Modern Web

On this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel, Danny Thompson, and Adam Rackis are joined by Tejas Kumar, host of The Contagious Code podcast, author of Fluent React, and Developer Relations Engineer for Generative AI at DataStax. They unpack the current wave of AI announcements from Google I/O and Microsoft Build, and zoom in on the significance of MCP (Model Context Protocol) as a foundational shift in how AI-powered apps will be built and used.Tejas breaks down what MCP is, why it's catching on across the industry, and how it could become the HTTP of AI apps. The group explores real-world examples, like AI apps managing your inbox or booking flights without ever opening a browser, and discuss how MCP servers enable secure, agent-driven experiences that can act on your behalf. They also touch on hallucinations, the role of fine-tuning vs. tool integration, and the future of checkout flows powered by AI agents.Keypoints from this Episode:- MCP enables structured communication between AI apps

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel, Danny Thompson, and Adam Rackis sit down with Ahmad Awais, CEO and founder of LangBase, to talk about agents, context, and the future of AI-assisted software development. Ahmad shares the origin story of Chai.new, an agent that builds agents, and why he believes context, not code, is the true value layer in the AI era. The group unpacks how "vibe coding" is reshaping who can build software, why Chai isn’t just another AI assistant, and how agents might evolve into personalized, production-grade tools for everyone, technical or not. Plus: Tailwind analogies, Stanford lectures, sports nutrition agents, and a CLI that went viral in a hospital.Key points from this episode:- Ahmad Awais explains that AI agents aren't magic; they're just a new paradigm for writing software. What makes them powerful is their ability to act autonomously with relevant context, not just generate text.- Chai.new helps developers (and non-developers) create purpose-bu

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Danny Thompson sits down with Reed Harmeyer, CTO of Skylight Social, and Brandon Mathis, React Native engineer at This Dot Labs. They unpack the technical and strategic decisions behind Skylight’s meteoric growth: why they built on the AT Protocol, how they tackled video discovery and scaling challenges, and how a fast-tracked in-app video editor gave them an edge.Keypoints from this episode:Skylight Social was built on the AT Protocol, allowing users to retain followers across platforms like Blue Sky and enabling creators to publish interoperable content in a decentralized social network.The team used React Native with Expo to achieve rapid development and cross-platform performance—launching a high-quality, TikTok-like video experience in just days.An in-app video editor was prioritized to reduce friction for creators, built using a native SDK wrapped with Expo Modules, enabling features like clip rearranging, overlays, voiceovers, and AI-generated captions.User be

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson sit down with Julián Duque, Principal Developer Advocate at Heroku, to talk about Heroku’s evolution into an AI Platform-as-a-Service. Julián breaks down Heroku’s new Managed Inference and Agents (MIA) platform, how they’re supporting Claude, Cohere, and Stable Diffusion, and what makes their developer experience stand out.They also get into Model Context Protocols (MCPs)—what they are, why they matter, and how they’re quickly becoming the USB-C for AI. From internal tooling to agentic infrastructure and secure AI deployments, this episode explores how MCPs, trusted environments, and better AI dev tools are reshaping how we build modern software.Key Points from this episode:- Heroku is evolving into an AI Platform-as-a-Service with its new MIA (Managed Inference and Agents) platform, supporting models like Claude, Cohere, and Stable Diffusion while maintaining a strong developer experience.- MCPs (Model Context Protocols) are becoming a ke

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson talk with Hannes Rudolph, Community Manager at RooCode, to explore how this fast-moving, community-driven code editor is rethinking what AI-assisted development looks like. Hannes breaks down Roo’s agentic coding model, explains how their “boomerang tasks” tackle LLM context limits, and shares lessons from working with contributors across experience levels.Keypoints from this episode:- RooCode's "boomerang" architecture breaks complex coding tasks into structured, recursive subtasks, helping AI agents stay focused while avoiding context bloat and hallucination chains.- Developers can build their own orchestrator and agent modes in Roo, tailoring persona and instructions to fit specific workflows—crucial for long-term productivity.- Unlike many tools, RooCode shows developers exactly how much each LLM call costs in real time, empowering teams to manage both quality and budget.- RooCode is deeply community-driven, with user-submitted PRs fre

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel is joined by Danny Thompson, Adam Rackis, and special guest Coston Perkins for a lively discussion on the evolving role of AI in software development. The group swaps thoughts on everything from the rise of AI agents like RooCode and Claude, to what makes tools like Vercel’s v0 surprisingly powerful for frontend work. They debate Tailwind’s dominance as the styling output of choice for AI tools, unpack the implications of Shopify’s AI-mandate memo, and tackle the big question: will AI reshape team structures or just amplify developer productivity?Keypoints from this episode:- AI agents in everyday development – The hosts discuss how tools like RooCode, Claude, and Cursor are reshaping daily coding workflows, enabling everything from automated documentation to feature planning and refactoring.- Vercel's v0 is changing perceptions – Originally seen as a landing page generator, v0 is now appreciated for its live, code-focused interface, showing promise for

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Danny Thompson and co-host Adam Rackis chat with James Perkins, CEO of Unkey, an open-source API management platform built for scale, security, and developer simplicity. James shares the challenges of building globally distributed infrastructure, and why his team ditched serverless and TypeScript in favor of Go and servers.They talk candidly about the realities of API management at scale, how Unkey balances open source transparency with enterprise-grade performance, and what it takes to build developer trust—both as a brand and as a product.Keypoints from this episodeUnkey simplifies API management by acting as middleware for authentication, rate limiting, and security—without requiring deep backend expertise. It's designed for developers to go from idea to production with minimal setup.Go over serverless – James and his team initially explored TypeScript and serverless architecture but ultimately returned to Go and servers for better performance, scalabilit

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson talk with Corbin Crutchley — founder of Playful Programming, Microsoft MVP, GitHub Star, and maintainer of multiple TanStack libraries including TanStack Form, Store, and Config.They dive into Corbin’s work maintaining open source at scale, what makes TanStack Form different (and a bit esoteric), and why the design decisions behind it matter, especially for enterprise teams. They also unpack the tradeoffs of abstraction, type safety in large-scale apps, and best practices for migrating form logic.Later in the episode, the conversation shifts to Corbin’s nonprofit and developer education philosophy: why Playful Programming focuses on deep conceptual understanding over task-based tutorials, how AI is changing how people learn, and what’s next for guiding developers from beginner to intermediate and beyond.Key points from this episode:– Corbin explains how TanStack Form’s architecture, though verbose and esoteric, enables strong type safety,

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Danny Thompson sits down with Ben Peeri, Lead Solutions Architect and Entrepreneur, for a candid and energetic conversation on how AI tools are reshaping the way developers build software. They explore the strengths and tradeoffs of platforms like v0, Bolt, and Replit, diving into how these tools fit into modern dev workflows—from quick POCs to potential production use.Ben shares his unique approach to local LLMs, including how he uses them for pen testing and simulating malicious actors to harden apps before release. The conversation also covers the shifting landscape for junior developers, why thinking like a product owner is more critical than ever, and what it means to lead a team of AI agents.Keypoints from this episode:- AI tools compared – v0, Bolt, and Replit each serve different purposes, from fast prototyping to more complex backend support, but all come with trade-offs in control and scalability.- Local LLMs for security – Running local models allows

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson get real about the current state of AI in software development. They talk about what’s working, what’s frustrating, and why so much of the conversation around AI feels repetitive or disconnected from reality. They explore how AI is actually being used day to day—and where it still falls short. They also discuss the risks of relying too heavily on AI, especially for junior devs, and why understanding fundamentals still matters. Keypoints from this episode:- AI fatigue is setting in among developers, with many eager to move beyond hype and explore tools that solve real problems and deliver everyday value.- Danny built a conversational AI agent named Nexie, trained specifically on Next.js and Vercel documentation, showing how personalized agents can provide focused, meaningful assistance.- Over-relying on AI can backfire for junior developers. Using it to generate code without understanding the underlying logic undermines learning and growth.

Join hosts Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson for another episode of the Modern Web Podcast, where they sit down with Brad Garropy, senior front-end engineer at Stripe, YouTuber, and all-around tech enthusiast.Brad shares insights from his journey through big tech—from Dell to Adobe, Atlassian, and now Stripe—while discussing the challenges of scaling front-end engineering across different companies. The conversation covers TypeScript’s major performance boost, the Go vs. Rust debate, and how engineering teams are evolving their tooling for speed and efficiency.They also explore Remix, why Brad prefers building projects with minimal dependencies, and his approach to self-hosting and keeping costs low for side projects. He reflects on balancing breadth vs. depth in a career, how developers can shape their personal brand, and the importance of learning through building.Key Points from this Episode:- TypeScript’s shift to Go has resulted in massive performance improvements, highlighting the impact of language choice on

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel, Adam Rackis, and Danny Thompson, examine the technical side of modern web development with guest Dennis Ivy, a developer advocate at Appwrite. The discussion explores HTMX, its approach to extending HTML for dynamic UIs, and how it challenges the dominance of JavaScript-heavy SPAs. They examine where HTMX fits in the web ecosystem, its strengths and limitations, and its potential for enterprise applications. The conversation then shifts to backend-as-a-service platforms, with Dennis breaking down how Appwrite provides authentication, databases, and real-time updates as an open-source alternative to Firebase and Supabase. They discuss performance considerations, architectural trade-offs, and the evolving landscape of server-side development.Keypoints for this Episode- HTMX and Its Role in Web Development – The discussion explores how HTMX extends HTML to enable dynamic UIs without heavy JavaScript frameworks, making it a compelling option for certain a

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson chat with Søren Bramer Schmidt, CEO and Founder of Prisma, about the evolution of Prisma to a widely adopted ORM used by 50% of Fortune 2000 companies. Søren shares insights on balancing open-source growth with enterprise adoption, optimizing ORM performance, and addressing concerns like N+1 queries and vendor lock-in.The discussion also covers the launch of Prisma Postgres, a managed database designed to make provisioning as easy as creating a Notion page, and the shift from Rust to TypeScript for better efficiency. With AI transforming development, Søren explores how Prisma is adapting to new demands in database tooling. Keypoints from this episode:1. Prisma’s Evolution – Søren Schmidt discusses how Prisma started as Graphcool and evolved into a widely used ORM, now adopted by 50% of Fortune 2000 companies.2. Balancing Open Source and Enterprise – The conversation explores Prisma’s approach to maintaining an open-source community w

On this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel and Adam Rackis talk with Noah Harris, Senior Engineering Manager at Launch, to discuss the impact of mob programming and how it can transform engineering teams. Noah shares how pairing and mobbing helped him rapidly level up in his early career, how it fosters stronger communication, and why it’s particularly valuable for remote teams.The conversation also explores engineering leadership, breaking past career plateaus, and the importance of soft skills in advancing your career. Noah shares insights on servant leadership, how engineers can take ownership without waiting for permission, and the role of code reviews in shaping strong technical leaders.Key Points Mob Programming for Team Growth – Noah explains how mob programming enhances collaboration, speeds up knowledge sharing, and improves code quality, especially in remote teams. The Role of Pair Programming in Skill Development – Pairing with experienced engineers helped Noah rapidly learn JavaScript and

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 cr

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Danny Thompson and Adam Rackis talk with Abdel Sghiouar, Cloud Developer Advocate at Google, Kubernetes Podcast co-host, and CNCF Ambassador. Abdel shares insights from his global tech journey, from Morocco to Google's largest data center in Belgium, and now Sweden. They discuss cloud computing trends, including WebAssembly, AI-driven serverless workloads, and the shifting lines between frontend and backend. They also explore AI’s impact on cloud development, from simplifying tooling to raising questions about job automation. Abdel offers a pragmatic take on AI’s role, emphasizing that those who learn to leverage it will thrive.Key points from this episode:- Cultural Differences in Tech – Abdel’s global experience shaped his view on work culture, from Morocco’s relationship-driven workplaces to Europe’s structured work-life balance.- Making Cloud Simpler – He focuses on breaking down cloud concepts and making them more approachable for developers, from high-level ser

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, hosts Rob Ocel and Danny Thompson sit down with Mariano Cocirio, Staff Product Manager at Vercel, to discuss Fluid Compute, a new cloud computing model that blends the best of serverless scalability with traditional server efficiency. They explore the challenges of AI workloads in serverless environments, the high costs of idle time, and how Fluid Compute optimizes execution to reduce costs while maintaining performance. Mariano explains how this approach allows instances to handle multiple requests efficiently while still scaling to zero when not in use. The conversation also covers what developers need to consider when adopting this model, the impact on application architecture, and how to track efficiency gains using Vercel’s observability tools.Is Fluid Compute the next step in the evolution of serverless? Is it redefining cloud infrastructure altogether?Keypoints Fluid Compute merges the best of servers and serverless – It combines the scalability of serverless

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Rob Ocel talks with Mike Chen, Co-founder & CTO of Motivo, about the evolving world of web animations. Mike shares his enthusiasm for tools like Framer Motion (now Motion) and the View Transitions API, discussing how they make complex animations more accessible and intuitive. The conversation explores the practicality of animations in real-world applications, balancing user delight with business value, and avoiding unnecessary complexity. They also discuss the state of decentralized social media, with Mike sharing his thoughts on Blue Sky and its approach to user control. Finally, Mike talks about his Let's Get Technical Discord, a mentorship-focused space helping mid-level engineers sharpen their skills. Making Animations More Accessible – Mike Chen discusses how tools like - - Framer Motion (now Motion) and the View Transitions API simplify complex animations, making them easier to implement while maintaining performance.-Balancing Business Value and User

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, host Rob Ocel, along with co-hosts Adam Rackis and Danny Thompson, explores the sustainability of open source with Chad Whitacre, Head of Open Source at Sentry. Chad discusses the Open Source Pledge, an initiative encouraging companies to fund the open source projects they rely on. He breaks down the challenges maintainers face, the imbalance between corporate benefit and community support, and why businesses need to step up. The conversation touches on alternative funding models, the history of open source licensing, and the push to make sustainability a core part of the industry.

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Rob Ocel, Danny Thompson, Adam Rackis, and Brandon Mathis discuss the role of abstractions in software development. They explore frontend tools like React and SolidJS, backend abstractions like serverless platforms, and the importance of understanding patterns and learning through mistakes. The group also highlights emerging trends for 2025, including opportunities in platform plugins and developer marketplaces. Key Points for the Episode: The Role of Abstractions in Development: The panel discusses the benefits and challenges of abstractions in software development, emphasizing the importance of understanding underlying systems to avoid over-reliance on tools like React hooks and serverless platforms. Learning Through Experimentation: Personal experiences with tools like Advent of Code, exploring new languages like Swift and Rust, and experimenting with new frameworks like SolidJS highlight the importance of hands-on learning and stepping outside comfort zones.