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Wes Bos & Scott Tolinski - Full Stack JavaScript Web Developers

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.

Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

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 workflow using AI—from ticket to production

10:30 Standard vs. team-specific tools for AI development

12:55 Using MCP servers to power internal AI workflows

14:42 MCP vs. custom agent integrations

17:16 What kinds of code AI is writing at Coinbase

19:48 Which languages and tasks does AI handle best?

21:21 Getting AI to follow existing code conventions

greptile

24:36 Brought to you by Sentry.io

25:01 How AI affects hiring, velocity, and developer focus

28:16 AI’s role in speeding up code reviews

31:28 The most valuable AI tool in Coinbase’s stack

33:48 Managing AI costs and model choices

35:10 Security considerations for using external AI models

37:04 How often Coinbase tunes and adjusts its AI systems

39:26 Using AI to write code vs. embedding AI in customer-facing features

42:29 Kyle’s big-picture take on AI as a tool—not a magic bullet

Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity

44:33 The future of hiring engineers with their own “backpack” of agents

45:53 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs

Sick Picks

Kyle: UltraShelf

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944: Is Coinbase Really Writing Half Their Code With AI?

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

05:08 Practical Examples of Scheduling.

08:23 useDeferredValue.

09:30 Suspense.

11:13 Fallbacks and animations.

12:35 How do you get psychological performance data?

13:39 Are these considerations reasonable for the average dev?

15:37 useOptimistic.

17:35 Removing delayMs (referred to as maxDuration in later iterations).

19:49 How to fetch data in React.

21:58 Is React now just Nextjs?

23:23 Will React give us a Signals-based state management?

24:44 The challenges of building in public.

30:12 Making LLMs cooperate with React.

32:05 The lifting will happen at framework level.

32:59 This is not time slicing.

35:47 Sick Pick + Shameless Plug.

Sick Picks

Ricky: iPhone 17 Pro

Shameless Plugs

Ricky: https://conf.react.dev/

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943: Modern React with Ricky Hanlon (React Core Dev)

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 and ADHD

22:37 Seeking diagnosis as an adult developer

28:04 Brought to you by Sentry.io

32:18 Uncoupling identity from productivity

38:06 Is overtime ever “worth it”?

42:34 AI as a mental health tool: hope or hype?

46:32 Will therapists be replaced by AI?

49:29 Burnout warning signs in high-performers

55:15 Sick picks + shameless plugs

Sick Picks

Courtney: Bentgo Glass Containers

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942: Mental Health Q&A w/ Dr. Courtney Tolinski

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 Does the average developer have a part to play?

09:12 How can AI tools protect inexperienced users?

11:55 Let’s talk about user and company privacy.

13:57 Are local tools and services becoming more viable?

15:06 Are people right to be skeptical?

16:58 The software developer role is fundamentally changing.

17:43 Human in the loop.

19:37 The career path to Responsible AI.

21:21 Sick Picks.

Sick Picks

Sarah: Japanese pottery

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941: Is Responsible AI Possible? with Dr. Sarah Bird of Microsoft

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: Project Init - How to Make Good Choices When Starting a New Coding Project

18:19 What to do when you’re feeling burned out as a developer

23:34 Picking the right tech stack for your partner’s website

28:18 How do you deal with a toxic boss?

33:10 The ideal tech stack for launching a SaaS MVP

39:46 Is GraphQL still worth it vs REST or RPC?

44:26 Is Vercel steering modern web dev in the wrong direction?

51:20 What’s up with TanStack Forms?

TanStack Form Latest

59:35 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs

Sick Picks

Scott: Flesh and Code

Wes: WAGO connectors

Shameless Plugs

Syntax YouTube Channel

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940: Picking a Fullstack Stack, Is Next.js Too Complex? Services vs Self-Hosted + More

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.

07:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io.

07:56 Rollup and Rolldown explained.

09:29 NAPIRS.

10:02 Why Rust and not Go?

SWC, OXC.

12:04 Rolldown’s speed and performance.

OXC Allocator.

15:09 Dealing with massive buildtimes.

17:42 How has the transition been?

20:34 Why do we even need a bundler?

23:25 Vite’s superior developer experience.

26:01 Fullstack Vue?

31:45 Node and Vite’s relationship.

35:41 Wes’ wishlist.

vite-dir.

37:28 Hot takes.

37:37 Would Next be better with Vite?

41:09 Thoughts on React Server Components.

43:40 Thought on Remix 3.

46:22 Tell us about Void0.

51:36 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs.

Sick Picks

Evan: Laravel Lamborghini Shaped Stress Toys

Shameless Plugs

Evan: Viteconf, Vite, CultRepo.

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939: Creator of Vite: Evan You

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 names vs. short with comments

16:27 Self-documenting code vs. code comments

17:03 Rebase vs. merge commit

18:39 Naming event parameters: e vs. event

20:33 Tabs vs. spaces

22:18 Big line height vs. small line height

23:50 Hard line length vs. line wrap

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938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding

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.

06:53 System-wide shortcuts.

09:01 My first impressions.

09:41 Connecting to my NAS.

10:54 Gigantic UI.

12:21 Day 2 Experiences.

13:22 Resizing window challenges.

16:11 Neovim and Lazyvim.

16:49 Lazygit.

19:07 How do you use it and why is it good.

19:14 Command Palette.

19:49 Raycast.

Recreating Raycast.

20:50 Using the app launcher.

21:25 Screensavers.

21:59 OS Style.

22:55 My apps, my apps, my apps, check it out.

25:07 Is the hardware comparable to Mac’s M processors?

27:24 Installing new apps.

29:26 Web apps as first class citizens.

32:47 What I’ll miss.

35:56 What’s going on with MacOS UI?

38:37 Annoyances.

39:31 My advice.

Read the Manual.

44:39 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs.

Sick Picks

Scott: Omarchy Manual.

Wes: Ugreen 200w Charger, Silicone USB C.

Shameless Plugs

Scott: Syntax on YouTube.

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937: Is The Omarchy Hype Real?

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 explained

ESP32 Microcontroller

10:57 Power supply challenges and injection fixes

15:05 Debugging and testing a DIY LED matrix

15:56 Shorts, blown circuits, and melted wires

17:58 Designing and 3D-printing the diffuser for crisp pixels

21:29 The software: Cloudflare Durable Objects + Party Server

Cloudflare Durable Objects

Party.server

22:18 Real-time sync and state management across clients

Party Client

28:43 Connecting the server to the LED hardware

41:51 Open access fun: scripts, NSFW images, and moderation

Cloudflare tunnel

44:10 Live demos

45:34 Future plans: stats, rooms, and making it always-on

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936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)

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.

Stephane-D GitHub.

10:54 Awesome Megadrive.

12:02 Booting on an emulator.

13:07 Gens and KMod.

15:54 Compiling stage.

17:44 Genesis Code VS Code Extension.

18:22 Images and Assets.

19:46 Loading images with bitmap.

23:50 Megacat Studios.

25:21 Z index?

Faking Parallax.

27:34 Specific code examples.

27:51 Platformer Engine.

30:01 Platformer Sample Game.

30:44 LDTK (Level Designer Toolkit).

33:13 Tiled Collision mapping.

37:42 What about debugging?

39:37 Loading in levels.

RetroGameMechanicsExplained.

Sega Mega-CD Development Unit.

43:56 Challenges with graphics.

49:56 Adding music.

Super Cartridge.

Flahskit Programmer MD.

Flashkit Cart MD.

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935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025

AI coding agents are getting wild. Scott and Wes break down the latest tools that run in the background, write code across multiple steps, and charge you $200 a month to do it. From CLI-based primitives to full-on copilots, this episode covers the next wave of dev tools and what it takes to use them effectively.

Show Notes

00:00 Welcome to Syntax!

03:13 Background Agents.

04:26 Appropriate tasks for background agents.

12:46 CLI tooling.

14:17 Claude Code Pricing.

18:20 Approaches to get the most from these tools.

19:56 PRD Documents.

Atlasian What’s a PRD Document.

20:50 Claude Taskmaster.

Langflow.

25:29 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs.

Sick Picks

Scott: RingConn.

Wes: Dell Projector

Shameless Plugs

Scott: Syntax on YouTube.

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915: $200mo Background Agents, CLI Tooling and “Max Mode”

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