4.6M VoidZero funding to revolutionize JavaScript build tooling, the flexibility of Nuxt as a meta-framework, and why Vue remains approachable enough to sprinkle into any project without complex build steps.
 
Show Notes
00:00 - Intro
01:10 - How Alex Got Started with Vue
03:00 - Vue vs React Mental Models
08:00 - Vue's Approach to Forms and V-Model
10:20 - Vue Frameworks: Nuxt and the Ecosystem
17:00 - Vue 2 to Vue 3 Migration Challenges
19:00 - Nuxt as a Dev Dependency vs Runtime
22:30 - When Do You Need a Framework with Vue?
25:30 - Laravel Integration and Alpine.js Connection
27:40 - Vue's Reactivity System and Proxies
29:40 - State Management: VueX to Pinia Evolution
32:20 - SSR and Server Components in Vue
34:10 - Hosting and Deployment Options
35:40 - Evan You's VoidZero Funding and Vision
43:10 - Vue Vapor Mode: Eliminating Virtual DOM
47:40 - Getting Started with Vue Resources
48:40 - Picks and Plugs
 
Links and Resources
People Mentioned
Alex Riviere - @alexriviere
Evan You - Vue.js creator - @youyuxi
Ben Hong - Vue core team member - @bencodezen
Daniel Roe - Nuxt team - @danielcroe
Taylor Otwell - Laravel creator - @taylorotwell
Vue.js Resources
Vue.js Official Site - vuejs.org
Vue.js Documentation - vuejs.org/guide
Vue School - vueschool.io
Vue Mastery - vuemastery.com
Frameworks & Tools Mentioned
Nuxt - nuxt.com
Vite - vitejs.dev
Astro - astro.build
Pinia (Vue state management) - pinia.vuejs.org
VueX (legacy state management) - vuex.vuejs.org
Alpine.js - alpinejs.dev
Laravel - laravel.com
Livewire - livewire.laravel.com
Solid.js - solidjs.com
React - react.dev
Svelte - svelte.dev
Build Tools & Infrastructure
ESBuild - esbuild.github.io
Rollup - rollupjs.org
NitroPack - nitro.unjs.io
Webpack - webpack.js.org
VoidZero (Evan You's new company) - voidzero.dev
Hosting Platforms
Netlify - netlify.com
Vercel - vercel.com
Cloudflare - cloudflare.com
React Ecosystem (for comparison)
Next.js - nextjs.org
Remix - remix.run
RedwoodJS - redwoodjs.com
Gatsby - gatsbyjs.com
Podcasts & Content
Deja Vue Podcast - dejavue.fm (mentioned Evan You VoidZero interview)
Vue.js Conferences - VueConf events
Technical Concepts to Research
Vue Composition API - vuejs.org/guide/extras/composition-api-faq.html
Vue Script Setup - vuejs.org/api/sfc-script-setup.html
Vue Directives - vuejs.org/guide/essentials/template-syntax.html#directives
Vue Reactivity - vuejs.org/guide/extras/reactivity-in-depth.html
Vue Vapor Mode (experimental) - github.com/vuejs/core-vapor
JavaScript Proxies - MDN Proxy Documentation
Signals (reactive programming) - General concept in modern frameworks
Picks & Plugs
Dropout TV - Nobody Asked - dropout.tv
CodeMash Conference - codemash.org
Whoosh Screen Cleaner - https://amzn.to/4nBR5Ut
Additional Helpful Resources
Vue 2 to Vue 3 Migration Guide - v3-migration.vuejs.org
Vue vs React Comparison - vuejs.org/guide/extras/composition-api-faq.html#comparison-with-react-hooks
Islands Architecture - jasonformat.com/islands-architecture

In this hosts-only episode, Amy and Brad get real about the developer experience - from the stress of job interviews to the complexities of choosing the right framework. They discuss why companies are comparing candidates more than ever, share strategies for answering behavioral interview questions, and debate the merits of Remix versus Next.js (spoiler: Brad's all-in on Remix). The conversation shifts to feature flags and progressive rollouts, with insights from Brad's work at Stripe.
 
Sponsor
WorkOS helps you launch enterprise features like SSO and user management with ease. Thanks to the AuthKit SDK for JavaScript, your team can integrate in minutes and focus on what truly matters—building your app.
 
Chapter Marks
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Sponsor: WorkOS
01:47 - Brad's Keyboard and Mouse Shopping Spree
04:30 - Keyboard Layout Discussion
07:23 - Apple Ecosystem: Reminders and Notes
09:23 - Family Sharing and Raycast Integration
09:43 - Notion vs Apple Notes for Project Management
11:31 - File Storage and Backup Strategies
14:00 - Machine Backup Philosophy
16:46 - Job Interview Preparation Tips
19:40 - Answering the "Weakness" Question
21:53 - Addressing Weaknesses: Delegation Examples
24:29 - Conflict Resolution Interview Questions
25:46 - Company Research Before Interviews
27:00 - Tech Stack Considerations: Remix vs Next.js
28:30 - Framework Migration Decisions
29:30 - Astro for Content Sites
31:02 - Backend Languages: Go vs TypeScript
32:30 - React Server Components Future
34:23 - Feature Flags and Boolean as a Service
35:30 - Feature Flag Segmentation and A/B Testing
36:54 - PostHog and Analytics Tools
38:30 - Progressive Rollouts and Error Monitoring
40:20 - Amy's Picks and Plugs
43:35 - Brad's Picks and Plugs

Josh Cirre joins us to discuss his transition from the JavaScript ecosystem to Laravel, revealing why PHP frameworks can offer a compelling alternative for full-stack development. We explore the "identity crisis" many frontend developers face when needing robust backend solutions, how Laravel's batteries-included approach compares to piecing together JavaScript services, and the trade-offs between serverless and traditional hosting environments. Josh also shares insights on Laravel's developer experience, front-end integration options, and his thoughts on what JavaScript frameworks could learn from Laravel's approach to abstraction and infrastructure.
Show Notes
0:00 - Intro
1:02 - Sponsor: Wix Studio
1:46 - Introduction to Laravel
2:25 - Josh's Journey from Frontend to Backend
5:40 - Building the Same Project Across Frameworks
6:32 - Josh's Breakthrough with Laravel
8:20 - Laravel's Frontend Options
10:25 - React Server Components Comparison
12:00 - Livewire and Volt
13:41 - Josh's Course on Laracasts
14:08 - Laravel's DX and Ecosystem
16:46 - MVC Structure Explained for JavaScript Developers
18:25 - Type Safety Between PHP and JavaScript
21:12 - Laravel Pain Points and Criticisms
22:40 - Laravel Team's Response to Feedback
24:50 - Laravel's Limitations and Use Cases
26:10 - Laravel's Developer Products
27:20 - Option Paralysis in Laravel
30:46 - Laravel's Driver System
33:14 - Web Dev Challenge Experience
33:38 - TanStack Start Exploration
34:50 - Server Functions in TanStack
37:38 - Infrastructure Agnostic Development
41:02 - Serverless vs. Serverful Cost Comparison
44:50 - JavaScript Framework Evolution
46:46 - Framework Ecosystems Comparison
48:25 - Picks and Plugs
 
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Laravel - PHP framework
TanStack Start - React meta-framework Josh created a YouTube video about
Livewire - Laravel's HTML-over-the-wire front-end framework
Inertia.js - Framework for creating single-page apps
Volt - Single file component system for Livewire
Laravel Cloud - Managed hosting solution for Laravel applications
Herd - Laravel's tool for setting up PHP development environments
Forge - Laravel's server management tool
Envoyer - Laravel's zero-downtime deployment tool
Laracasts - Where Josh has a course on Livewire
Josh Cirre's YouTube channel
HTMX - Frontend library Josh compared to Livewire
Web Dev Challenge with Jason Lengstorf (featuring Josh and Amy)
Josh Cirre's BlueSky account (@joshcirre)
Amy's BlueSky account
Brad's BlueSky account
 
Additional Resources
Laravel Documentation
Svelte's new starter kit (mentioned as a good example)
Nightwatch - Latest product from Laravel
Laravel Vapor - Serverless deployment platform for Laravel
Theo's Laravel exploration (discussed in the criticism section)
Laravel Breeze
Laravel Jetstream
Laravel Fortify (authentication package mentioned)
Adonis.js (JavaScript framework compared to Laravel)
Anker USB powered hub (Josh's pick)
Grether's Sugar Free Black Currant Pastilles (Josh's pick)
JBL Portable Speaker (Amy's pick)

In this episode, Amy and Brad dive into the ongoing debate between Laravel and full stack JavaScript frameworks. They explore both ecosystems from their unique perspectives. Amy shares her real-world experience building a project in Laravel after working extensively with JavaScript frameworks, highlighting where each approach shines and struggles. From Laravel's backend prowess to the cognitive load of context switching between languages, this episode offers practical insights for developers weighing these technology choices.
Show Notes
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Sponsorship: Sanity
01:59 - Origins of the Laravel vs JavaScript Discussion
03:59 - Amy's Experience Building a Project in Laravel
06:59 - PHP Development and Linting Experience
11:59 - Understanding MVC Architecture
15:00 - Challenges with JavaScript Backend Services
18:00 - Backend Strengths of Laravel
20:00 - Frontend Challenges in Laravel
23:00 - Comparing Laravel and JavaScript Ecosystem Solutions
26:59 - JavaScript Full Stack Frameworks Discussion
30:00 - Architectural Differences Between Frameworks
33:00 - Framework Choice Considerations
38:59 - Picks and Plugs: Newsletter and Cameras
42:00 - Picks and Plugs: Games and YouTube
 
Links and Resources
Sanity.io (sponsor)
Laravel
Sam's podcast: Frontend First
RedwoodJS
Remix
Next.js
Astro
Supabase
Inngest
Resend (email service)
Postmark (email service)
OpenAI
Prisma
PHP Storm
Laravel Blade (templating language)
Laravel Livewire
Alpine.js
Laravel Breeze
Laravel Eloquent ORM
Adonis/AdonisJS
Episode 54: Why RedwoodJS is the App Framework for Startups, with David Price
Vite
Storybook
Amy's newsletter: Broken Comb
Insta360 X2 camera
Insta360 Go 3 camera
Stardew Valley (game)
Brad's YouTube channel
Cloudinary channel and Dev Hints series