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PODCAST

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and Developer Careers

Matt Lawrence and Mike Karan

HTML All The Things is a podcast for developers navigating the modern web industry. Hosted by web development agency owners Matt Lawrence and Mike Karan, the show explores web development, AI-driven industry shifts, and the realities of building a sustainable career in tech. Matt and Mike discuss foundational technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript along with modern tools and frameworks such as Svelte, Vue, WordPress, React, and Tailwind. But beyond the code, the show also dives into

technology how to

All Episodes

21:59

Web News: Should You Niche Down as a Developer?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/09/07

When it comes to starting an online business, one of the most common pieces of advice is to “niche down.” Instead of trying to cover an entire industry or topic family, niching down means choosing a smaller slice of the pie to specialize in. In this week’s Web News, Matt and Mike explore whether that same strategy can apply to developers. Is there value in mastering a narrow set of skills and becoming the go-to authority in that niche? Or does broad knowledge provide more flexibility in a

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71:37

Content Creator or Web Developer? | w/ Dylan Israel

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/09/04

In this episode of HTML All The Things, Matt chats with Dylan Israel about balancing careers in content creation and web development. Dylan has done it all — from building popular YouTube videos and courses, to co-hosting the Self Taught or Not podcast, to landing a role at Amazon. We dive into whether content creation was ever a full-time goal or simply a stepping stone, and what it really takes to break into web development today. Dylan also shares advice for self-taught and traditionally taught

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63:35

Is Web Development Recession Proof?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/09/02

Is web development truly recession proof? In this episode of the HTML All The Things Podcast, Matt and Mike explore how different types of recessions—tech downturns, regional slumps, and global crashes—impact developer jobs and freelancing. They discuss why tech’s deep connection to so many industries can make developers more resilient, how side hustles and niche targeting can provide security, and why major economic downturns often spark new online opportunities. Drawing on community perspectives

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32:01

Web News: Was the Coinbase CEO Too Harsh? (AI Firings)

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/30

In this edition of the Web News, Matt and Mike discuss Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s controversial decision to fire engineers who refused to adopt AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor. After purchasing enterprise licenses, Armstrong gave employees just one week to integrate the tools into their workflows, even holding a Saturday meeting to enforce compliance. Was this “heavy-handed” approach justified, or did it cross the line? We break down the story, explore the ethics of forcing AI adoption,

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01:05:07

Top Mistakes That Developers Make When Building a Web...

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/26

Every developer has war stories about a project that went sideways—too many abstractions, tests that didn’t catch what mattered, or a late-night deploy with no rollback plan. In this episode, Matt and Mike dig into the seven biggest mistakes teams make when building web apps and how to avoid them. From over- and under-engineering, leaving hard problems until the last minute, and wasting time in low-impact areas, to skipping security basics, ignoring observability, and neglecting CI/CD, we cover the

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25:42

Web News: From Star Trek to Today Dreaming of AI’s...

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/23

AI often makes headlines for its risks—huge electricity usage, job replacement fears, and ethical concerns around training on human-created work. But is there another side to the story? In this Web News episode, Matt and Mike explores the positives of AI that are often overlooked. From childhood sci-fi dreams of voice-controlled computers to the imaginative worlds of Star Trek, we’ll look at AI through rose-coloured glasses and discuss what it could mean for the future when viewed with

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01:02:11

Can You Have a Career in Web Development?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/19

On this episode of HTML All The Things, we dive into a Reddit thread where a retail worker-turned-student wonders if pursuing web development is still a smart career move. From market saturation and AI tools taking over entry-level tasks, to alternative tech paths and freelancing, we unpack the tough realities and bright possibilities facing new developers today.If you’ve been questioning whether coding is still worth the grind—or if your portfolio is enough to land that first job—this conversation

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21:39

Web News: Do Developers Use Technology Differently?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/16

When developers and tech-savvy users interact with technology, they often do it in ways that differ drastically from the general public. While the average consumer might eagerly adopt new features and shortcuts at face value, techies tend to avoid gimmicks, question claims, and create their own workflows. In this episode of Web News, we explore how these different usage patterns affect app design, UX decisions, and the experiences we create as developers. Do we need to design with two audiences in

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54:44

Landing a Developer Job in a Tough Market | w/ Taylor...

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/14

The developer job market is tougher than ever — but it’s not impossible to land your dream role. In this episode, I’m joined by Taylor Desseyn, VP of Global Community at Torc, a talent platform helping top developers connect with companies fast.We dive into: The current state of the tech job market in 2025 Why many developers are struggling to get hired The role of networking and developer communities in job hunting Insider tips for landing a web development or software engineering job

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01:27:16

Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/12

In what's becoming an annual feature, Matt and Mike discussed the results of the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025. There are an absolute ton of different categories and results in this survey, the guys have cherry picked a few key metrics to drive conversation and debate on the state of the 2025 developer market. With AI tools coming in hot this year (and last for that matter), many think that the industry is in a state of upset - do you think the survey results confirm that?Show Notes:

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21:23

Web News: We Shouldn’t Focus on AI

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/09

AI is everywhere—popping up in every tool, platform, and app we use. But with all this supposed productivity, why are we spending so much time tinkering with AI tools instead of just... working? In this episode, we dig into whether the time we spend learning and adjusting AI is actually worth it—or if it's starting to backfire. Is this just a phase of growing pains, or will "tinkering" always be part of using AI as it rapidly evolves? Show Notes:

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01:01:22

Are Coding Basics Still Relevant in the Age of AI?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/06

In this episode, Matt and Mike explore whether learning the fundamentals of coding is still necessary in 2025, now that powerful AI tools can write, refactor, and explain code in seconds. Do new developers still need to understand things like variables, loops, and logic, or can they jump straight into building projects with AI assistance?We talk about the pros and cons of skipping the basics, when foundational knowledge becomes essential, and how modern devs can balance AI-driven productivity with

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23:38

Web News: Is This the End for Junior Developers?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/08/02

AI tools are getting faster, cheaper, and—some say—good enough to replace junior developers. In this episode of Web News, we dive into the recent X discussion between Brian Coords, Matt Mullenweg, and others about whether AI agents could do junior dev work for just $12k–$15k a year. Are junior developers truly cooked? Could the career path for new devs become unpaid or low-paid work until you “level up” to senior? We explore the implications for the industry, the future of developer salaries, and

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01:03:19

Boosting Developer Productivity with AI Without...

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/29

In this episode, Mike explores his growing dependence on AI tools like Cursor and ChatGPT to handle everyday coding tasks. From code generation and DevOps to security reviews and task planning, AI is integrated into nearly every part of his workflow. But as these tools take over more responsibilities, Mike asks the hard questions: Am I losing my edge? Should I still code manually even if AI can do it faster—or better? He shares how he uses AI day-to-day, when he steps in to take control, and whether

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54:55

Taking On Too Much Responsibility as a Web Developer

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/22

As web developers, we often wear a lot of hats — designer, developer, project manager, client liaison, support desk, and more. But where’s the line between taking initiative and taking on too much?In this episode, Matt and Mike dig into the slippery slope of overcommitting in web development — whether it’s a single project that’s way too big or an avalanche of client work that becomes unmanageable. They explore how this can affect your health, your business, and your ability to actually get things

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18:04

Web News: Is It Ever Okay to Fire a Client?

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/16

We all know what it’s like to be fired—but what about firing a client? In this week’s Web News, Matt and Mike explore what happens when a freelance relationship goes sour. Is it ever okay to walk away from a paying client? What if they’re disruptive, draining your time, or you’ve simply lost interest in their project? They break down when it’s appropriate to cut ties and how to do it professionally.Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-it-ever-okay-to-fire-a-client Use our

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01:03:51

We Should Care More About Web App Security

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/15

In this episode, Matt and Mike dive deep into web app security by walking through a simple SaaS note-taking app and breaking down vulnerabilities at each layer—from frontend and backend to auth and hosting. With 16 billion credentials recently leaked and AI increasing attack complexity, even indie devs need to lock things down. They cover common security pitfalls like XSS, CSRF, IDOR, insecure cookies, and more—along with practical mitigations using tools like tRPC, Prisma, and Next.js. Whether

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17:46

Web News: Trying New Things on Customer Sites

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/09

Sometimes a customer asks you to do something that you’ve never done before - when it’s mission critical this can be nerve wracking. We’ve all Googled and researched our way to learning new skills before, however, putting them to use and into production straight away seems daunting.- What’s your policy when it comes to implementing a critical feature for a client, when you’re brand new to the tech at hand? - Do you disclose that you’re new at it? Show Notes:

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01:08:46

Write Less, Rank More: My Fill-in-the-Blank SEO Method

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/08

In this episode, Matt shares his “Write for Google” process — a strategic, keyword-first approach to planning SEO-friendly content. He walks through how he researches keywords, analyzes top-ranking articles, and builds heading structures that make writing feel like filling in the blanks. Matt also explains how he uses AI as a helpful second set of eyes to validate ideas and fine-tune outlines before writing begins. Show Notes:

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57:13

Why Developer Experience Matters

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and... ·

2025/07/01

In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into developer experience (DX) — what it is, why it matters, and how improving it can make you a better developer. They share personal stories of frustrating build processes, game-changing tools, and scripting away pain points. Whether it's speeding up deployments, eliminating unnecessary rebuilds, or embracing platforms like Vercel and PlanetScale, there's never been a better time to take your DX into your own hands.Show Notes:

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