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This Dot provides teams with technical leaders who bring deep knowledge of the web platform. We help teams set new standards, and deliver results predictably.

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NextJS 14 Server Actions and Why Building CRUD Apps is Good For You with Dave Gray cover image

NextJS 14 Server Actions and Why Building CRUD Apps is Good For You with Dave Gray

Dave Gray talks about the shift from dynamic to static content generation, exploring how it can enhance website performance and user experience. Additionally, they explore the new server actions feature in NextJS 14, facilitating more efficient handling of server-side logic. They talk about the front-end development landscape evolving, and frameworks such as Vue, Angular, and Astro gaining traction. Dave advocates for developers to construct simple CRUD applications as a means to effectively comprehend and apply these frameworks. Dave, Tracy, and Rob debate whether developers need to develop a firm understanding of HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript prior to jumping into a more complex framework. This conversation opens the door to an examination of the ongoing struggle of universities to keep pace with the swiftly evolving landscape of web technologies. With the emergence of new frameworks and tools, educational institutions find it challenging to maintain relevance in their curricula. Nevertheless, by focusing on teaching fundamental concepts, universities can empower students with the adaptability needed to learn and integrate new technologies as they arise. Beyond web development, the episode provides valuable insights into content creation and growing a YouTube channel. Dave draws from his experiences, underscoring the importance of consistency and engagement with the algorithm. Whether in web development or content creation, the overarching lesson from this episode is one of persistence. Success in any domain necessitates ongoing learning, adaptability, and a readiness to embrace new challenges and technologies. Download this episode here....

Using HttpClient in Modern Angular Applications cover image

Using HttpClient in Modern Angular Applications

With all the new changes to Angular and RxJS, using HttpClient can get confusing and you can get lost in outdated tutorials. This blog post guides you through the process of creating a service that exposes http calls and using it in a component....

How to Expand Your Influence Beyond Your Engineering Team with Adrianna Bailey cover image

How to Expand Your Influence Beyond Your Engineering Team with Adrianna Bailey

Adrianna Bailey, Maersk's SVP of Engineering and business CIO, underscores the shifting attitudes about engineering leadership by highlighting that employers are no longer solely looking for individual technical prowess but those who can foster team success. Adrianna emphasizes the importance of leaders staying abreast of technological advancements and continuously honing their skills to effectively guide and nurture their teams. Central to effective leadership is a comprehensive understanding of the company's overarching strategy. Leaders must expand their influence beyond their immediate team and align their efforts with the organization's goals. Transparent decision-making and communication are paramount. Adrianna stresses the need for leaders to make trade-offs openly and ensure team alignment through effective communication channels. Being receptive to feedback, willing to reassess decisions, and prioritizing ongoing learning and collaboration are all integral facets of this process. Finally, Adrianna discusses the art of delegating tasks and the importance of leaders focusing on activities that leverage their unique skills and delegating others effectively. She advocates for a mentorship approach that involves asking questions rather than providing direct answers, empowering team members to develop their problem-solving abilities. Download this episode here....

Ensuring Accurate Workflow Status in GitHub for Enhanced Visibility cover image

Ensuring Accurate Workflow Status in GitHub for Enhanced Visibility

Master the nuances of GitHub workflows with our latest blog post. Discover key strategies to ensure your workflows accurately reflect the true status of tests and tasks, preventing misleading green checks....

How Deno & JSR are Changing Server Side JavaScript Development with Kevin Whinnery cover image

How Deno & JSR are Changing Server Side JavaScript Development with Kevin Whinnery

In a recent podcast episode, Tracy Lee, Rob Ocel, and Adam Rackis, alongside guest Kevin Whinnery, explored alternative JavaScript runtimes, TypeScript-first module registries, compatibility challenges, adoption strategies, and the potential impact of emerging technologies. Deno is a compelling alternative JavaScript runtime offering features such as TypeScript support and efficient HTTP operations, thereby piquing the interest of developers seeking to enhance their JavaScript projects. Kevin Whinnery also introduced JSR, a TypeScript-first module registry designed to be runtime-agnostic and fast, catering to both module publishers and consumers. By prioritizing TypeScript, JSR simplifies the sharing and consumption of TypeScript modules, promising a seamless experience for developers working with the language. The conversation also addressed compatibility challenges inherent in maintaining different versions of TypeScript code bases and strategies for increasing the adoption of new technologies. Despite these challenges, developers can embrace advancements like Dino and JSR by addressing compatibility issues and providing clear migration paths without disrupting existing projects. The hosts underscored the importance of exploring and experimenting with modern web technologies to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving JavaScript ecosystem. The podcast episode provided valuable insights into the future of JavaScript and TypeScript, highlighting the ongoing evolution of the ecosystem. Download this episode here....

Making and Using GPTs to Improving Developer Workflows with Jerome Hardaway & Tracy Lee cover image

Making and Using GPTs to Improving Developer Workflows with Jerome Hardaway & Tracy Lee

Tracy Lee and Jerome Hardaway (Vets Who Code) continue their series where they define the six steps of AI adoption. In this episode, they discuss the second step, making and using GPTs and other AI tools to improve your workflow and efficiency, highlighting some specific tools and their impact on common industry tasks. Jerome provides an example of AI's impact on his resume reviewer for Vets Who Code. With the use of building a GPT and uploading over 10 years of experience into it, AI can analyze an individual's skills and experiences, alongside job requirements, to craft personalized resumes. This automation not only saves time but also ensures that resumes are tailored for specific job applications, ultimately boosting job search effectiveness. The discussion also extends to the realm of workflow optimization. AI's potential to streamline processes is explored, particularly in tasks like code reviews. Tools like GitHub Copilot can suggest improvements and generate code snippets based on context, freeing up developers to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their work, thereby enhancing overall productivity. Tracy and Jerome emphasize the importance of structuring tasks effectively within AI interactions to improve accuracy and usefulness. By breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable tasks, AI becomes a valuable partner, augmenting human capabilities and facilitating more effective problem-solving and learning experiences for developers. Download this episode here....

A Look at Playwright Parallelism cover image

A Look at Playwright Parallelism

In this blog post, we are exploring Playwright’s parallelism capabilities to speed up test execution....

Empathy Driven Leadership with Joseph Bironas cover image

Empathy Driven Leadership with Joseph Bironas

Joseph Bironas, CTO of Stanza stresses the importance of empathy in leading startups, where high-pressure environments demand understanding team members' motivations and fears. By cultivating a culture of psychological safety, empathetic leaders empower teams to excel and contribute their best work. Beyond technical skills, empathetic leaders prioritize diverse perspectives and individual strengths in hiring practices, fostering collaboration and inclusivity within teams. The conversation highlighted the shift towards empathy in tech leadership. While traditionally task-oriented, leaders now recognize empathy's positive impact on team morale, creativity, and performance. How do you prioritize empathy to create a work environment where team members feel valued, understood, and motivated to excel? Download this podcast episode here....

How to test React custom hooks and components with Vitest cover image

How to test React custom hooks and components with Vitest

In this guide, we'll navigate through the process of testing React hooks and components using Vitest—a powerful JavaScript unit testing framework. Discover how Vitest simplifies testing setups...

4 Angular Component Libraries That are Perfect for Beginners cover image

4 Angular Component Libraries That are Perfect for Beginners

For beginners starting with Angular, the journey can feel daunting, especially when it comes to setting up projects from scratch. However, there is a range of outstanding Angular component libraries that alleviate this initial hurdle: ready-made toolkits, empowering newcomers to start building Angular applications without the complexities of bootstrapping their projects. Let’s take a look! Angular Material Angular Material is a UI component library by Google for Angular applications. It provides a variety of pre-built components following the Material Design guidelines, offering customization options, responsive design, and accessibility features. It's seamlessly integrated with Angular and offers extensive documentation and community support. NG-ZORRO NG-ZORRO is an Angular UI component library based on Ant Design by Alibaba. It offers a variety of customizable components for building modern web applications. With seamless Angular integration, responsive design, and accessibility features, NG-ZORRO simplifies development while following Ant Design principles. NG Bootstrap NG Bootstrap is a library for Angular developers to easily incorporate Bootstrap components into their applications without relying on jQuery. It offers Angular-specific directives and components, ensuring compatibility and performance within Angular projects while maintaining Bootstrap's responsive design and customization options. Clarity Design System Clarity is an open-source design system by VMware that offers a set of Angular components for building enterprise-scale applications. It provides components specifically tailored for data-centric applications, dashboards, and complex user interfaces. Clarity Design System emphasizes clarity, consistency, and usability in its components. The beginner’s journey can be both exhilarating and challenging. However, with the advent of powerful component libraries like Angular Material, NG-ZORRO, NG Bootstrap, and the Clarity Design System, the path becomes significantly smoother. These libraries offer pre-built components and design systems that eliminate the need to bootstrap projects from scratch. As beginners embark on their Angular journey, these libraries provide a sturdy foundation, allowing them to dive into development with confidence. By harnessing the capabilities of these libraries, beginners can not only expedite their learning curve but also craft exceptional Angular applications with ease and efficiency....

The Democratization of AI with Carter Rabasa cover image

The Democratization of AI with Carter Rabasa

Tracy Lee, Adam Rackis, Ben Lesh, and guest Carter Rabasa touch upon a wide range of topics, including the democratization of technology, challenges in implementing AI as developers, and vector databases for fuzzy and similarity searches. The panelists explore how advancements in AI have made these technologies more accessible to a wider audience. They discuss the potential benefits of this democratization, such as increased innovation and productivity, but also highlight the challenges that come with it, such as the need for responsible development and addressing potential biases in algorithms. The podcast also explores the differences in technology adoption mindsets between regions like Asia and the West. The panelists discuss the socio-economic impacts of technology adoption and the need for businesses to adapt to changes in the AI landscape. They emphasize the importance of responsible development and the need to address ethical concerns associated with AI technologies. Download this episode here....

Detoxify Your Team Culture with Angela Nelms cover image

Detoxify Your Team Culture with Angela Nelms

Angela Nelms emphasizes humility, transparency, and continuous learning as essential elements of effective leadership and company culture. Her insights shed light on leadership's critical role in organizational success, the essential elements of great leadership, and how to embrace failure as a means of combating workplace toxicity. Angela emphasizes that customer service and a positive work culture form the foundation of company success. By fostering humility and transparency, leaders create environments where employees feel valued and motivated to deliver outstanding service. Angela stresses the importance of building collaborative teams, nurturing healthy relationships, and addressing toxic cultures promptly, ensuring organizations thrive on trust and respect. In this conversation, Angela believes that trust is a cornerstone of successful company culture. Building trust among team members and leaders encourages innovation and growth. Investing in employee development, both personally and professionally, fosters a motivated, engaged workforce committed to the organization's success, and helps retain great talent. Throughout the episode, Angela emphasizes that effective communication and shared vision are paramount in leadership. Promoting transparency and open dialogue cultivates trust and collaboration. By embracing failures as opportunities for growth and openly discussing lessons learned, leaders foster environments where employees feel empowered to take risks and learn. Shared vision ensures alignment with the company's goals and values throughout the organization. Download this episode here....