Big App Energy

In this episode of Big App Energy, hosts Ben and Jacob share essential tips for tech startups on creating future-ready websites that stand the test of time. They dive into the importance of scalable architecture, adaptability to emerging technologies, and data-driven optimization. Ben and Jacob explore long-term SEO strategies, security considerations, and integration capabilities that set busines...

In this episode of Big App Energy, hosts Ben and Jacob share essential tips for tech startups on the crucial decision between hiring a professional website developer and DIY approaches: Explore pros and cons of DIY website building tools vs. professional development Uncover hidden "gotchas" in self-built websites: performance, security, and scalability issues Learn what to watch for when...

In this episode of Big App Energy, hosts Ben and Jacob share essential tips for tech startups leveraging site analytics and data-driven decision-making. They explain why analytics matter for websites and online businesses, emphasizing their role in understanding user behavior and measuring marketing effectiveness. Discover key metrics and insights, including traffic data, audience demographics, an...

In this episode of Big App Energy, hosts Ben and Jacob share tips for tech startups by diving into SEO, site performance, and conversions. They start by defining SEO and explaining its importance for visibility and traffic. Discover best practices for on-page and off-page optimization, including keyword research, internal linking, and content creation. Learn how to measure and monitor SEO performa...

In this episode of Big App Energy, hosts Ben and Jacob share valuable tips for tech startups by discussing Hired Gun Apps' go-to stack, PETL, and why they use it. They explore the history of the BEAM VM and Erlang, showcasing how Elixir builds upon this foundation to provide a developer-friendly language with powerful concurrency features. Discover the benefits of using Phoenix LiveView for re...

In this episode of Big App Energy, hosts Ben and Jacob share valuable tips for tech startups by diving into the history of web development. From the early days of static HTML to the rise of frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, they discuss the lessons learned over the decades. Discover the advantages and limitations of site builders, the benefits of server-side rendering (SSR), and why Phoe...

In this episode of Big App Energy, Ben and Jacob share essential tips for tech startups navigating the competitive hiring landscape. Learn how to move beyond traditional whiteboarding and coding challenges, focusing instead on candidates' practical experience, problem-solving skills, and communication abilities. Discover the value of prioritizing portfolios and open-source contributions over c...

In this episode of Big App Energy, we share essential tips for tech startups looking to implement Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) in their software development process. Join Ben Kimble and Jacob Luetzow as they break down the concepts, benefits, and best practices of CI/CD for your tech startup. Discover how to streamline your development workflow, catch bugs early, and de...

In this episode of Big App Energy, we share essential tips for tech startups on mastering APIs and unlocking their potential for business growth and innovation. Join your hosts, Ben and Jacob, as they decode the concept of APIs, explaining how these crucial tools allow different software systems to communicate and exchange data. Discover the benefits of using APIs in your software development proc...

In this episode of Big App Energy, we share essential tips for tech startups looking to embrace remote work in software development. Join Ben Kimble and Jacob Luetzow as they explore the benefits, challenges, and best practices of managing remote teams. Discover how to overcome communication barriers, maintain team cohesion, and avoid micro-management pitfalls. Learn from real-world case studies a...

In this Big App Energy episode, Ben and Jacob serve up essential tips for startups navigating the complex terrain of backend architecture. They zero in on the critical decision between microservices and monolithic structures, painting a vivid picture of the backend as either a single, overstuffed toy box (monolithic) or numerous, neatly categorized boxes (microservices). With a straightforward exp...

In this Big App Energy episode, hosts Ben and Jacob offer crucial tips for tech startups on making apps accessible to all. They dive into app accessibility, comparing it to ensuring every toy in a box is reachable by every child, highlighting its significance for users with diverse needs. They tackle legal and ethical considerations and underscore the benefits of accessibility in broadening audien...

In this Big App Energy episode, get essential tips for tech startups on navigating the fast-paced tech world. Ben and Jacob highlight the importance of staying informed on trends and best practices for success and innovation. They share insights from their journey, recommend reliable tech news sources like TechCrunch, Hacker News, and Reddit, and evaluate their credibility. The discussion extends...

In this episode, Ben and Jacob share tips for tech startups on deploying app updates effectively. They dive into the crucial aspects of app updates, from compliance and security enhancements to bug fixes and new features. The discussion covers the update process stages: planning, development, testing, deployment, and monitoring, ensuring listeners grasp each phase. The importance of version contro...

Ben and Jacob offer tips for tech startups on mastering debugging, a must-have developer skill. They break down debugging intricacies, from grasping code behavior to fixing elusive bugs. This episode delves into strategies for cultivating a debugger's mindset, including automated testing, pair debugging, and leveraging tools like integrated debuggers and version control systems. The discussion...

Join Ben and Jacob on "DevOps Streamlining: Mastering Process Optimization" as they demystify the essential role of DevOps in successful app development. From unpacking DevOps fundamentals to exploring advanced tools and practices, this podcast is your concise guide to enhancing app performance and team collaboration. We dissect key DevOps aspects like CI/CD, automated testing, and popul...

In this episode of "Big App Energy," hosts Ben and Jacob explore the crucial concept of clean code in software development. They delve into what clean code means, discussing its importance for readability, maintainability, and ease of collaboration. The episode also touches on fundamental principles like meaningful naming, simplicity, and avoiding common pitfalls like over-engineering an...

Picking up from where they left off, Ben and Jacob continue their discussion on open source, this time focusing on the benefits and drawbacks of creating or using open-source projects. They touch on how open source fosters innovation, collaboration, and education while also presenting challenges in maintenance, security, and potential licensing issues. Ben shares a passionate perspective on licens...

In this episode, Ben and Jacob unravel the often-overlooked realm of open-source licensing and contributions. They kick things off by illuminating what open source is, contrasting it briefly with proprietary software. Diving deeper, they dissect open-source licensing, shedding light on common licenses like MIT, GPL, and Apache and why choosing the right license is crucial for both creators and con...

Join hosts Ben and Jacob on Big App Energy, where today's episode unfolds the realm of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). We lay it out, from the basics and history to the pros, cons, and unique challenges. We'll share why PWAs were our first choice for PerfectForm and discuss our hands-on encounters with cross-browser compatibility and other quirky hurdles. Whether you're weighing the PWA r...

In this Big App Energy episode, hosts Ben and Jacob discuss design patterns and why they're a big deal in software development. Whether you're an entrepreneur without a tech background, a newbie developer, or a seasoned pro, this episode has something for you. Learn how these reusable solutions can make coding projects more efficient and easier to update and discuss. From the Singleton to...

Join hosts Ben and Jacob on this episode of Big App Energy as they unravel the intricacies of app scalability. Uncover the significance of early planning, delve into strategies like horizontal and vertical scaling, and learn from real-world case studies. This episode is packed with insights on scalability testing, database techniques, and the power of monitoring and analytics. Whether you're s...

Join hosts Ben and Jacob on this eye-opening episode of Big App Energy, where we delve deep into Imposter Syndrome in the tech world. From understanding what it is and why it's so prevalent in the high-stakes tech environment to exploring its impact on mental health and talent retention, we've got you covered. Don't miss our actionable strategies for overcoming this career-stifling phe...

In this episode of "Big App Energy," Ben and Jacob dive into the crucial topic of mobile app monetization. As you'll hear, monetization shouldn't be an afterthought—it should be part of your strategy from day one. We discuss the diverse strategies available for making your app profitable and how to choose the one that's right for your target audience and value proposition. Le...

Join hosts Ben Kimble and Jacob Luetzow as they explore databases in modern app development in this episode of Big App Energy. They start with the basics, defining a database and how it plays a critical role in app functionality and performance. Then, they take a comprehensive tour of various databases, including Relational, NoSQL, In-Memory, and Cloud-Based databases, explaining their characteris...