Chats with Kent C. Dodds

Bree Hall, a frontend software engineer and developer advocate at HubSpot, emphasizes the role of creativity in coding and professional growth. Bree discusses how personal projects like CSS art, including her recreation of a Nintendo Switch, help her stay inspired and improve her technical skills. She and Kent reflect on the unique value of in-person conferences for building professional and personal relationships, highlighting Epic WebConf as a hub for inspiration and community. As one of the emcees for Epic WebConf 2025, Bree looks forward to connecting with attendees and hearing from an incredible lineup of speakers. Bree also shares her passion for video games, board games, and connecting with women in tech. Whether the conversations center on technical topics, career growth, or shared hobbies, Bree invites everyone to reach out at the conference. Watch this episode. Meet Bree at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Bree Hall 𝕏: @bytesofbree Website: bytesofbree.com YouTube: Bytes of Bree Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com 𝕏: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

Kent introduces a new season of the "Chats with Kent" podcast, which will feature interviews with speakers for the upcoming Epic Web Comp 2025 conference in Salt Lake City. The host, Kent C. Dodds, expresses excitement about the lineup of speakers and encourages listeners to attend the conference in March 2025. He also mentions that the talks will be available on the EpicWeb.dev platform for those who miss the live event. Meet at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com 𝕏: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com 𝕏: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In this final episode of season five, Kent C. Dodds recaps the enriching conversations with the speakers of Epic WebConf 2024, expressing gratitude and excitement for the upcoming event in April. He encourages listeners, whether planning to attend the conference or not, to revisit the season's episodes for timeless web development advice. While season six remains unplanned, Kent thanks his audience for their continued support and hints at future engagements, urging them to stay tuned.Meet Kent at Epic Web Conf.Guest: Kent C. DoddsWebsite: kentcdodds.comTwitter: @kentcdoddsGitHub: @kentcdoddsHost: Kent C. DoddsWebsite: kentcdodds.comTwitter: @kentcdoddsGitHub: @kentcdoddsYouTube: Kent C. DoddsEpic Web: epicweb.dev

In this episode, Kent C. Dodds interviews Dan Farrelly, the CTO and co-founder of Jest, about his journey from front-end engineer to CTO, the challenges of scaling a tech company, and the importance of staying small to maintain agility and innovation. Farrelly shares insights into the evolving challenges of a tech team, from infrastructure to front-end development, and emphasizes the value of a generalist approach in a small, dynamic team. The conversation also delves into Farrelly's upcoming conference talk on improving long-standing APIs and his enthusiasm for learning from and contributing to the developer community. Watch this episode. Meet Dan at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Dan Farrelly Twitter: @djfarrelly GitHub: @djfarrelly Website: danfarrelly.com Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In this podcast, Zeno Rocha, open-source advocate and founder of Resend, joins host Kent to discuss the dynamic world of web development and the shift towards SDK-first strategies. They reflect on the evolution of developer tools and the significance of user experience in product development. Rocha and Kent stress the necessity of high standards to stand out in web development, and they also touch upon the value of developer conferences for fostering relationships and collaborations. They look forward to engaging with peers at an upcoming event in Park City, Utah, and consider potential topics like the tech industry comparison between Brazil and the US, initiating open-source projects, and strategies for growing a user-base. Watch this episode. Meet Zeno at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Zeno Rocha Twitter: @zenorocha GitHub: @zenorocha Website: zenorocha.com Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In the podcast, Simon, an advocate for Tailwind CSS, shares his insights on its impact on web development and design. Tailwind CSS serves as a facilitator between design and development teams, streamlining collaborations and enabling quick translation of design concepts into code. He highlights how it enhances learning, boosts efficiency, and, despite some tradeoffs, provides significant workflow benefits by integrating design tool shortcuts. Simon also teases an upcoming conference where the potential of Tailwind CSS will be further explored. Watch this episode. Meet Simon at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Simon Vrachliotis Twitter: @simonswiss GitHub: @simonswiss Website: simonswiss.com Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In this episode, host Kent and Madison Kanna, the upcoming MC for Epic WebConf, discuss the benefits of attending conferences like Epic WebConf beyond just the informational content. They delve into how conferences can be a goldmine for networking, transforming online contacts into real-world connections. Madison explains her path and how initiatives such as her Sunday book club can cultivate community and continuous learning. Kent offers advice to introverts on navigating networking at these events, and together, they highlight their excitement for the Epic WebConf, underscoring the professional and personal growth opportunities it promises, further amplified by Madison's promotional efforts for the conference. Watch this episode. Meet at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Madison Kanna Twitter: @MadisonKanna YouTube: @MadisonKanna GitHub: @MadisonKanna Website: madisonkanna.com Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In this episode, Tyler Benfield, a staff software engineer at Prisma, joins Kent to explore the world of databases and their critical role in full-stack development. Tyler shares insights from his journey from front-end development to mastering database performance and optimization, while also touching on the trend of front-end developers upskilling to become full-stack, leveraging languages like JavaScript and TypeScript. The conversation concludes with a preview of Tyler's session at the upcoming Epic Web Conference where he will cover topics such as SQLite, varying database types, performance tuning, and share personal anecdotes, offering an engaging learning opportunity for web developers. Watch this episode. Meet Tyler at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Tyler Benfield Twitter: @rtbenfield GitHub: @rtbenfield Website: tylerbenfield.me Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In the podcast episode featuring Sunil Pai, a former member of the React.js core team and developer at Cloudflare, the focus is on PartyKit, his new project set to transform real-time application development. PartyKit introduces features like real-time updates and server-rendering, aimed at facilitating the creation of dynamic, chat-GPT-like AI experiences. Sunil intends to showcase real-time apps and PartyKit at Epic WebConf, emphasizing the event's value in fostering networking and the exchange of industry insights for enhancing user experiences. Watch this episode. Meet Sunil at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Sunil Pai Twitter: @threepointone GitHub: @threepointone Website: sunilpai.dev Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev

In a conversation with Kent, Una, an expert in UI and a presenter at the upcoming EpicWebConf, delves into the dynamic world of modern web development. She underscores the importance of keeping up with the advances in UI capabilities and CSS, the shift towards more declarative techniques, and the necessity of adapting to new web standards. Una champions the vital role of community input in shaping web development and looks forward to the invaluable exchanges that come from in-person interactions, especially as the industry anticipates returning to face-to-face events post-pandemic. Her discussion calls on developers to remain adaptive, engage actively with their peers, and embrace the continual evolution of the web. Watch this episode. Meet Una at Epic Web Conf. Guest: Una Kravets Twitter: @Una GitHub: @una Website: una.im Host: Kent C. Dodds Website: kentcdodds.com Twitter: @kentcdodds GitHub: @kentcdodds YouTube: Kent C. Dodds Epic Web: epicweb.dev