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

The Hype Trap: Why Cutting Edge Isn’t Always the Best Choice

In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the temptation to always chase the latest and greatest in tech—whether it's new frameworks, tools, or workflows that dominate developer discourse. While the buzz can be exciting, blindly adopting bleeding-edge technology can lead to serious downsides like poor documentation, tiny communities, and unstable tools. The guys discuss how these risks affect both personal and client projects, when it's actually worth going cutting-edge, and why it's perfectly okay (and often smarter) to use tried-and-true tech. If you've ever felt FOMO seeing everyone jump to the next hot thing, this one's for you.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-hype-trap-why-cutting-edge-isnt-always-the-best-choice
20% off Scrimba with our affiliate link. Full details in the show notes.

Startups vs Big Tech for Web Developers

In this episode, Mike shares his theory that AI will make it easier to prototype and launch startups, potentially opening more opportunities for developers outside of big tech. Matt and Mike compare working in startups versus big tech across several categories like career growth, pace, culture, job security, and more. Drawing on personal experiences and industry research, they explore how each environment can shape a developer’s career—and how AI might change the game.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/startups-vs-big-tech-for-web-developers

The Full Stack of a Website: What Clients Often Overlook

In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the full stack of a website, highlighting what clients often overlook when requesting a new site. While it's easy to focus on what’s visible—like product pages, landing pages, and design elements—the real complexity lies beneath the surface. A professional website requires thoughtful planning around content management systems (CMS), performance optimization, SEO, hosting infrastructure, and security. They dive into how CMS setups vary across industries, how performance issues can impact user experience and search rankings, and why hosting choices matter for scalability and deployment workflows. The conversation also touches on spam protection, third-party integrations, and the ongoing nature of SEO and content strategy. Whether you're a developer trying to educate your clients, or a business owner looking to understand what really goes into a website build, this episode breaks down why a website is so much more than what you see on the screen.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/the-full-stack-of-a-website-what-clients-often-overlook

Should Kids Learn to Code? With Jonathan Schor

On this episode of HTML All The Things, Jonathan Schor joins us to discuss why coding may be the next essential skill for kids in our tech-driven world. We explore the gamification of coding education, how it engages young learners, and why it could transform traditional teaching methods. Jonathan shares insights on whether coding should be part of elementary school curriculums and addresses concerns about AI’s impact on the future of coding careers. Plus, we look into CodeMonkey’s exciting plans and how it’s shaping the future of coding education.
‍Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/should-kids-learn-to-code-with-jonathan-schor

Top 5 Code Editors for Web Developers

Choosing the right code editor can make or break a web developer's workflow. In this episode, we dive into the Top 5 Code Editors for Web Developers—exploring their strengths, quirks, and everything in between. From the widely-loved Visual Studio Code to the blazing-fast newcomer Zed, we discuss which editors could suit your coding style. Whether you're a fan of Vim's keyboard mastery, WebStorm's all-in-one features, or experimenting with modern tools like Cursor, there's something here for everyone. Tune in to find the perfect fit for your development journey!
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/top-5-code-editors-for-web-developers

My Real-World SEO Checklist for New Websites

In this episode, Matt walks through his real-world SEO checklist for launching new websites—based on the process he followed while preparing a recent client site for launch. He covers everything from SEO titles, meta descriptions, and OG images to page performance, link structure, and content considerations. Along the way, Mike shares some of his own experiences, tools, and hard-earned lessons—like why automatic OG image generation can be a pain and how redirects can impact link equity. Whether you're prepping a site for launch or just want to tighten up your SEO workflow, this episode is packed with practical, real-world advice.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/my-real-world-seo-checklist-for-new-websites

AI in Developer Education: Scrimba's Instant Feedback & Backend Courses w/ Per Borgen

Today we had the pleasure of sitting down with Per Borgen to get his insights and opinions on landing a developer job despite current market challenges. We also got his opinions on how AI is shaping both developer productivity and developer education. As the CEO of Scrimba, an online coding school with over 1 million users, Per has unique insights into not only web development, but also the challenges that aspiring and junior developers face as they learn and enter the job market. If you’re looking at getting a job in web development this episode is packed with tips and tricks to help you succeed as you learn and start to earn.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/ai-in-developer-education-scrimbas-instant-feedback-new-backend-courses-w-per-borgen

Corporate Burnout: How the CIA Invented Your 9 to 5

Modern office work is a dystopian nightmare, but did you know a WWII sabotage manual describes it perfectly? In this episode, Matt and Mike explore the eerie similarities between workplace inefficiency and deliberate sabotage, diving into burnout, corporate jargon, and the illusion of productivity. From pointless meetings to overcomplicated approval processes, we break down the hidden forces making work feel meaningless. Inspired by the Burnout - When does work start feeling pointless? documentary, we also discuss the origins of corporate buzzwords, ineffective management, and the promises of career success that no longer hold true. If you've ever felt drained by work, this one's for you!
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/corporate-burnout-how-the-cia-invented-your-9-to-5
Thanks to Magic Mind for sponsoring today's episode! Get up to 25% off their new gummies by using our affiliate link (https://magicmind.com/HTMLGM), or promo code (HTML25).
 

Developer Education w/ Maximilian Schwarzmüller

In this episode Mike had the pleasure of sitting down with Maximilian Schwarzmüller to discuss developer education. Before the days of AI, developers would typically go to a traditional school program, do a Udemy course, or maybe take part in a bootcamp. In 2025, the AI era has shifted a lot of things, including developer education into a new space. Mike and Max explore the evolution of developer education, the role of AI in your 2025 learning journey, and what skills (if any) you should prioritize in these new exciting times.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/developer-education-w-maximilian-schwarzmuller

Vibe Coding, Cursor Vs Windsurf, Firefox Did What?!

Dive into the comeback of Web News as we discuss popular AI coding tools, the new "vibe coding" trend, and Firefox's new TOS changes. Coding with AI has become commonplace over the past couple years with consumer tools like ChatGPT showing off their coding competence. As professional developers adopt AI into the workplace they may start with ChatGPT, but will likely adopt coding-specific tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf. Vibe Coding is a new trend where you fire up an AI assistant and let it do the coding work for you through human language prompts - opening up rapid prototyping for experienced developers and helping newbies have their ideas realized (to some extent). Firefox has made headlines recently regarding changes to their TOS regarding privacy - are they still the "privacy browser" that many users trusted them to be?
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/vibe-coding-cursor-vs-windsurf-firefox-did-what
Thanks to Magic Mind for sponsoring today's episode! Get up to 25% off their new gummies by using our affiliate link (https://magicmind.com/HTMLGM), or promo code (HTML25).