In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about why devs neglect their own websites, hosting shady projects (hypothetically), AI rules in version control, balancing side projects and family life, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:43 Why devs neglect their own websites (and how to convince your parents coding is a real job)
07:04 AirPods, Nothing Ear, and the ANC struggle
10:22 Shipping Syntax merch from Canada
12:43 Scott’s update on Omarchy and Linux laptop life
18:05 What to do when a user account gets hacked (and how to prevent it)
21:33 Should you commit LLM context files and AI-generated docs to Git?
25:27 How to balance career, side projects, and family life
29:25 Building and hosting a “legally dubious” website
33:27 Best practices for dealing with images
42:46 Where to find Wes’ awesome wallpapers
44:19 Can you trust services with a generous free tier?
ServerlessHorrors
50:32 Do we still use GIFs?
52:23 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs
55:59 Brought to you by Sentry.io
Sick Picks
Scott: Mkv-Quicklook
Wes: Momofuku Sweet & Savory Korean BBQ Sauce
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
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57:35
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57:35
945: Chrome Dev Tools MCP Server
Scott and Wes dive into Chrome’s new MCP server; a dev tools API powered by Puppeteer that gives your scripts, editors, and AI agents full access to Chrome. They break down how it works, what it can (and can’t) do, and how it might change debugging and automation for developers
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:15 Syntax San Francisco Meetup.
01:55 We need your Spooky Stories!
02:42 What is an MCP Server?
04:28 MCP servers are not only for code editors.
06:43 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
07:49 Dev Tools MCP is similar to Puppeteer.
09:20 Setting up an MCP Server.
11:36 Example of MCP with Dominos Pizza.
13:23 Accessing Dev tools from your editor.
14:23 In VS Code, you can “Open Link”.
15:22 Using the MCP server.
16:26 Chrome has Debug insights inside of chrome’s dev tools.
18:38 Real world things the Chrome MCP server can do.
18:43 Analyzing performance.
19:55 Taking screenshots.
21:17 Performance fix feedback loop.
22:33 Remote connecting browsers.
24:54 Browser-use.
25:18 What are the limitations?
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
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29:14
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29:14
944: Is Coinbase Really Writing Half Their Code With AI?
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
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
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49:06
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49:06
943: Modern React with Ricky Hanlon (React Core Dev)
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/
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
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38:36
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38:36
942: Mental Health Q&A w/ Dr. Courtney Tolinski
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
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
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.
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