Top Mistakes That Developers Make When Building a Web App (And How to Prevent Them)
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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Web News: From Star Trek to Today Dreaming of AI’s Best Future
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.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/from-star-trek-to-today-dreaming-of-ais-best-future
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Can You Have a Career in Web Development?
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.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/can-you-have-a-career-in-web-development
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Use our Scrimba affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.
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Web News: Do Developers Use Technology Differently?
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?
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/do-developers-use-technology-differently
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Landing a Developer Job in a Tough Market | w/ Taylor Desseyn (VP at Torc)
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:
The current state of the tech job market in 2025
Why many developers are struggling to get hired
The role of networking and developer communities in job hunting
Insider tips for landing a web development or software engineering job quickly
What companies really look for when hiring tech talent
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.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/landing-a-developer-job-in-a-tough-market-w-taylor-desseyn-vp-at-torc
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About HTML All The Things - Web Development, Web Design, Small Business
The adventures of Matt Lawrence and Mike Karan through the world of web development, web design, and small business management. As web development agency owners for the better part of a decade, they’ve worked with all sorts of technologies, through the rise of responsive web design, the revolution of serverless computing, and the popularity gain of many no-code tools for small business owners. They commonly discuss foundational web development technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - including popular frameworks and tools such as Tailwind CSS, Svelte, WordPress, Vue, and more.
Listen to HTML All The Things - Web Development, Web Design, Small Business, Honest Money and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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