Flagging Features and Dropping Beats with Ben Rometsch

Flagging Features and Dropping Beats with Ben Rometsch

Author: Skill Issue Studios May 9, 2024 Duration: 1:07:28

In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, hosts RobbieTheWagner and Charles William Carpenter III are joined by Ben Rometsch, CEO and co-founder of Flagsmith.

The discussion kicks off with a lighthearted conversation about the absence of landscapers at Chuck's house, leading into Ben's unexpected affinity for the New Orleans Saints due to a memorable game at Wembley in London.

Ben shares his journey from running a web agency for 23 years to starting Flagsmith as a side project, which has now become a growing business with 97 percent of its codebase being open-source.

The conversation shifts to a whiskey tasting of Redwood Empire's Lost Monarch, featuring a blend of aged bourbons and whiskey, followed by a discussion on various tech topics including AI in jobs, the value of front-end frameworks, and Git practices.

Later, Ben provides a detailed overview of Flagsmith, emphasizing its open-source nature, the importance of feature flags in development, and how the platform has evolved with contributions from the community, including paying customers. The episode wraps up with personal insights from Ben, including his dream of being an author and his fondness for the video game Parappa the Rapper.

Key Takeaways

  • [00:00] - Opening Banter and Landscaper Tales
  • [00:55] - Introducing Ben and Flagsmith
  • [03:02] - A Deep Dive into Whiskey Tasting
  • [10:31] - Hot Takes on AI, Frameworks, and Git Practices
  • [25:38] - Exploring Flagsmith: An Open Source Journey
  • [32:32] - The Challenges of Staging and Production Environments
  • [33:42] - The High Cost of Configuration Differences
  • [36:11] - The Evolution of Engineering Practices and Frameworks
  • [42:15] - The Business Value of Open Source and Commercial Software
  • [53:38] - Personal Passions: From Tech to Writing and Retro Gaming

Links

Connect with our hosts

Subscribe and stay in touch

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund/⁠.


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

Whiskey Web and Whatnot
Podcast Episodes
Dev Jobs, Burgers, and AI with Spotify’s Taylor Poindexter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:41
In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, Robbie and Chuck welcome back Taylor Poindexter, an engineering manager at Spotify, to discuss a range of topics from web development, career advice, and job market trends to f…
Italian Culture, CSS, Remote Work, Gen Z Career Advice, and more! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:59
In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, RobbieTheWagner and Charles William Carpenter III sip some Old Forester 1920 and Bushmills, and dive into a casual conversation about their experiences of Italian culture, food…
Typecraft: TypeScript, Vim, Foodie YouTube, Linux, and More! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:26
In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, Robbie and Chuck talk with Chris Power, the creator behind the Typecraft YouTube channel. Known for his expertise in Linux and TypeScript, Chris discusses various tech, languag…
Htmx, Open Source, Retro Tech, and Dev Tools with Carson Gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:01
In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, Robbie and Chuck talk with Carson Gross about his journey in web development, including the creation of htmx and its predecessor, intercooler.js. They touch on the differences…
Disappointing Whiskey, Pizza Debates, and Tech Conference Adventures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:47
In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, hosts RobbieTheWagner and Charles William Carpenter III review a disappointing whiskey that leaves them questioning their life choices, discuss their lackluster food experience…
The Future of Ember and Modern Build Tools with Chris Manson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:50
In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, Robbie talks with Chris Manson about the intricacies of JavaScript classes, the evolving landscape of React and Ember, and the benefits of using Vite in modern app development.…
Introducing: Whiskey Web and Whatnot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:27
Veteran web developers RobbieTheWagner and Charles William Carpenter III host this informal, whiskey-fueled fireside chat with your favorite web devs. They discuss all things web development including JavaScript, TypeScr…