It’s finally happening! In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we sit down with Lea Verou to talk about all things usability, web standards, and her journey into tech. From childhood tinkering with imaginary product ads to shaping the future of CSS and web development, Lea has done ... a lot!You’ll hear about her work at MIT, her time on the W3C TAG, and what led her to join Font Awesome as Product Lead. Plus, we get into the finer points of her experience as a hardcore food blogger, and why Greek food just doesn’t do it for her anymore. Oh, and did we mention she may have been the first person to use an icon font on the web?Tune in for an insightful, nerdy, and entertaining deep dive into Lea’s world.Timestamp Summary🎙️ 0:01 | Welcome Lea Verou: The One We Finally Tracked Down 🤗 2:11 | Font Awesome’s Biannual Snuggle: Cozy or Creepy? 💡 3:28 | Lea’s Journey into Tech: The Love of Building Useful Things 💻 5:04 | From Visual Basic to Web Development: The Magic of the Web 🌍 8:49 | Web Standards & Lea’s Role in W3C’s TAG 🖍️ 12:31 | CSS Wizardry: The Inline If Function and Design Tokens 🛠️ 13:53 | How Font Awesome and Lea Crossed Paths 🔍 17:28 | The Truth About Font Awesome’s Licensing Model 🚀 18:18 | What Lea’s Working on at Font Awesome (Hint: Usability FTW) 👥 20:11 | Nerds Who Like People: The Importance of Human-Centric Design 🍜 25:52 | Lea’s Love for Cooking, Food Blogging, and Spicy Delights 🇬🇷 37:19 | Greek Food? Meh. Let’s Talk Global Cuisine 🥩 40:11 | The Steak That Changed Lea’s Life 🔥 42:02 | Favorite Font Awesome Icons? Dumpster Fire & Poo Storm, Obviously 🌐 43:34 | Where to Find Lea Online (Spoiler: Not on MySpace)Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/The Font Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin Audio mastering by Chris Enns and Lemon ProductionsFont Awesome on the Socials🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com 🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome 📸 Instagram: @font.awesome 💼 LinkedIn: /fontawesome🖥️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more nerdery, tech insights, and fun!Lea on the socials! 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/LeaVerou🌤️ Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/lea.verou.meStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!
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45:00
2024 Wrap-Up: Growth, Legends, and a Kitty Cat Saga
It’s that time of year again! In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we’re reflecting on all the things that went down at Font Awesome in 2024. From expanding the Awesomeverse with Web Awesome and Eleventy to major product updates like the full release of Duotone Icons and shiny new branding, we cover it all.You’ll hear about the Web Awesome Kickstarter campaign (success!), the arrival of industry legends Lea Verou and Zach Leatherman, and the behind-the-scenes Font Awesome updates that made 2024 one for the books. As they say. Oh, and don’t miss Jory’s epic tale of a tuxedo kitten named Toast that could easily inspire a heart warming stop motion holiday movie.Tune in for a fun, nerdy recap of the year that was and a sneak peek at what’s in store for 2025.Timestamp Summary🎉 0:08 | Reflecting on 2024 and Font Awesome's Upcoming Plans 🐾 2:35 | A Christmas Miracle and a Chaotic Kitten Rescue 🌌 7:26 | Building the Awesomeverse: Font Awesome's Expansion and Success 🔧 10:28 | Web Awesome Simplifies Website Building with Reusable Components 🤝 13:12 | Exciting New Hires and Developments at Font Awesome 🎁 16:41 | Exciting Updates and Offers for Font Awesome Pro ✨ 18:51 | Font Awesome's Icon Expansion and Creative Uses 🎥 25:07 | Behind the Scenes of a New Font Awesome Video 🛠️ 27:57 | Customizing Font Awesome Kits for Optimal Website Performance 🌱 30:12 | Evolution ... It'll Save Your Life Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/The Font Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie MartinAudio mastering by Chris Enns and Lemon ProductionsAurora Holiday Dance Font Awesome on the Socials 🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome📸 Instagram: @font.awesome💼 LinkedIn: / fontawesome 🖥️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more nerdery, tech insights, and fun!Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!
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34:07
Myth, Meme, or Madness? The Truth About Ballmer’s Peak 🤔
🍺 What’s the deal with the Ballmer Peak? Myth, meme, or just good old-fashioned developer humor? In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we unpack the hilarity and history behind this coding legend, complete with personal stories, team insights, and a responsible PSA. Whether you’re debugging at 3 a.m. or just love a good laugh, this episode has something for everyone. (And check out the episode on our YouTube for an even more fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb77NS_zFgQ)🍻 0:00 - Introduction to Ballmer's Peak 💡 1:31 - What Is Ballmer's Peak? 🎉 3:13 - Ballmer's Peak at Font Awesome Snuggle ⚡ 5:15 - Steve Ballmer and Developer Energy 🚀 7:07 - Achieving Peak Developer Performance 🎶 8:32 - Real Developer Strategies for Peak Performance 🔬 9:06 - DIY Breathalyzer and Exploring Ballmer's Peak 🎬 10:23 - Conclusion and Credits Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/The Font Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie MartinAudio mastering by Chris Enns and Lemon Productions Font Awesome on Social 🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com 🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome 📸 Instagram: @font.awesome💼 LinkedIn: / fontawesome 🖥️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more nerdery, tech insights, and fun!Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!
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12:50
The Logic Defying Way to Creating an Awesome Place to Work
In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt chats with Font Awesome co-founder Dave Gandy about building a workplace that doesn’t just work — but works for everyone. Whether you’re hustling in a startup, navigating open-source communities, or just trying to figure out if your boss actually values your humanity, this one’s for you. Dave dishes on the magic of finding the right co-founder (hint: they need to tell you when you're off your rocker), why open-source is about more than just writing code, and how empathy might just be the ultimate leadership hack. So, if you’re dreaming of cultivating a positive work culture — or just want to avoid soul-sucking jobs — this episode is for you. Timestamp Summary 🧑🤝🧑 0:15 | Finding Balance and Empathy in Co-Founder Relationships 🏢 6:04 | Finding a Workplace That Values Employees as Human Beings 🌐 14:56 | The Value of Empathy and Community in Open Source 💡 19:29 | Empathy and Leadership: Building Teams That Care 🎙️ 24:27 | Behind the Scenes of Podcast Awesome Production Key Takeaways: The Co-Founder Code: Pick a partner who balances your strengths and isn’t afraid to call out your crazy ideas (yes, you have them). Open Source Awesomeness: It’s not just about profit—it’s about passion, collaboration, and making something bigger than yourself. Empathy is Everything: Forget power suits; your best leadership tool is actually understanding your team. Work-Life Reality Check: When scouting a new job, look for a place that respects *you*, not just what you produce. Leadership Done Right: The best managers focus on building teams that are better than them at what matters most. Notable Quotes: 💡 “You need someone next to you that’s going to tell you when you’re crazy—or not—and that is of *such* extreme value.” 💖 “Empathy is your qualification for leadership.” 🚀 “Management is more about how you inspire and execute, not just delivering outcomes.” 🏆 “The best managers hire people who are better than them at the job that needs to be done.” 🌟 “You call it a lifestyle company like it’s a bad thing. Spoiler: every company is a lifestyle.” Resources: 🎨 Font Awesome: FontAwesome.com 🐦 Twitter: @fontawesome 📸 Instagram: @font.awesome 🌌 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fontawesome.com 🎶 The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/ 🎵 Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/ 🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/ Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!
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25:30
Nerd Show and Tell: Meet Zach Leatherman
Ready to geek out? In this episode of Podcast Awesome's Nerd Show and Tell, Matt sits down with none other than Zach Leatherman, the tech dynamo and creator behind Eleventy — the static site generator that’s got web devs buzzing. Zach’s tech-world experience is a wild ride of innovation, grit, and love for the open web. With a little help from our team here at Font Awesome, Zach’s pushing to make open-source sustainable and bring back the glory days of personal websites, free from algorithm overlords.Zach gets real about the rollercoaster ride of building Eleventy and why owning your corner of the internet is more important than ever. Expect some hot takes on the tech industry, social media, and how platforms like Eleventy could just be the ticket to a new wave of web independence. Plus, you’ll get a peek into the collaborative brainpower with our founders Dave and Travis backing Zach’s mission. Hold onto your icons — this one’s packed!Key Takeaways:Eleventy: Zach’s creation was inspired by Jekyll, but it’s packed with unique features — no messy databases or plugins here! Simple, secure, and seriously impressive.Sustainable Open Source: Zach’s career shines a light on the need for open-source projects to be sustainable, allowing devs to thrive without burning out.Browser Dev Tools Love: Remember Firebug? Zach does. He spills on how these tools have shaped modern web development practices.Indie Web Comeback: Forget the social media maze. Zach’s all about owning your digital real estate, championing a return to independent web publishing.Font Awesome Collab: It’s a team effort! With the support of our founders and a shared mission, we’re backing Zach and Eleventy for a brighter, algorithm-free web future.Timestamp Summary 🚀 0:00 | Zach Leatherman Discusses Eleventy and Open Source Challenges 💸 1:59 | Navigating the Challenges of Open Source Project Funding ⚖️ 13:04 | Balancing Open Source Passion with Sustainable Business Models 🌟 20:15 | The Joy of Building Websites and Creative Storytelling 🧻 25:26 | Debating the Proper Way to Hang Toilet Paper 🌌 26:27 | Eleventy's Future and Integration into the Awesome Universe Links and Resources:Twitter: @fontawesomeInstagram: @font.awesomeEleventy DocumentationZach Leatherman on GitHubCredits:Theme music by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!
South Africa