Why Open Source Might Be Your Best Career Move w/ Shruti Kapoor

Why Open Source Might Be Your Best Career Move w/ Shruti Kapoor

Author: Skill Issue Studios October 30, 2025 Duration: 42:07

Recorded at All Things Open 2025, Robbie Wagner and guest co-host Jason Lengstorf chat with developer-turned-creator Shruti Kapoor about her leap from Slack and PayPal to YouTube, the joys and pitfalls of open source, and eternal web dev debates.

In this episode:

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (01:37) - Wine rating & review: Fre Sparkling Brut
  • (06:33) - Hot Take: git rebase vs. git merge
  • (09:11) - Hot Take: Is HTML a programming language?
  • (09:41) - Hot Take: Is CSS a programming language?
  • (10:20) - Hot take: classes vs. functional components
  • (11:13) - Hot Take: Remix, TanStack, or Next.js?
  • (15:02) - Hot Take: console.log vs debugger
  • (16:11) - Hot Take: Were React server components a mistake?
  • (20:42) - How open source changed Shruti’s career
  • (22:23) - The real value of contributing to open source
  • (26:05) - What is the React Foundation and why it matters
  • (28:58) - Highlights from React Conf and new features
  • (31:01) - From Slack engineer to independent creator
  • (34:34) - Choosing what content to make (and why)
  • (37:58) - Shruti’s dog, discipline, and life lessons
  • (40:01) - What would Shruti do if not in tech?
  • (40:30) - Where to find Shruti online

Links

Connect with Jason

Connect with Shruti

Connect with the hosts

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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: 50

Whiskey Web and Whatnot
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