Runtime Rundown - JavaScript and Web Development

In this episode we cover two articles for the price of one in our attempt to answer the question - does software quality even matter? First up, "Are bugs and slow delivery ok?" . This may be a thinly veiled advertisement for a consultant but it does pose some soul-search-worth questions. We reflect on them through a response article full of rage and resignation - "Responding to “Are...

In this episode, we cover " Thoughts from “Meet Safari for Spatial Computing ” by Jim Nielsen . If you haven't seen Apple Vision Pro yet, it's the future of dystopian wearables. The big question is how does this 3D AR/VR website view and interact with the 2D internet? For the answer to that question you'll have to listen to the episode. Here's a teaser - to enable the future w...

TOTALLY not a clickbait title to drum up listeners.... In this episode, we dive deep into "Imaginary Problems Are the Root of Bad Software" . It starts off small - why is there such a difference between acceptance criteria and deliverables? Why is it we tend to solve X when we're asked to build Y? It goes bigger and bigger from there and eventually asks the question, do any of our jo...

In this episode we cover "Hands on with the Node.js test runner" By Phil Nash. Joe and Evan take a hard look at the now stable release of the Node.js native test runner. We talk about what it can do, what it can't do, and how it stacks up against the biggest player in the space...Jest. Evan is learning wayyy too much about making espresso, and Joe is finally back on track and learnin...

In this episode, we cover " The Cognitive Load Developer's Handbook " by Artem Zakirullin ( and contributors ). This is a practical episode on making your code as easy to read and follow as possible. We give tips for reducing complexity and being kind to the next developer to work where you left off. Joe once again weasels out of learning (this is the last one or he's fired), Eva...

In this episode, we cover " The JavaScript Ecosystem Is Delightfully Weird " by Sam Ruby on Fly.io blog . This article and episode are a loose continuation of last week's episode " Did The Web Go Too Far " where we yelled at the internet for going too far with Javascript and how there is an endless stream of new things to keep up with. This time we look back at the same pro...

In this episode, we cover "The Web I Want" by Chris James . This article is an excoriating take on what's wrong with the modern web. Spoiler alert: it's too much Javascript (according to Chris). As a couple of certified old guys™ and current JS devs, Joe and I are uniquely qualified to talk about where we are in the evolution of the web and where, if at all, we all went wrong. Ge...

In this episode, we cover " Ups and Downs of A Side Project " by Jereme Greze . We cover some of the things you should and shouldn't do when starting and sustaining a long-term side project. Should you build something super specific, or cover a wide use-case? Should you build "quick-and-dirty", or start with scalability in mind? Check out the episode for a full breakdown. E...

We're switching it up again - this time with a grab bag where we cover a trio of topics. We start with a listener request and get deep into our feelings on SCSS in 2023. Spoiler alert, it's serious. Then we move on to "Just Simply" and cover all the words you shouldn't use in your technical communication. Finally, we round it out with "Writing Tips for Improving Your Pul...

In this episode we cover "How to Lead a Project - as a Software Engineer" by Gergely Orosz . This is a practical, step-by-step guide on crushing the soft-skills portion of a project. We cover how to set a good foundation of communication, how to effectively manage risk, best practices for updates, and a whole lot more. No matter what level you are in your career, following this guide for...

Welcome to season 2 of Runtime Rundown! Read to the end for info on some of our season 2 changes. We're trying a new format this week with no article, fireside chat style. Joe and Evan discuss some things to think about when making big technical decisions - how to know when to make a change, how to plan out and execute the project, and how to prevent against getting it really wrong. Joe is lea...

In this episode, we cover "The End of Front-End Development" by Josh Comeau ... and that's the end of the podcast because Front-End development is over folks! Just kidding (we hope). We take a hard look at what AI can and can't do right now, we prognosticate about what it might be able to do in the future, and we predict what we think will happen to junior, mid, and senior level...

In this episode, we talk about " ⁠Deploys Are the ✨WRONG✨ Way to Change User Experience " by ⁠Charity Majors⁠ (one of the best bloggers out there, check out more ⁠here⁠ ). Do you need to make a deploy to show a new user experience? Do you not use feature toggles? Do you hate pedantic questions for the sake of making a point? If you answered yes to any of these, listen to this lightning...

In this (two days late) episode, we welcome special guest Sully Martinez to talk about “ The Dos and Don’ts of Coding Bootcamps” by…Sully Martinez. We discuss the bootcamp Sully attended to get her start, Resilient Coders , and we cover general tips for succeeding at any software bootcamp. If you are thinking about going to a bootcamp or if you have preconceived notions of what a bootcamp graduate...

Programming is terrible, At least according to the author of this week's article: "Repeat yourself, do more than one thing, and rewrite everything," on the Programming is Terrible blog. We talk about our experience with some of the pros and cons of some of these, and then delve into Dyson Spheres, oyster wool, and how Adele disrupted the vinyl industry. In the show we mention: Lesson...

In this QUICK episode, we cover "The Great Gaslighting of the JavaScript Era" by Jared White . This article is a series of spicy takes on how Javascript frameworks took over the world of web development, and how it didn't happen by accident. If you're even remotely interested in the state of JS on the web, this one is worth a listen. We attempt to present a modest viewpoint on the proliferati...

In today's episode, we cover "Willingness to Look Stupid" by Dan Luu . We talk about how being comfortable "looking stupid" can help you improve faster, and cover a few examples and tips on how to apply this in your day-to-day. Evan tries a new intro, we fumble every segment transition, Joe has some excellent good news, and Evan read a bunch of books recently. Book links: 1. The Advice Trap 2. The...

This week we read Please Developers, Don't be D**ks and talk about being nice to your coworkers. Evan is becoming a certifiable a11y ally and Joe is saving the world with coffee. Music by Hina and Kevin MacLeod

In this speedy episode we cover "How to Misuse & Abuse DORA Metrics" by Abi Noda, with a little flavor added by "How DORA Metrics Can Measure and Improve Performance" .  We talk about how DORA metrics can help and hurt you, the trap of "vanity metrics", and why metrics should be tied to tangible goals to really matter.  Joe gives two shoutouts to friends of the show, Evan's dogs inte...

Code review! We've all done it, but we don't all do it the same. This week we talk about how Netlify does it, from their article Feedback Ladders: How We Encode Code Reviews at Netlify . Everything from Mountains to Boulders to Pebbles to Dust, we cover it all! We also have a new segment with a very special guest! Along the way, we mention GameShell: https://github.com/phyver/GameShell Music by Hi...

In this episode, we cover "Why is My Jest Test Suite So Slow" by Steven Lemon and completely nerd out on it. This one is chock-full of practical tips for improving your Jest suite time as well as your general understanding of how Jest works "under the hood".  Evan does a "Cookie Corner" and hyper-speaks through a bunch of reasons why you shouldn't use client side cookies. Joe talks about...

This week we read Things They Didn't Teach You About Software Engineering by Vadim Kravcenko. Along the way we mention the #NoEstimates movement and this talk by Allen Holoub . Joe talks about games that make him sick, Evan talks about GraphQL, and Good Gripes goes WAY off the rails. Books we mention this episode: • Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke • System Design Interview: An Insider's Guide by Al...

In this episode, we cover "Cultivating depth and stillness in research" by Andy Matuschak. We go over tons of actionable strategies and tips to optimize your brain for longer periods of focus. The article is chock full of graphs and data, so make sure to check it out. Along the way, Joe and I realize we suck at deep work (for now), we make New Year's Resolutions (even though we just claimed we don...

The time has come for a feature length episode on Typescript with guest star Scott Kaye ! In this magnum opus,  Scott, a Typescript Wizard, details some of the stronger points of Typescript through the lens of two conflicting articles - "Typescript is Terrible for Library Developers" and "Stop Using 'any', There's a Type for That" . Evan yells at clouds nearly the entire time.  To be ser...

In this episode, we talk about " Writing docs well: why should a software engineer care " by Lorin Hochstein . We cover the importance of technical writing, how to structure your docs for maximum impact, and some of the secondary benefits of writing things down. No matter where you are in your career in software, there's something in here to help you improve how you put your ideas on paper. ...