HTML All The Things - Web Development, Web Design, Small Business

Uptime ideals vs reality in the AI era. A recent post from Theo (t3.gg) calling out sub-90% uptime on a major AI service reignites the question: how seriously should we treat downtime for non-critical apps? In this episode Matt and Mike dig into SLAs, the real cost of monitoring and rapid support, why “always-on” isn’t free, and whether 24/7 expectations turn developers into shift workers instead of on-call responders.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/does-downtime-matter

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.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/from-geek-squad-to-mongodb-advocate-w-jesse-hall

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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.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/interview-tips-to-help-you-land-a-job-in-web-development

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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?

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/should-you-niche-down-as-a-developer

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.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/content-creator-or-web-developer-w-dylan-israel

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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.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/is-web-development-recession-proof

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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.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/was-the-coinbase-ceo-too-harsh-ai-firings

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.

Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/top-mistakes-that-developers-make-when-building-a-web-app-and-how-to-prevent-them

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