Full Stack Developers Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski dive deep into web development topics, explaining how they work and talking about their own experiences. They cover from JavaScript frameworks like React, to the latest advancements in CSS to simplifying web tooling.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Scott and Wes break down SvelteKit’s new remote functions and why they finally solve the long-standing pain of page-level data in Svelte. They cover queries, forms, batching, caching, and all the clever RPC ergonomics that make Svelte’s approach feel surprisingly powerful and refreshingly simple. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:45 Lots of RPC library options. 01:22 Svelte’s Page-Level Data Always Felt Off 02:12 Progress on the new Syntax site. 03:47 Remote functions explained. Svelte Remo...
Wes and Scott interview Tanner Linsley at GitHub Universe about the latest from TanStack. They dive into TanStack DB, a local-first sync engine, exploring its schema-based queries, incremental adoption, and transformative speed. Tanner also shares his perspective on Next.js 16's useWorkflow directive, arguing for type-safe wrappers over "magic" compiler directives, and teases TanStack's unique approach to React Server Components. The episode concludes with a look at the challenges of leading a rapidly growing open-source ecosystem and hints at an upcoming foundational TanStack project.
Jared Palmer, formerly of Vercel and creator of v0, shares insights from GitHub Universe 2025, focusing on enhancing developer workflows with AI agents and ensuring continuity across tools like VS Code and GitHub. He emphasizes the strategic decision to offer developers model choice and GitHub's commitment to evolving the platform through community feedback. The discussion also covers practical AI applications, like automating Next.js upgrades, and advanced prompting techniques for optimal results.
Wes, Scott, and CJ report live from GitHub Universe 2025, discussing major announcements around new AI and developer tools. They dive into GitHub Agents, Copilot integrations, and the new Mission Control for agents, alongside a fun segment on hacking conference badges. The hosts share varied reactions, from skepticism about AI's practical implementation to appreciation for GitHub's continuous innovation in developer workflows.
Scott and Wes dive into Remix 3, exploring how it embraces native web standards like Events, Signals, and Streams to become a truly full-stack framework. They unpack what “LLM-ready,” thin APIs, and a standards-based approach mean for the future of web development. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:21 Uses the platform - native Events, Signals, Streams, Fetch 04:16 Remix 3, Fully Fullstack. 04:57 LLM‑ready + thin APIs 05:53 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 06:18 My previous predictions. 07:44 ...
In part 2 of this year’s Spooky Stories special, Wes and Scott discuss the most chilling developer horror stories—from six-month-old unprocessed donations and runaway dog-food orders to vanishing databases, DNS disasters, code that literally tore apart a mall’s ventilation system, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:33 A Bug Beyond the Grave 04:16 NHL SPOOKS 06:36 White Space Ghost Faced 10:54 Over Order Nightmare 16:50 Alaskian 21:16 Brought to you by Sentry.io 22:50 Rackspace’d Ou...
Wes and Scott, in Halloween costumes, host their annual spooky web development stories episode, joined by a special guest for a "Browser Hack: Real or Fake" trivia game. They recount chilling tales of developers accidentally deleting production databases, a simple semicolon bringing down websites, losing access to a popular NPM package, disastrous SQL patches, and a major payment system failure caused by hardcoding and a "don't drink and deploy" moment, alongside an accidental universal product discount.
Wes and Scott talk about what makes Zed—the hot new editor built in Rust—fast, beautiful, and finally ready for primetime. From Git UI to extensions and AI tools, they break down what Zed gets right, what it still lacks, and whether it’s time to finally ditch VS Code. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! Syntax San Francisco Meetup We need your Spooky Stories 02:37 Brought to you by Sentry.io 04:07 What is Zed ? 06:46 Zed UI: fast and clean 10:17 General editor experience 11:44 Extensions marketp...
Scott and Wes break down the top-tier MCP servers developers are using right now. From browser automation to debugging superpowers, they explore how these servers are changing what’s possible in modern dev workflows. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:52 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 02:46 Submit your Spooky Stories ! 03:37 Syntax San Francisco Meetup . 04:11 S-Tier MCP Servers. 04:17 Sentry MCP Server (not sponsored). 05:01 Pause, what the heck is an MCP server. 05:45 Back to the Sentry MCP...
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about why devs neglect their own websites, hosting shady projects (hypothetically), AI rules in version control, balancing side projects and family life, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:43 Why devs neglect their own websites (and how to convince your parents coding is a real job) 07:04 AirPods , Nothing Ear , and the ANC struggle 10:22 Shipping Syntax merch from Canada 12:43 Scott’s update on Omarchy and Linu...
Scott and Wes dive into Chrome’s new MCP server; a dev tools API powered by Puppeteer that gives your scripts, editors, and AI agents full access to Chrome. They break down how it works, what it can (and can’t) do, and how it might change debugging and automation for developers Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:15 Syntax San Francisco Meetup. 01:55 We need your Spooky Stories! 02:42 What is an MCP Server? 04:28 MCP servers are not only for code editors. 06:43 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 0...
Wes and Scott talk with Kyle Cesmat about how Coinbase is writing nearly half its code with AI—while keeping quality and security front and center. They dig into tools like Cursor and Claude Code, agent-driven workflows, code review challenges, and how AI is reshaping developer productivity without replacing developers. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:29 Defining and measuring “quality” at a large company 05:05 How AI-generated code is reviewed and shipped at Coinbase 07:35 A developer’s ...
Scott and Wes sit down with Ricky Hanlon from the React core team at Facebook to dive into the latest features and APIs shaping modern React development. From transitions and Suspense to fetching strategies and future directions, this episode breaks down what’s next for React and how developers can take advantage of it. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:20 Who is Ricky Hanlon. 02:10 Setting the Stage: Modern React APIs 02:48 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:12 Defining Transitions in React ...
Wes and Scott talk with Dr. Courtney Tolinski about supporting neurodivergent teammates, navigating workplace dynamics, and recognizing strengths beyond labels. They explore ADHD diagnosis and treatment, productivity mindsets, burnout, AI in mental health, and practical routines for focus and balance. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:09 Meet Dr. Courtney Tolinski 01:46 Supporting neurodivergent team members 12:26 Should I disclose my ADHD diagnosis at work? 17:21 Characteristics of autism ...
Scott heads to Microsoft’s campus for the VS Code Insider Summit to sit down with Dr. Sarah Bird and explore what “Responsible AI” really means for developers. From protecting user privacy to keeping humans in the loop, they dig into how everyday coders can play a role in shaping AI’s future. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:27 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 03:13 The path the machine learning. 04:44 How do you get to ‘Responsible AI’? 06:43 Is there such a thing as ‘Responsible AI’? 07:34 ...
In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about modern full-stack stacks, Node.js backend options, managing database indexes, developer burnout, handling toxic bosses, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:36 What’s your go-to Node.js backend in 2025? Polka 06:18 Do you proactively manage database indexes—or fix them only when they become a problem? 09:40 Brought to you by Sentry.io 12:14 After planning a new project, what’s your real-world dev workflow? 931: Projec...
Scott and Wes sit down with Evan You, creator of Vue, Vite, and VoidZero, to dig into the future of frontend tooling. From the speed of Rolldown to why he chose Rust, they explore the evolution of developer experience, bundlers, and what’s next for the web. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:31 Who is Evan You? Vue.js . Vite . Void0 01:19 Making the shift from UI to Toolchains. 02:37 How aesthetics contributed to the success of Vue and Vite. 05:26 Adding Rollup plugins to the Dev Server. 07:...
Wes and Scott dive into some hot takes and classic debates—tabs vs spaces, camel vs snake case, export styles, barrel files, variable naming, and more. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:26 CSS variables: descriptive vs. semantic 03:38 snake_case vs. camelCase 04:54 Default exports vs. named exports 06:23 Barrel files vs. direct imports 09:15 Function declaration vs. function expression 11:00 Inferred types vs. explicit types 13:40 Brought to you by Sentry.io 14:40 Long and explicit variable...
Scott takes Wes on a tour of Omarchy, DHH’s polished Arch + Hyprland Linux setup that promises speed, beauty, and endless keyboard shortcuts. From first impressions to daily workflows, Scott debates whether it’s good enough to pull him out of the Apple ecosystem for good. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 02:55 What is Omarchy ? 02:57 Arch-based distribution. 03:42 Hyprland window management. 05:08 Wayland Display Server Protocol. 06:27 Installation Defaults...
Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:03 Wes’ Hackweek project: a web-controlled LED grid 03:52 The hardware: LED panels, soldering, and power WS2812 LED panels 06:38 ESP32 microcontroller and WLED firmware ex...
CJ takes us behind the scenes of Hackweek to share how he built a custom Sega Genesis game from scratch, complete with assembly code, level loading, and retro hardware tricks. From SGDK to parallax faking, this episode is a deep dive into old-school game dev with a modern twist. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:44 Why a Sega game? Sega Genesis . Sega Master System . MKBHD Retro Tech: Sega . 06:55 What is it running on? 07:49 Working with assembly code. 10:11 Sega Genesis Development Kit . ...
Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into SynHax, Scott’s Hackweek project for code battles. They discuss live coding duels, referee controls, and the surprisingly simple tech stack that delivers instant updates and audience engagement. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:50 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:30 What is SynHax? This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS Challenge) 04:21 The Stack SvelteKit Postgres Drizzle Zero Sync Better Auth Syntax 931: How to make good choices when starting a coding project 07:39 ...
Wes, Scott, and CJ share an overview of their annual Hack Week projects, emphasizing the motivation and learning that comes from working on passion projects without typical job constraints. They introduce CJ's custom Sega Genesis game, Wes's web-controlled LED art grid, and Scott's real-time competitive UI coding platform, discussing the technical challenges, creative solutions, and impact of AI on their development process. The hosts also advocate for the significant value hack weeks bring to companies.
Wes and Scott talk about the dangers of vibe coding when it comes to authentication and access control. They share real-world examples of security fails, discuss how to avoid client-side-only checks, and offer practical tips for protecting sensitive user data in your apps. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! We build the world’s most painful CAPTCHAs (Kitboga scammers) 02:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:33 Wes’ vibe coding experience Wes’ app 04:38 The Tea app disaster Tea app 07:45 Don’t vibe...
Scott and Wes dive into the fundamentals of project initialization and planning, from outlining ideas and choosing the right tools to making smart technology decisions. They also chat about leveraging AI and collaboration to shape better projects before rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:12 Brought to you by Sentry.io . 04:03 Make a plan. 04:06 Start with an outline and let it evolve. 05:59 Mind-Mapping software vs plain text. 08:49 Utilizing LLMs...
In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott delve into practical developer queries, from smoothly transitioning between text editors like VS Code and Cursor, to strategizing how and when to discuss job title discrepancies. They critically examine the balance between using AI tools and mastering core concepts like database logic, and explore the long-term impact of AI on the relevance of new web frameworks. Additionally, they offer insights into organizing multiple mini-applications within a larger project and discuss the emerging role of WebAssembly as an alternative to Docker.
Wes and Scott delve into a range of listener queries, discussing the challenges of customer support in local-first applications and the implications of building products largely with AI assistance, particularly for developer portfolios. They also share personal experiences and advice on managing digital hygiene for children, alongside a debate on Cloudflare's default AI crawler blocking. The episode concludes with a segment on API protection and the potential return of portfolio critiques.
This episode of Syntax delves into the 2025 State of Devs survey results, providing a comprehensive look at the current developer landscape. Wes and Scott discuss key findings on salary trends, the impact of job titles and experience, and the widespread adoption of remote work and its effect on job satisfaction. They also cover developer preferences in operating systems, programming languages, and productivity tools, alongside insights into health issues, hobbies, and social media habits, painting a full picture of the modern developer.
This episode of Syntax explores a plethora of recent web development advancements. Scott and Wes discuss Amazon's AI-powered VS Code fork Kiro, Node.js's native TypeScript support, and Vite's rise over Webpack with the new Rust-based Rolldown. They also cover significant Svelte updates including asynchronous and remote features, alongside fresh browser experiments like Perplexity Comet and the open-source Copyparty file server, offering insights into the evolving landscape of web development tools.
Scott and CJ explore the enduring relevance of RSS, arguing it's underutilized rather than obsolete for a curated web experience. They discuss practical aspects like self-hosting RSS reader servers (Miniflux, FreshRSS) to sync content across devices and strip articles of ads and distractions. The episode also covers various RSS clients, future enhancements like AI summaries, and unique methods for discovering quality feeds from news sites, subreddits, and even social media profiles, highlighting its power to deliver content directly from the source.
