How To Get Better At Problem Solving
Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats20 Nov 2019

How To Get Better At Problem Solving

In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes talk about how to get better at problem solving — one of the most important skills to build as a developer. Netlify - Sponsor Netlify is the best way to deploy and host a front-end website. All the features developers need right out of the box: Global CDN, Continuous Deployment, one click HTTPS and more. Hit up netlify.com/syntax for more info. Prismic - Sponsor Prismic is a Headless CMS for your next front end project. Create complex content type, relate data, and have your clients edit it all with the Prismic UI. Then pull the data into your project with their JSON or GraphQL API. Try it out with your next project - Gatsby, React + Apollo, or any other language. Check out their examples to get you started at Prismic.io/syntax. Show Notes 2:43 - Gather info What is this thing trying to do? Use tools DevTools are your best friend during this phase 8:01 - Know where to look (and use tools) Dev tools for client side Error logs Sentry LogRocket The most experienced people in any field know how to ask the right questions. Some of this will come with experience and nothing else. If you’ve seen a problem before, it’s easier to solve. 10:00 - Look at the end game What are you really trying to do here? Don’t focus so much on the tech that you miss the bigger picture. 13:17 - Read Again Error logs provide the best clues. Read them closely. Actually read your code — don’t skim it. Write comments while reading it, or follow existing comments — good for documenting, but also for structuring your thoughts. 18:08 - Make it simple (break it into smaller parts) Limit the number of inputs and outputs Get it working in a limited capacity (e.g. safe mode, Codepen, etc.) Comment out major sections of code until you have a working example Does this problem exist outside of the framework? Does this work in a clean environment? 25:35 - Take yourself out of your environment You should be able to take a look at the problem at all zoom levels Does it work locally but not on the server? Does it work in other browsers? 27:32 - Stay calm It’s easy to get nervous or worked up when the stakes are high It won’t serve you to panic. If you are panicking, take a 10 min walk to deep breath Take a shower, lift weights (seriously) 30:14 - Talk it over Getting the perspective of another developer can be invaluable 32:28 - Make things obvious Use debugger or label logs — don’t let it be ambiguous For CSS bugs, use primary colors to make things stand out Use the right tool to make the problem stand out Layers for CSS issues Network for network issues Performance tab (etc.) 35:12 - Use Git correctly to free up your techniques If you’re code commits are up to date, you can heavily modify code without fear of deleting things — just revert to a previous commit once you find the issue and fix. 36:10 - Don’t jump at solutions Take the time to fully dissect the problem Question you assumptions It can’t possibly be a problem with ____. Well maybe it is. Wes once spent hours trying to diagnose a check engine light when the gas cap was lose. 43:51 - Get good at pattern matching This comes with experience When did this problem start? Did we deploy any code? Did we change any logic? 44:54 - Get good at googling Being able to describe your problem is key. Search the error from Firefox Links DevTools Sentry LogRocket CodePen Syntax 154: SVGs with Sara Soueidan @walpolea Syntax 152: Debugging Tools + Tips @bowlendev @dan_abramov Ryan Dahl on creating Node.js @LaurieonTech Firefox DuckDuckGo ××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ××× Scott: Jeremy Ethier Youtube Channel Wes: Marpac Rohm Sound Machine Shameless Plugs Scott: Typescript in React Course - Sign up for the year and save 25%! Wes: Beginner Javascript Course Tweet us your tasty treats! Scott’s Instagram LevelUpTutorials Instagram Wes’ Instagram Wes’ Twitter Wes’ Facebook Scott’s Twitter Make sure to include @SyntaxFM in your tweets

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940: Picking a Fullstack Stack, Is Next.js Too Complex? Services vs Self-Hosted + More

940: Picking a Fullstack Stack, Is Next.js Too Complex? Services vs Self-Hosted + More

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 Sep 1h 5min

939: Creator of Vite: Evan You

939: Creator of Vite: Evan You

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 Sep 54min

938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding

938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding

Wes and Scott dive into some hot takes and classic debates—tabs vs spaces, camel vs snake case, export styles, barrel files, variable naming, and more. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:26 CSS variables: descriptive vs. semantic 03:38 snake_case vs. camelCase 04:54 Default exports vs. named exports 06:23 Barrel files vs. direct imports 09:15 Function declaration vs. function expression 11:00 Inferred types vs. explicit types 13:40 Brought to you by Sentry.io 14:40 Long and explicit variable names vs. short with comments 16:27 Self-documenting code vs. code comments 17:03 Rebase vs. merge commit 18:39 Naming event parameters: e vs. event 20:33 Tabs vs. spaces 22:18 Big line height vs. small line height 23:50 Hard line length vs. line wrap 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

17 Sep 27min

937: Is The Omarchy Hype Real?

937: Is The Omarchy Hype Real?

Scott takes Wes on a tour of Omarchy, DHH’s polished Arch + Hyprland Linux setup that promises speed, beauty, and endless keyboard shortcuts. From first impressions to daily workflows, Scott debates whether it’s good enough to pull him out of the Apple ecosystem for good. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:55 What is Omarchy? 02:57 Arch-based distribution. 03:42 Hyprland window management. 05:08 Wayland Display Server Protocol. 06:27 Installation Defaults. 06:53 System-wide shortcuts. 09:01 My first impressions. 09:41 Connecting to my NAS. 10:54 Gigantic UI. 12:21 Day 2 Experiences. 13:22 Resizing window challenges. 16:11 Neovim and Lazyvim. 16:49 Lazygit. 19:07 How do you use it and why is it good. 19:14 Command Palette. 19:49 Raycast. Recreating Raycast. 20:50 Using the app launcher. 21:25 Screensavers. 21:59 OS Style. 22:55 My apps, my apps, my apps, check it out. 25:07 Is the hardware comparable to Mac’s M processors? 27:24 Installing new apps. 29:26 Web apps as first class citizens. 32:47 What I’ll miss. 35:56 What’s going on with MacOS UI? 38:37 Annoyances. 39:31 My advice. Read the Manual. 44:39 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Omarchy Manual. Wes: Ugreen 200w Charger, Silicone USB C. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube. 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 Sep 48min

936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)

936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:03 Wes’ Hackweek project: a web-controlled LED grid 03:52 The hardware: LED panels, soldering, and power WS2812 LED panels 06:38 ESP32 microcontroller and WLED firmware explained ESP32 Microcontroller 10:57 Power supply challenges and injection fixes 15:05 Debugging and testing a DIY LED matrix 15:56 Shorts, blown circuits, and melted wires 17:58 Designing and 3D-printing the diffuser for crisp pixels 21:29 The software: Cloudflare Durable Objects + Party Server Cloudflare Durable Objects Party.server 22:18 Real-time sync and state management across clients Party Client 28:43 Connecting the server to the LED hardware 41:51 Open access fun: scripts, NSFW images, and moderation Cloudflare tunnel 44:10 Live demos 45:34 Future plans: stats, rooms, and making it always-on 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

10 Sep 47min

935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025

935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025

CJ takes us behind the scenes of Hackweek to share how he built a custom Sega Genesis game from scratch, complete with assembly code, level loading, and retro hardware tricks. From SGDK to parallax faking, this episode is a deep dive into old-school game dev with a modern twist. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:44 Why a Sega game? Sega Genesis. Sega Master System. MKBHD Retro Tech: Sega. 06:55 What is it running on? 07:49 Working with assembly code. 10:11 Sega Genesis Development Kit. Stephane-D GitHub. 10:54 Awesome Megadrive. 12:02 Booting on an emulator. 13:07 Gens and KMod. 15:54 Compiling stage. 17:44 Genesis Code VS Code Extension. 18:22 Images and Assets. 19:46 Loading images with bitmap. 23:50 Megacat Studios. 25:21 Z index? Faking Parallax. 27:34 Specific code examples. 27:51 Platformer Engine. 30:01 Platformer Sample Game. 30:44 LDTK (Level Designer Toolkit). 33:13 Tiled Collision mapping. 37:42 What about debugging? 39:37 Loading in levels. RetroGameMechanicsExplained. Sega Mega-CD Development Unit. 43:56 Challenges with graphics. 49:56 Adding music. Super Cartridge. Flahskit Programmer MD. Flashkit Cart MD. 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 Sep 52min

934: We Built a Real-Time, Local-Data, Competitive Coding Game

934: We Built a Real-Time, Local-Data, Competitive Coding Game

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into SynHax, Scott’s Hackweek project for code battles. They discuss live coding duels, referee controls, and the surprisingly simple tech stack that delivers instant updates and audience engagement. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:50 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:30 What is SynHax? This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS Challenge) 04:21 The Stack SvelteKit Postgres Drizzle Zero Sync Better Auth Syntax 931: How to make good choices when starting a coding project 07:39 How it works 15:03 The battle experience 28:28 Fun details 34:12 Creating new battles & the admin dashboard 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

3 Sep 37min

933: Hackweek Overview - What Is It, What Did We Build

933: Hackweek Overview - What Is It, What Did We Build

It’s Hackweek at Syntax! Scott, Wes, and CJ break down what Hackweek is all about - how they picked their projects, what came out of them, and why it’s the best excuse to experiment, build, and have fun before the deep-dive episodes roll in. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:04 What is Hackweek? 01:05 Hackweek projects spark motivation. 04:05 Choosing our projects. 04:34 What we chose. 05:11 CJ’s Hackweek Project. 05:51 Using SGDK C language toolkit. 07:02 Writing to an Everdrive. 08:09 What game engine did you use? Platformer Engine. LDtk. 12:11 What was the end result? 14:09 Wes’ Hackweek Project. 16:15 Why hardware projects? Watch the Video Here. 19:09 Scott’s Hackweek Project. Watch the Video Here. 21:42 Early considerations. 25:42 AI usage. 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 Sep 32min

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