920: How to Build MCP Servers

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about why devs neglect their own websites, hosting shady projects (hypothetically), AI rules in version control, balancing side projects and family life, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:43 Why devs neglect their own websites (and how to convince your parents coding is a real job) 07:04 AirPods, Nothing Ear, and the ANC struggle 10:22 Shipping Syntax merch from Canada 12:43 Scott’s update on Omarchy and Linux laptop life 18:05 What to do when a user account gets hacked (and how to prevent it) 21:33 Should you commit LLM context files and AI-generated docs to Git? 25:27 How to balance career, side projects, and family life 29:25 Building and hosting a “legally dubious” website 33:27 Best practices for dealing with images 42:46 Where to find Wes’ awesome wallpapers 44:19 Can you trust services with a generous free tier? ServerlessHorrors 50:32 Do we still use GIFs? 52:23 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs 55:59 Brought to you by Sentry.io Sick Picks Scott: Mkv-Quicklook Wes: Momofuku Sweet & Savory Korean BBQ Sauce Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

15 Loka 57min

Scott and Wes dive into Chrome’s new MCP server; a dev tools API powered by Puppeteer that gives your scripts, editors, and AI agents full access to Chrome. They break down how it works, what it can (and can’t) do, and how it might change debugging and automation for developers Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:15 Syntax San Francisco Meetup. 01:55 We need your Spooky Stories! 02:42 What is an MCP Server? 04:28 MCP servers are not only for code editors. 06:43 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 07:49 Dev Tools MCP is similar to Puppeteer. 09:20 Setting up an MCP Server. 11:36 Example of MCP with Dominos Pizza. 13:23 Accessing Dev tools from your editor. 14:23 In VS Code, you can “Open Link”. 15:22 Using the MCP server. 16:26 Chrome has Debug insights inside of chrome’s dev tools. 18:38 Real world things the Chrome MCP server can do. 18:43 Analyzing performance. 19:55 Taking screenshots. 21:17 Performance fix feedback loop. 22:33 Remote connecting browsers. 24:54 Browser-use. 25:18 What are the limitations? Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

13 Loka 29min

Wes and Scott talk with Kyle Cesmat about how Coinbase is writing nearly half its code with AI—while keeping quality and security front and center. They dig into tools like Cursor and Claude Code, agent-driven workflows, code review challenges, and how AI is reshaping developer productivity without replacing developers. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:29 Defining and measuring “quality” at a large company 05:05 How AI-generated code is reviewed and shipped at Coinbase 07:35 A developer’s workflow using AI—from ticket to production 10:30 Standard vs. team-specific tools for AI development 12:55 Using MCP servers to power internal AI workflows 14:42 MCP vs. custom agent integrations 17:16 What kinds of code AI is writing at Coinbase 19:48 Which languages and tasks does AI handle best? 21:21 Getting AI to follow existing code conventions greptile 24:36 Brought to you by Sentry.io 25:01 How AI affects hiring, velocity, and developer focus 28:16 AI’s role in speeding up code reviews 31:28 The most valuable AI tool in Coinbase’s stack 33:48 Managing AI costs and model choices 35:10 Security considerations for using external AI models 37:04 How often Coinbase tunes and adjusts its AI systems 39:26 Using AI to write code vs. embedding AI in customer-facing features 42:29 Kyle’s big-picture take on AI as a tool—not a magic bullet Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity 44:33 The future of hiring engineers with their own “backpack” of agents 45:53 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Kyle: UltraShelf Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

8 Loka 49min

Scott and Wes sit down with Ricky Hanlon from the React core team at Facebook to dive into the latest features and APIs shaping modern React development. From transitions and Suspense to fetching strategies and future directions, this episode breaks down what’s next for React and how developers can take advantage of it. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:20 Who is Ricky Hanlon. 02:10 Setting the Stage: Modern React APIs 02:48 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:12 Defining Transitions in React 05:08 Practical Examples of Scheduling. 08:23 useDeferredValue. 09:30 Suspense. 11:13 Fallbacks and animations. 12:35 How do you get psychological performance data? 13:39 Are these considerations reasonable for the average dev? 15:37 useOptimistic. 17:35 Removing delayMs (referred to as maxDuration in later iterations). 19:49 How to fetch data in React. 21:58 Is React now just Nextjs? 23:23 Will React give us a Signals-based state management? 24:44 The challenges of building in public. 30:12 Making LLMs cooperate with React. 32:05 The lifting will happen at framework level. 32:59 This is not time slicing. 35:47 Sick Pick + Shameless Plug. Sick Picks Ricky: iPhone 17 Pro Shameless Plugs Ricky: https://conf.react.dev/ Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

6 Loka 38min

Wes and Scott talk with Dr. Courtney Tolinski about supporting neurodivergent teammates, navigating workplace dynamics, and recognizing strengths beyond labels. They explore ADHD diagnosis and treatment, productivity mindsets, burnout, AI in mental health, and practical routines for focus and balance. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:09 Meet Dr. Courtney Tolinski 01:46 Supporting neurodivergent team members 12:26 Should I disclose my ADHD diagnosis at work? 17:21 Characteristics of autism and ADHD 22:37 Seeking diagnosis as an adult developer 28:04 Brought to you by Sentry.io 32:18 Uncoupling identity from productivity 38:06 Is overtime ever “worth it”? 42:34 AI as a mental health tool: hope or hype? 46:32 Will therapists be replaced by AI? 49:29 Burnout warning signs in high-performers 55:15 Sick picks + shameless plugs Sick Picks Courtney: Bentgo Glass Containers Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

1 Loka 57min

Scott heads to Microsoft’s campus for the VS Code Insider Summit to sit down with Dr. Sarah Bird and explore what “Responsible AI” really means for developers. From protecting user privacy to keeping humans in the loop, they dig into how everyday coders can play a role in shaping AI’s future. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:27 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:13 The path the machine learning. 04:44 How do you get to ‘Responsible AI’? 06:43 Is there such a thing as ‘Responsible AI’? 07:34 Does the average developer have a part to play? 09:12 How can AI tools protect inexperienced users? 11:55 Let’s talk about user and company privacy. 13:57 Are local tools and services becoming more viable? 15:06 Are people right to be skeptical? 16:58 The software developer role is fundamentally changing. 17:43 Human in the loop. 19:37 The career path to Responsible AI. 21:21 Sick Picks. Sick Picks Sarah: Japanese pottery Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

29 Syys 22min

In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about modern full-stack stacks, Node.js backend options, managing database indexes, developer burnout, handling toxic bosses, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:36 What’s your go-to Node.js backend in 2025? Polka 06:18 Do you proactively manage database indexes—or fix them only when they become a problem? 09:40 Brought to you by Sentry.io 12:14 After planning a new project, what’s your real-world dev workflow? 931: Project Init - How to Make Good Choices When Starting a New Coding Project 18:19 What to do when you’re feeling burned out as a developer 23:34 Picking the right tech stack for your partner’s website 28:18 How do you deal with a toxic boss? 33:10 The ideal tech stack for launching a SaaS MVP 39:46 Is GraphQL still worth it vs REST or RPC? 44:26 Is Vercel steering modern web dev in the wrong direction? 51:20 What’s up with TanStack Forms? TanStack Form Latest 59:35 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Flesh and Code Wes: WAGO connectors Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

24 Syys 1h 5min

Scott and Wes sit down with Evan You, creator of Vue, Vite, and VoidZero, to dig into the future of frontend tooling. From the speed of Rolldown to why he chose Rust, they explore the evolution of developer experience, bundlers, and what’s next for the web. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:31 Who is Evan You? Vue.js. Vite. Void0 01:19 Making the shift from UI to Toolchains. 02:37 How aesthetics contributed to the success of Vue and Vite. 05:26 Adding Rollup plugins to the Dev Server. 07:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 07:56 Rollup and Rolldown explained. 09:29 NAPIRS. 10:02 Why Rust and not Go? SWC, OXC. 12:04 Rolldown’s speed and performance. OXC Allocator. 15:09 Dealing with massive buildtimes. 17:42 How has the transition been? 20:34 Why do we even need a bundler? 23:25 Vite’s superior developer experience. 26:01 Fullstack Vue? 31:45 Node and Vite’s relationship. 35:41 Wes’ wishlist. vite-dir. 37:28 Hot takes. 37:37 Would Next be better with Vite? 41:09 Thoughts on React Server Components. 43:40 Thought on Remix 3. 46:22 Tell us about Void0. 51:36 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Evan: Laravel Lamborghini Shaped Stress Toys Shameless Plugs Evan: Viteconf, Vite, CultRepo. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

22 Syys 54min