In this episode, Matt sits down with Tom Barrasso from Cloud Phone to explore why flip phones are still relevant in 2025. They discuss the rise of digital detox, who’s using feature phones today, and how developers can still build apps for low-spec devices. From KaiOS and Cloud Phone to nostalgia and screen-time reduction—this is a deep dive into the flip phone revival and the tech powering it.
Even if you’re not "doing DevOps," understanding it can seriously level up your development career. In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into why every web developer should care about DevOps practices, even at a basic level. They explore how deployment pipelines work, how Git supports safe code changes, and how you can prevent and fix production issues faster. You'll hear real-world examples showing how small habits—like writing good commit messages, checking build logs, and knowing when to rollback—can make you a better teammate and a more reliable developer. Whether you're working with GitHub Actions, Vercel, Jenkins, or another CI/CD system, this episode will help you work smarter, troubleshoot faster, and stay calm under pressure.
In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the temptation to always chase the latest and greatest in tech—whether it's new frameworks, tools, or workflows that dominate developer discourse. While the buzz can be exciting, blindly adopting bleeding-edge technology can lead to serious downsides like poor documentation, tiny communities, and unstable tools. The guys discuss how these risks affect both personal and client projects, when it's actually worth going cutting-edge, and why it's perfectly okay (and often smarter) to use tried-and-true tech. If you've ever felt FOMO seeing everyone jump to the next hot thing, this one's for you.
In this episode, Mike shares his theory that AI will make it easier to prototype and launch startups, potentially opening more opportunities for developers outside of big tech. Matt and Mike compare working in startups versus big tech across several categories like career growth, pace, culture, job security, and more. Drawing on personal experiences and industry research, they explore how each environment can shape a developer’s career—and how AI might change the game.
In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the full stack of a website, highlighting what clients often overlook when requesting a new site. While it's easy to focus on what’s visible—like product pages, landing pages, and design elements—the real complexity lies beneath the surface. A professional website requires thoughtful planning around content management systems (CMS), performance optimization, SEO, hosting infrastructure, and security. They dive into how CMS setups vary across industries, how performance issues can impact user experience and search rankings, and why hosting choices matter for scalability and deployment workflows. The conversation also touches on spam protection, third-party integrations, and the ongoing nature of SEO and content strategy. Whether you're a developer trying to educate your clients, or a business owner looking to understand what really goes into a website build, this episode breaks down why a website is so much more than what you see on the screen.
On this episode of HTML All The Things, Jonathan Schor joins us to discuss why coding may be the next essential skill for kids in our tech-driven world. We explore the gamification of coding education, how it engages young learners, and why it could transform traditional teaching methods. Jonathan shares insights on whether coding should be part of elementary school curriculums and addresses concerns about AI’s impact on the future of coding careers. Plus, we look into CodeMonkey’s exciting plans and how it’s shaping the future of coding education.
Choosing the right code editor can make or break a web developer's workflow. In this episode, we dive into the Top 5 Code Editors for Web Developers—exploring their strengths, quirks, and everything in between. From the widely-loved Visual Studio Code to the blazing-fast newcomer Zed, we discuss which editors could suit your coding style. Whether you're a fan of Vim's keyboard mastery, WebStorm's all-in-one features, or experimenting with modern tools like Cursor, there's something here for everyone. Tune in to find the perfect fit for your development journey!
In this episode, Matt walks through his real-world SEO checklist for launching new websites—based on the process he followed while preparing a recent client site for launch. He covers everything from SEO titles, meta descriptions, and OG images to page performance, link structure, and content considerations. Along the way, Mike shares some of his own experiences, tools, and hard-earned lessons—like why automatic OG image generation can be a pain and how redirects can impact link equity. Whether you're prepping a site for launch or just want to tighten up your SEO workflow, this episode is packed with practical, real-world advice.
Today we had the pleasure of sitting down with Per Borgen to get his insights and opinions on landing a developer job despite current market challenges. We also got his opinions on how AI is shaping both developer productivity and developer education. As the CEO of Scrimba, an online coding school with over 1 million users, Per has unique insights into not only web development, but also the challenges that aspiring and junior developers face as they learn and enter the job market. If you’re looking at getting a job in web development this episode is packed with tips and tricks to help you succeed as you learn and start to earn.
Modern office work is a dystopian nightmare, but did you know a WWII sabotage manual describes it perfectly? In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the eerie similarities between workplace inefficiency and deliberate sabotage, diving into burnout, corporate jargon, and the illusion of productivity. From pointless meetings to overcomplicated approval processes, we break down the hidden forces making work feel meaningless. Inspired by the Burnout - When does work start feeling pointless? documentary, we also discuss the origins of corporate buzzwords, ineffective management, and the promises of career success that no longer hold true. If you've ever felt drained by work, this one's for you!
In this episode Mike had the pleasure of sitting down with Maximilian Schwarzmüller to discuss developer education. Before the days of AI, developers would typically go to a traditional school program, do a Udemy course, or maybe take part in a bootcamp. In 2025, the AI era has shifted a lot of things, including developer education into a new space. Mike and Max explore the evolution of developer education, the role of AI in your 2025 learning journey, and what skills (if any) you should prioritize in these new exciting times.
Dive into the comeback of Web News as we discuss popular AI coding tools, the new "vibe coding" trend, and Firefox's new TOS changes. Coding with AI has become commonplace over the past couple years with consumer tools like ChatGPT showing off their coding competence. As professional developers adopt AI into the workplace they may start with ChatGPT, but will likely adopt coding-specific tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf. Vibe Coding is a new trend where you fire up an AI assistant and let it do the coding work for you through human language prompts - opening up rapid prototyping for experienced developers and helping newbies have their ideas realized (to some extent). Firefox has made headlines recently regarding changes to their TOS regarding privacy - are they still the "privacy browser" that many users trusted them to be?
In this episode we had the pleasure of sitting down with Kent C. Dodds, a celebrated educator, open-source advocate, and React expert. He’s the creator of the Epic Web conference starting on March 25th 2025 and has created some of the best React workshops and courses out there. Together, we dove deep into how AI has made it almost impossible to apply to jobs the traditional way and if junior developers should turn off their AI chatbots when learning. We also covered what framework you should be learning and the roadmap for learning it. (Spoiler alert... it’s React).
Dive into this episode of HTML All the Things as hosts Matt and Mike unlock the secrets to thriving in the world of remote work! They break down every model—from synchronous and asynchronous setups to hybrid and freelance paths—so listeners can find the perfect match for their lifestyle and personality. Matt and Mike share actionable strategies for boosting productivity, covering everything from time management and work environment hacks to mastering communication and leveraging top tools like Slack, Notion, and Zoom. The hosts also tackle the challenges unique to remote work, such as isolation, miscommunication, and the elusive work-life balance, offering practical advice on overcoming these hurdles. Plus, they provide expert tips on landing remote web development jobs, building a standout portfolio, acing remote interviews, and spotting red flags in job listings. Whether you're a seasoned remote pro or just starting out, this episode is packed with insights to help you succeed in the ever-evolving remote landscape.
In this episode, Matt and Mike tackle real-world SEO client scenarios and how to solve them. From small business owners struggling to be found online to demanding clients who just want to be “#1 on Google,” we break down the biggest SEO challenges and what it actually takes to improve rankings. We’ll cover: Helping local businesses improve their online visibility, managing client expectations when it comes to SEO, fixing common website and Google My Business mistakes, and the right way to approach SEO for long-term success. If you've ever worked with clients on SEO—or if you're trying to improve your own business’s search rankings—this episode is packed with practical advice you can use.
Web developers use a lot of tools to get the job done and unfortunately, those tools sometimes get dropped in favor of newer and shinier ones. In this episode Matt and Mike take a trip down memory lane to revisit and discuss some of the JavaScript tools that have since lost presence in the zeitgeist. These tools include jQuery, MomentJS, Apache Cordova, and more! Some of these tools, while not as spry as they once were, are still fully supported and have new versions in development. While they might not be exciting enough to make headlines on the daily, many are still viable tools projects depending on a project's needs, wants, and age.
Are developers forced to choose the popular option?
This week, Matt had the pleasure of sitting down with Colby Fayock, a content creator and Shopify engineer to discuss the difficulty of choosing tools, plugins, frameworks, and more. Typically when you want stability and support, a safe bet is a popular tool run by a large company or community. However, last year's WordPress drama had many wondering how a platform so massive had a future that suddenly seemed so uncertain. Can options other than the popular ones be a good choice sometimes?
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into the world of freelancing—a rewarding but often challenging career path for web developers, designers, and tech enthusiasts alike. As 10+ year veterans of their own web dev agency, the guys share their personal insights and experiences when freelancing. Learn how to: make the most out of freelancing platforms like GURU, build an online presence for marketing, leveraging word of mouth once established, and dig up leads in unconventional places. Whether you’re considering freelancing as a side hustle or aiming to go full-time, we’re here to share actionable tips and strategies to set you up for success.
In this episode Matt and Mike delve into the world of asynchronous JavaScript, inspired by a listener's request. The discussion covers essential concepts such as synchronous and asynchronous operations, explaining how JavaScript's single-threaded nature can lead to blocking issues. The hosts explore various methods to handle async operations, including callbacks, promises, and the increasingly popular async/await syntax. They also address practical issues like error handling and best practices for writing maintainable and performant async code. This episode is ideal for developers looking to deepen their understanding of JavaScript's asynchronous capabilities.
In this episode, Matt and Mike explore why vanilla JavaScript remains a powerful tool for developers. From small projects that don’t need the complexity of frameworks, to performance-critical and fine-control use cases, they discuss when and why going framework-free can be the better choice. They also dive into learning and debugging benefits, reducing dependencies, and ensuring compatibility with legacy browsers. Whether you’re prototyping, enhancing no-code platforms, or striving for leaner, faster projects, vanilla JS has its place in every developer’s toolkit.
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into the world of CSS, breaking down essential concepts to help developers write cleaner, more effective stylesheets. Topics include how to avoid over-specificity, the effective use of modern layout tools like Grid and Flexbox, leveraging custom properties for dynamic styling, and adopting methodologies such as BEM to ensure maintainable code. They’ll also explore the newest CSS features, such as container queries and scroll-linked animations, while highlighting how CSS can improve accessibility. Whether you’re just starting with CSS or looking to refine your skills, this episode is packed with insights to level up your stylesheets
Matt and Mike dive deep into the results of the State of JavaScript 2024 survey. The discussion covers various topics such as declining happiness with JavaScript frameworks, the rise of the Astro framework, and the increasing shift towards TypeScript. Additional discussions include the use of AI for code generation and some new JavaScript features that developers are excited about. The guys also discussed the complexities and evolving nature of web development, and whether the modern JavaScript learning curve is sustainable for aspiring junior developers.
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into the world of JavaScript environments, exploring the key differences between client-side and server-side JavaScript. Whether you're a beginner curious about how JavaScript works across the browser and the server, or an experienced developer looking for a refresher, this episode has you covered. Learn about the unique roles of client-side and server-side JavaScript, their common use cases, and when to use each. Plus, discover the latest trends like serverless environments, JAMstack, and exciting tools like Astro and Deno. Don't miss this comprehensive breakdown of JavaScript's dual nature!
In this episode, Matt and Mike take a look back at 2024, reflecting on the milestones and challenges of the past year. From tackling tough web development topics to experimenting with new strategies, it’s been a year of growth and learning for the podcast and its community.
Holidays are a time to recharge, but for web developers, they can sometimes feel like an extension of the workweek. In this episode, Matt and Mike share strategies to set boundaries, avoid burnout, and truly disconnect during the holiday season. They also cover pre-holiday planning tips, ways to make the most of your time off, and how to start the new year with realistic expectations. Whether you're a freelancer or part of a team, these tips will help you balance work and rest this holiday season.
