Runtime Rundown

In this very special 100th episode we bring in seasoned manager and old friend Mike "Critter" Crittenden and ask him - "Should Managers Still Code?". Critter is a senior manager at Github and managed both Joe and I at Way-bleep. Together we cover the changing landscape of technical teams, what makes managers really great, and where deep technical skills fit into the manager toolbox.

We get back into the swing of things with an informal chat mostly about the existential crises of no longer being frontend devs. We dive into topics like the current AI agent hype, how we don't know what articles to even read anymore (or if anyone reads articles anymore), and what to call ourselves now.

Another guest! In this episode, we cover Cap Watkins' "The Sliding Scale of Giving A F*ck" with designer Daniel Casey. This episode is all about a framework of how engineering and design can work together when everyone cares about the end product. It's a great listen for anyone wanting to learn how to have productive disagreements. Listen through to the end for some spicy AI takes...Daniel has been a principal designer at CVS, a senior director at Ticket Master, and is currently a principal designer at Proximity Lab. Check out his profile!

In this episode we cover "Locked doors, headaches, and intellectual need" by Max Kreminski. This article outlines the concept of problem-solution ordering issues and how they are the reason no one understands monads. We soon realize these problem-solution ordering issues are everywhere, and figuring them out is the key to true teaching.Here's the article Joe mentioned that does a way better job of explaining monads than he did: Functors, Applicatives, and Monads in Pictures.We decided to cover this article based on a wonderful user comment by @cebamps (gently) calling us out for our flippant take on functional programmers. Thank you so much for writing in!

We have another guest! This time it's Shea Belsky - host of Autistic Techie, former CTO of Mentra, and long time friend of the show. We dive into how TypeScript can empower neurodivergent engineers and explore ways we can all work together more effectively. Join us for a conversation that combines practical insights with heartfelt discussions about creating a more inclusive tech community.

In this special guest episode, we bring on the definitive best Bieber in the world. Aaron Bieber is a both seasoned technologist and excellent career coach. We talk about the art of listening, how we can apply coaching principles to every work life, and more. Also, Aaron does some live coaching magic and makes Evan break out in a cold sweat. If you want more of Aaron, or to book him as a coach (Evan did!) check him out here:Book coaching with AaronRead Aaron's blogListen to Aaron's podcast

In this episode we cover "Software development topics I've changed my mind on after 10 years in the industry" by Chris Kiehl. This is a fun one where we riff on things we still believe to be true, things we've changed our mind on, and opinions we've picked up over the years.

In this episode we cover "How To Write Complex Software" by Grant Slatton. If you've ever struggled wondering how to approach a big problem, this one's for you. We go over a mental framework of "top to bottom" engineering, how to maximize parallel efforts, and more. This is a spiritual successor to our "Speedrunning Projects" episode where we covered a much looser approach. Try them both out and get back to us!

We're back! After almost 3 months of paternity leave, Runtime Rundown is kicking off our 4th season with everyone's favorite topic - performance reviews. We're just getting back in the saddle, so this is a free-form episode without an article. We cover the pros and cons of peer reviews, tech incentive structures and more.

In this episode we cover "Why I'm skeptical of rewriting javascript tools in faster languages" by Nolan Lawson. This is an interesting intersection between tech problems and people problems. There's been a recent wave of venerable JS-based tools being re-written in Rust, Go, Zig, etc. They come out "faster", but are we better or worse off for it?

In this episode, we cover "Pair Programming" written by the inimitable Matt Hamlin. We talk about what pair programming is, why you might do it, and when you maybe shouldn't. In other news, Joe forgets how to intro the show and Evan drank too much coffee before recording.

In this episode we cover "The T Shaped Engineer" by Alex Kondov, and make a few references to Adam Savage's video How to Ask for a Job (Without Asking). As usual we go off on many tangents and eventually circle back around to the article. Have an idea for an article we should cover? Head on over to https://runtimerundown.com/suggestionshttps://runtimerundown.com/suggestions and drop us a line!

In this episode we dive into another awesome article from Abi Noda, Using AI to encourage best practices in the code review process. This article covers a recent research paper released from Google outlining the performance, pitfalls, and process of their in-house AI code review bot. We talk about the role of AI in code reviews, our personal views on what code review is all about, and get existential on AI taking our jobs (again). Despite the AI title, this one is just as much about code review in general as it is about AI so if you're sick of AI content - there's still something here for you.

In this week's episode we cover "Using your own product is a superpower" on the PostHog engineering blog. Using your own software, AKA "dogfooding", is one of those topics thrown around by engineers all the way up to CEOS. We talk about what dogfooding looks like, why you would want to implement it (if you can), and some pitfalls of working it into your day-to-day.

In this follow-up to our Speed-running Projects episode, we talk about our ongoing effort to speed-run building a SaaS business from the ground up! We cover what we're building, how we approached it, and what we've learned along the way. We also dive into some of our technical choices and pivots.

Get ready for a knock-drown, drag-out brawl! Just kidding. Joe and I calmly debate the merits of Vim vs No Vim development and Joe nearly converts me.

In this special episode of Runtime Rundown, we tackle a bunch of listener questions from the one and only Matt H. He's been dropping wisdom-bombs all over our suggestion and episode pages and it was time we answered them all. We cover feature toggles, data-driven decisions, Shadcn (again), and working on side projects. If you want us to answer your questions, leave on our suggestions page and we will get to it!

In this episode we cover "Docs-as-code, a brief introduction" by Ezinne Anne Emilia. We talk about what "docs-as-code" means, why we love it, and how to get started. No matter how good at documentation you are, we can always use a refresher on best practices. This is it!

This week we read and discuss How to Build Anything Extremely Quickly by an author known only as dnbt777 on the Learn How to Learn blog. The premise is simple, and you probably learned it in high school: Write an outline. Write it recursively until the outline items are small enough that they can't have sub-items, then fill things in as quickly as possible starting at the smallest items. Don't perfect until done. If you liked this episode, leave a comment! If not or if you have an idea for an article for us to cover, drop us a suggestion! Music by Hina

In this episode, we dive into "Why data-driven product decisions are hard (sometimes impossible)" by Andrew Chen. This piece leans heavily towards Product Management and is packed with valuable insights on leveraging data at various stages of company growth. Now, if you're an engineer thinking, "Where's the tech stuff? This is about Product Management!"—I hear you. But remember, being an engineer is about more than just one dimension. Also, if you hate it and want to suggest a new topic, drop us a suggestion!

Do you love two guys rambling while making semi-cogent points? We've got the perfect episode for you! Today we loosely cover "I'm a Good Engineer, but I Suck at Building Stuff" by Lionel Barrow. This is a super short article asking us all to focus more on building and less on bike shedding. We make some decent points, ramble a bit, and do some classic Cooper preaching on caring more about users.

In this episode we cover "How to talk about deadlines at work" by Wes Kao. This is is a super practical guide for two sides of the same coin - missing deadlines. We cover the perspective of IC's and how we can best communicate deadline misses, and we also cover the manager perspective on setting the right culture around deadlines. We've got scripts for you to use, tactical tips, and personal advice so make sure to listen to the end!

In this episode we use "Engineers Are Not A Commodity" by the Stay SaaSy blog to jump into a range of topics including Agile (and how we disagree on estimates), what good managers look like, and why you can't just swap us out like cogs in a machine. This is a bit rant-y, but packed with good information and hot takes!

In this episode, we cover the tc39 Signals standards proposal written by a powerhouse group of influential figures in the JavaScript community and key contributors from various popular frameworks. This is a short but sweet breakdown of what Signals are, what it might mean to the industry, and what we think about the tech and the proposal itself. Links: JS Party episode 305 with Daniel Ehrenberg

In this episode, we cover Getting Things Done In A Chaotic Environment by the Stay SaaSy blog. This is a practical guide on how to move fast and get things done using Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a metaphor. We cover 4 pitfalls to avoid when trying to get things checked off your list and add a bunch of tips from our experience fighting Shredder (AKA corporate bull$%^&).

In this episode, we cover a few points from "Shipping to Production" by the excellent Pragmatic Engineer blog. This article outlines the many different ways code makes it into "production". We cover the extremes of too much and too little verifications, and everything in between. The article is long and we only cover a portion of it so give this episode a listen then read the source article for practical advice on your own deployment processes.

In this episode we cover "New GitHub Copilot Research Finds 'Downward Pressure on Code Quality'" by Visual Studio Magazine. This is a summary of a research paper put out by GitClear that looked at 153 million lines of code over 4 years to assess the impact of AI usage on code quality. The paper concluded that Copilot usage is steadily reducing code quality overall, and it looks like it's only going to get worse. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the paper, our own personal feelings on this, and Evan gets a little too existential. References from the episode: - Why I'm No Longer Using Copilot by Dreams of Code on YouTube - The Primeagen's reaction video

In this episode we cover "The Basics" by Thorsten Ball. This article lists out all the things we should be doing every day but aren't taught in classes, books, or courses. You want to listen to this one. These are the foundations on which your skills and expertise rest.

In this episode, we cover "Don't End The Week With Nothing" by Patrick McKenzie. We talk about three different forms of "capital" you build in your career, and how you can meaningfully speed that process up through conscious choices in your career. So many of us work for a week, collect a paycheck, and then walk away with nothing more than a bullet point on a resume. This article describes a way to flip that script and always end the week with something just for you.

We were unprepared! This episode doesn't have an article or any of the traditional trappings of a RR episode. Instead, we talk about Evan's new job and what it's like to onboard to big and small companies. We occasionally slip in some advice as well.

In this episode, we cover "How Developers Stop Learning: Rise of the Expert Beginner". An "Expert Beginner" is not a positive thing. It's defined as a "voluntarily ceasing to improve because of a belief that expert status has been reached and thus further improvement is not possible". We cover how folks end up in this state, how to know if you're in it, and how to get out. Make sure to head on over to RuntimeRundown.com/suggestions and hit us with article suggestions, ideas, and feedback!

In this episode we share our thoughts on the React 19 updates from React Labs. This blog is from the React Labs and talks about a whole bunch of big changes being worked on for the upcoming React 19 major version release. If you want to stay on top of things like a new compiler, the React team destroying your beloved form libraries, a million new hooks and more, take a listen! Episode links: 1. https://learn.cantrill.io/ for cloud courses 2. React Forget talk 3. So You Think You Know Git (YouTube) 4. Julia Evans' Git Options blog post Music by Hina

In this edition of Runtime Double Time™ we cover "The ideal PR is 50 lines long" by Greg Foster. This guy looked at 10 million PRs to find the perfect PR size using 4 key metrics: time-to-merge, revert rate, average number of inline comments, and total code changed over a year. We use it as a sounding board to talk about different PR scenarios, how our review styles have changed through the years, and why people are afraid of

Welcome to Runtime Double Time - a new format where cut out all the frills and get right to the article (and only the article). In this episode, we cover the classic article "Choose Boring Technology" by Dan McKinley. This is a deep dive on how and why to pick technologies for your project. Do it right, and things just work™. Do it wrong, and you might sink your team (or your company).

In this episode, we cover "The Anatomy of Shadcn/UI" by Manupa. This article is a technical deep dive of Shadcn/UI, the wildly popular new React design system. Why deep dive a design system? Because Shadcn does things differently. You don't install an NPM package, you use something weird called Class Variance Authority, and more. We get to the bottom of the question "but is it any good".

In this episode we give you "3 questions that will make you a phenomenal rubber duck" by Dan Slimmon. The ancient art of “Rubber duck debugging” is explaining, out-loud, a difficult problem that you're stuck on. We cover how to be the best rubber duck out there with these three great questions to ask, as well a bunch of tips and tricks from our own rubber ducking experiences.

In this episode, we go through "The Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design" by Ben Schneiderman. Yet this is a foray into user interface design. Yes, we know we are not designers, but every frontender should have at least a familiarity with design to be well rounded. We put our frontend engineering spin on each point and we think you'll come away with at least a few nuggets to apply to your everyday work. Want to suggest an article for a future episode? Drop us a line at RuntimeRundown.com

"Adding human resources to a late software project makes it later" - Fred Brookes In this episode, we cover "Visualize Brooks's Law: When More People Makes a Late Software Project Later" by Adam Tornhill

In this episode we take a hard look at what's wrong with the current Open Source development landscape. We cover the the bad and ugly of OS with "Why I Quit Open Source" by Artem Sapegin. This brings us on a journey through developer entitlement and developer toxicity and ends with the three "F"s of Open Source. From this baseline, we spend the majority of our time outlining a "Healthier Way to Open Source" by Artem Sapegin. This is a practical, positive guide to working in Open Source in a healthier way. If you hate our clickbait title, want to yell at us for our sub-par takes, or just want to reach out make sure to drop us a line over at Runtime Rundown.

In this special episode, we dive into the uncharted waters of mental health in the tech industry with ⁠Savannah Hipes⁠, a seasoned Psychotherapist and Insomnia Specialist. Discussing her three-article series, ⁠"Insomnia in the Tech Industry"⁠, we unravel the intricate relationship between our fast-paced tech lifestyles and the way we sleep (or don't sleep for some of us). Savannah sheds light on how the relentless pace of technology affects our arousal systems, the curious case of disrupted circadian rhythms specifically in tech work, and the concerning trend of insomnia among tech professionals. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that merges technology with psychology, offering unique insights and practical advice for navigating the mental challenges of the digital age. Savannah Hipes, LCSW is a Psychotherapist and Insomnia Specialist in Winter Park, Florida. She helps highly driven, sleep-deprived professionals who feel exhausted and on edge to finally sleep through the night. Licensed in both Florida and New York, Savannah sees clients virtually and in-person and treats anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, and eating disorders. She also does public speaking, corporate wellness, and provides clinical training on sleep and eating related topics. She's known for laughing loudly and doing a secret happy dance when clients leave the office sleeping better than they have in years. Reach out to Savannah: www.savannahhipeslcsw.com Insta, FB, Linkedin: @savannahhipeslcsw 

In this episode we cover "Where Does Complexity Go?" by Al Tenhundfeld. This article starts with the premise of Tesler's Law - all applications have a certain amount of complexity that can't be removed or hidden. We try to answer the question of where that complexity should go, to the customer or to the developer? This is the third installment in our string of episodes about complexity in software engineering - make sure to check out the other two! - The One About Complexity - It's Not That Complicated

In this episode, we go deep on "How Platform Engineering Works" with a real life platform engineer - Joe! If you have ever wondered what platform engineering is, or more likely, if you've ever wondered what the hell platform engineers do all day - this episode is for you. We cover what platform engineering is, how to adopt the right mindset, what great platform engineering teams do well, and more. Even if you aren't interested in platform engineering, this is a great listen for improving your everyday approach to building software at scale.

In this very special episode, we bring you a battle-royale between Evan, powered by ChatGPT, and Joe, powered by Lavazza Espresso. We both set out to build a chrome extension to highlight text on websites. Joe had to write it by hand. Evan used ONLY ChatGPT via copy/paste with no code written by hand. It's now up to you. Check out each of our repos and comment what you think on the episode. Repo links: Joe's highlighter repo Evan's highlighter repo Interesting links: GenAI gets better when you're scared One of the chat logs between Evan and ChatGPT

In this episode your two favorite frontenders cover "How to Ask Good Technical Questions" from the excellent FreeCodeCamp blog. Make no mistake - asking good questions is a critical skill to develop in your engineering career. We delve into strategies and personal experiences around how to best frame technical questions to maximize your chance at a productive answer (and also not annoy everyone you ask).

In this episode, we talk all about "Why I Won't Use Next.js" by Kent Dodds. Yes, the title is clickbait, but the content delivers. We cover NextJS stability issues, deployment difficulties, "too much magic" and many more reasons why we might just be souring on this famous framework. As always, visit is on RuntimeRundown to leave a suggestion, comment on an episode, and search through our back catalogue.

In this episode, we talk all about visual regression testing! Today's article, Upgrading frontend dependencies with confidence, is a case-study in using visual regression testing to catch UI issues in your build and deploy processes. We deep dive tooling, implementation, and try to answer the question "is it worth it"? Note to our audiophile listeners - Evan's mic switches to a poor quality one mid-episode. You will not enjoy this. Some Related articles: https://playwright.dev/docs/test-snapshots https://argos-ci.com/

In this episode, we dive into The Myth of the Myth of Learning Styles by Ned Batchelder. This is a short but thought provoking article on how to find the right way to learn for you. We go through a series of questions you can ask yourself to find out how to best learn. We're still shaking off the rust after a few months away but we know you listen for the flubs as much as the content. Head over to runtimerundown.com and let us know what you thought of the show! Music by ⁠Hina⁠ and ⁠Kevin MacLeod⁠

We're back everybody! After a multi-month hiatus, we've finally returned with a whole episode on Joe's (successful) job search. This is end-to-end coverage on the current job market for Frontend. We cover Joe's preparation, some his interview experiences, and lots of tips for getting the best possible job for you. We'll be back every week, so keep looking out for new episodes Monday / Tuesday. Be sure to check out RuntimeRundown.com and drop us a suggestion or ask questions on a particular episode. We love hearing from you all!

In this episode we cover "How to fight super-helper syndrome" by Laetitia Vitaud. This article is a spring-board for discussing healthy practices in mentorship, general boundaries, and keeping ourselves sane in the workplace. If you've ever felt burned out from giving too much of yourself to others at work, give this a listen. Joe is learning some crazy cool rust voodoo, Evan is submitting to our AI overlords, and Joe has some of the best good news yet. Also, we're going on a break! We will see you all in a few weeks/month. Enjoy the rest of your summers and we will catch you all in the next episode. Thank you for listening!

In this episode we cover the newest core web vital, "Interaction to Next Paint". This is a full introduction to web vitals in general, what Interaction to Next Paint is, what it's replacing, how it's measured and more. This is a big shakeup to performance measurement so listen up! Joe's learning is somehow related to GeoGuesser again, Evan says "Falcon" way too many times and also randomly complains about React Hooks.

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 bugs and slow delivery ok?”: The blog post that I've hated the most, ever". Evan is failing to learn how to estimate tasks better, and Joe is improving in Japanese!