Balancing Code and Wellbeing: Michelle Bakels on React and Developer Health

Balancing Code and Wellbeing: Michelle Bakels on React and Developer Health

Author: Skill Issue Studios October 10, 2024 Duration: 57:37

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Michelle Bakels, Program Director at G2i and co-organizer of React Miami. They cover a range of topics, from developer health initiatives to the challenges of organizing a growing tech conference. They also discuss their experiences with React, the evolution of developer culture, and the perks of working in tech.

In this episode:

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (03:43) - Whiskey: Old Forester 1910
  • (17:11) - Inferred types vs explicit types
  • (18:07) - Tailwind vs vanilla CSS
  • (20:59) - Git rebase vs git merge
  • (23:08) - Third party vs roll your own
  • (24:40) - VS Code sidebar on left or right
  • (27:35) - Vercel vs cheap VPS
  • (31:07) - Whiskey.fund
  • (31:40) - React Miami
  • (39:10) - Dev Health OS
  • (44:58) - Inter Miami
  • (49:37) - Phoenix Open and TGL
  • (52:44) - Non-tech careers
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There's a certain alchemy that happens when you combine deep technical expertise with the warmth of a good conversation, and that's exactly what you'll find in Whiskey Web and Whatnot. Hosts Robbie Wagner, Charles William Carpenter III, and Adam Argyle bring decades of collective experience to the table, but they leave the lecture format at the door. Instead, each episode feels like pulling up a chair with colleagues who are just as passionate about the craft of building for the web as they are about the nuanced flavors in a glass of whiskey. The discussion naturally flows between the concrete details of modern development-like navigating JavaScript frameworks, CSS architecture, or the practical realities of agentic AI and new coding tools-and the broader, human aspects of a software engineering career. This podcast from Skill Issue Studios is built on the idea that the tools and the people who use them are equally important. You'll come for insightful, grounded advice on developer productivity and emerging technologies, but you'll stay for the genuine camaraderie and the occasional spirited debate about which whiskey bottle truly earns a spot on the shelf. It’s a refreshing blend of substance and personality, making complex topics accessible and reminding everyone that there's always a story behind the code.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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