In this episode of HTML All The Things, Mike sits down with Jesse Hall, Staff Developer Advocate at MongoDB and creator of the popular codeSTACKr platform. Jesse shares his journey from working at Geek Squad to becoming a self-taught developer, educator, and now an advocate at one of the biggest players in the database space.
They discuss the principles that make technical concepts “click” for beginners, how to help teams move from relational-first thinking to designing flexible MongoDB schemas, and the pitfalls to avoid when working with document databases. The conversation also dives into MongoDB’s role in the AI landscape, including Jesse’s “AI in Two Lines” approach and what it really takes to go from toy chatbots to robust agentic systems.
Landing a tech job can feel like a marathon—getting the interview is tough, and nailing it is even harder. In this episode, Matt shares insider tips from his experience interviewing dozens of engineers, highlighting the strategies that helped candidates stand out. From making a strong first impression to handling tough technical questions, these insights will help you prepare, perform, and leave a lasting impression in your next interview.
When it comes to starting an online business, one of the most common pieces of advice is to “niche down.” Instead of trying to cover an entire industry or topic family, niching down means choosing a smaller slice of the pie to specialize in. In this week’s Web News, Matt and Mike explore whether that same strategy can apply to developers. Is there value in mastering a narrow set of skills and becoming the go-to authority in that niche? Or does broad knowledge provide more flexibility in a fast-moving industry?
In this episode of HTML All The Things, Matt chats with Dylan Israel about balancing careers in content creation and web development. Dylan has done it all — from building popular YouTube videos and courses, to co-hosting the Self Taught or Not podcast, to landing a role at Amazon. We dive into whether content creation was ever a full-time goal or simply a stepping stone, and what it really takes to break into web development today. Dylan also shares advice for self-taught and traditionally taught devs, thoughts on burnout vs dedication, and his perspective on AI’s impact on junior developers.
Is web development truly recession proof? In this episode of the HTML All The Things Podcast, Matt and Mike explore how different types of recessions—tech downturns, regional slumps, and global crashes—impact developer jobs and freelancing. They discuss why tech’s deep connection to so many industries can make developers more resilient, how side hustles and niche targeting can provide security, and why major economic downturns often spark new online opportunities. Drawing on community perspectives and industry insights, this episode unpacks what it takes to keep your career strong in uncertain times.
In this edition of the Web News, Matt and Mike discuss Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s controversial decision to fire engineers who refused to adopt AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor. After purchasing enterprise licenses, Armstrong gave employees just one week to integrate the tools into their workflows, even holding a Saturday meeting to enforce compliance. Was this “heavy-handed” approach justified, or did it cross the line? We break down the story, explore the ethics of forcing AI adoption, and consider what this means for the future of engineering culture.
Every developer has war stories about a project that went sideways—too many abstractions, tests that didn’t catch what mattered, or a late-night deploy with no rollback plan. In this episode, Matt and Mike dig into the seven biggest mistakes teams make when building web apps and how to avoid them. From over- and under-engineering, leaving hard problems until the last minute, and wasting time in low-impact areas, to skipping security basics, ignoring observability, and neglecting CI/CD, we cover the traps that derail projects. Along the way, we share practical strategies—like building for 10× growth (not 100×), using tracer-bullet proofs of concept, scoping by impact, and shipping behind feature flags. Whether you’re launching your first SaaS or scaling an enterprise app, these lessons will help you build faster, safer, and smarter.
AI often makes headlines for its risks—huge electricity usage, job replacement fears, and ethical concerns around training on human-created work. But is there another side to the story? In this Web News episode, Matt and Mike explores the positives of AI that are often overlooked. From childhood sci-fi dreams of voice-controlled computers to the imaginative worlds of Star Trek, we’ll look at AI through rose-coloured glasses and discuss what it could mean for the future when viewed with optimism.
On this episode of HTML All The Things, we dive into a Reddit thread where a retail worker-turned-student wonders if pursuing web development is still a smart career move. From market saturation and AI tools taking over entry-level tasks, to alternative tech paths and freelancing, we unpack the tough realities and bright possibilities facing new developers today.
If you’ve been questioning whether coding is still worth the grind—or if your portfolio is enough to land that first job—this conversation is for you.
When developers and tech-savvy users interact with technology, they often do it in ways that differ drastically from the general public. While the average consumer might eagerly adopt new features and shortcuts at face value, techies tend to avoid gimmicks, question claims, and create their own workflows. In this episode of Web News, we explore how these different usage patterns affect app design, UX decisions, and the experiences we create as developers. Do we need to design with two audiences in mind—one for the general user and another for the tech-savvy crowd?
The developer job market is tougher than ever — but it’s not impossible to land your dream role. In this episode, I’m joined by Taylor Desseyn, VP of Global Community at Torc, a talent platform helping top developers connect with companies fast.
We dive into:
Whether you’re a junior developer trying to break in or a seasoned engineer facing layoffs, this episode is packed with practical career tips to help you stand out and get hired.
Keywords to help you find us: developer jobs, tech hiring, software engineer jobs, web development careers, coding job tips, networking in tech, programming careers, tech layoffs, how to get a job in tech.
🎧 Listen now and start taking control of your career in a tough market.
In what's becoming an annual feature, Matt and Mike discussed the results of the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025. There are an absolute ton of different categories and results in this survey, the guys have cherry picked a few key metrics to drive conversation and debate on the state of the 2025 developer market. With AI tools coming in hot this year (and last for that matter), many think that the industry is in a state of upset - do you think the survey results confirm that?
AI is everywhere—popping up in every tool, platform, and app we use. But with all this supposed productivity, why are we spending so much time tinkering with AI tools instead of just... working? In this episode, we dig into whether the time we spend learning and adjusting AI is actually worth it—or if it's starting to backfire. Is this just a phase of growing pains, or will "tinkering" always be part of using AI as it rapidly evolves?
In this episode, Matt and Mike explore whether learning the fundamentals of coding is still necessary in 2025, now that powerful AI tools can write, refactor, and explain code in seconds. Do new developers still need to understand things like variables, loops, and logic, or can they jump straight into building projects with AI assistance?
We talk about the pros and cons of skipping the basics, when foundational knowledge becomes essential, and how modern devs can balance AI-driven productivity with real skill-building. We also dive into how this all ties into web development, vibe-coding, and the rise of no-code/low-code tools.
Whether you're just starting out or building your 10th project, this conversation will help you decide where to focus your learning next.
AI tools are getting faster, cheaper, and—some say—good enough to replace junior developers. In this episode of Web News, we dive into the recent X discussion between Brian Coords, Matt Mullenweg, and others about whether AI agents could do junior dev work for just $12k–$15k a year. Are junior developers truly cooked? Could the career path for new devs become unpaid or low-paid work until you “level up” to senior? We explore the implications for the industry, the future of developer salaries, and whether entry-level jobs are at risk.
In this episode, Mike explores his growing dependence on AI tools like Cursor and ChatGPT to handle everyday coding tasks. From code generation and DevOps to security reviews and task planning, AI is integrated into nearly every part of his workflow. But as these tools take over more responsibilities, Mike asks the hard questions: Am I losing my edge? Should I still code manually even if AI can do it faster—or better? He shares how he uses AI day-to-day, when he steps in to take control, and whether it’s time to focus on solving tougher problems that AI can’t yet tackle.
As web developers, we often wear a lot of hats — designer, developer, project manager, client liaison, support desk, and more. But where’s the line between taking initiative and taking on too much?
In this episode, Matt and Mike dig into the slippery slope of overcommitting in web development — whether it’s a single project that’s way too big or an avalanche of client work that becomes unmanageable. They explore how this can affect your health, your business, and your ability to actually get things done.
We all know what it’s like to be fired—but what about firing a client? In this week’s Web News, Matt and Mike explore what happens when a freelance relationship goes sour. Is it ever okay to walk away from a paying client? What if they’re disruptive, draining your time, or you’ve simply lost interest in their project? They break down when it’s appropriate to cut ties and how to do it professionally.
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive deep into web app security by walking through a simple SaaS note-taking app and breaking down vulnerabilities at each layer—from frontend and backend to auth and hosting. With 16 billion credentials recently leaked and AI increasing attack complexity, even indie devs need to lock things down. They cover common security pitfalls like XSS, CSRF, IDOR, insecure cookies, and more—along with practical mitigations using tools like tRPC, Prisma, and Next.js. Whether you’re building solo or part of a team, this episode will help you build safer apps from the ground up.
When a client needs a mission-critical feature built with tech you’ve never touched before—what do you do? In this Web News, we talk about the pressure of learning on the fly, whether or not to disclose your inexperience, and how to navigate these high-stakes situations without losing your cool.
In this episode, Matt shares his “Write for Google” process — a strategic, keyword-first approach to planning SEO-friendly content. He walks through how he researches keywords, analyzes top-ranking articles, and builds heading structures that make writing feel like filling in the blanks. Matt also explains how he uses AI as a helpful second set of eyes to validate ideas and fine-tune outlines before writing begins.
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into developer experience (DX) — what it is, why it matters, and how improving it can make you a better developer. They share personal stories of frustrating build processes, game-changing tools, and scripting away pain points. Whether it's speeding up deployments, eliminating unnecessary rebuilds, or embracing platforms like Vercel and PlanetScale, there's never been a better time to take your DX into your own hands.
Most coding guides are built for beginners—but what if you're already a working developer? In this episode, Matt shares his personal struggle with upgrading his coding skills after years of using no-code and low-code tools to deliver client sites. From outdated certifications to modern dev stacks, we explore how "situational developers" can navigate learning gaps, avoid repetitive beginner content, and figure out what skills actually matter next.
What happens when a real developer uses AI to build something in a language and toolset they’ve never touched before? In this episode, Matt shares the story of how he created a free, custom-coded Google News sitemap generator using Node.js, GitHub Actions, and the Webflow API—with help from AI. The catch? He had no prior experience with any of those tools.
Ever wonder what a developer really does at a tech startup? In this episode, we break down a full week—from scattered meetings and deep work to deployments, sprint planning, and handling the chaos of outages and DDoS attacks. Get a behind-the-scenes look at balancing coding, team support, and product planning in a fast-moving environment.
