Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

Wes and Scott talk with Loïc Houssier about how Superhuman builds lightning-fast, delightfully-designed email software. They dig into engineering philosophy, offline-first architecture, local databases, AI-powered productivity, and what it takes to create tools that people love. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 03:05 Inside Superhuman and Loïc’s role * 06:49 Is Superhuman native? What’s the tech stack? * 08:16 How Superhuman approaches product design and speed * 12:17 Local-first architecture – Sync, storage, and performance * Realm [https://github.com/realm] * 13:46 Vector search, AI, and privacy considerations * 18:12 How the team ships fast and stays focused * 21:27 Rethinking email for the future * 26:54 Brought to you by Sentry.io [http://Sentry.io] * 27:19 How calendar integration and smart features work * 29:54 Where new ideas come from * 31:54 Will there ever be a true dark mode? * 33:02 Are people actually using keyboard shortcuts? * 36:42 How shortcuts work and the role of the command palette * 41:28 Engineering for speed – Costs and trade-offs * 43:32 How Superhuman’s sync engine works * 46:09 What code runs locally and what runs on the server? * 46:51 How Superhuman handled the Google and Cloudflare outage HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

Scott and Wes round up the hottest AI tools you should have on your radar; from text-to-speech wizards to self-hosted image generators. They break down what they’re using, what’s worth paying for, and which tools are changing their workflows. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:49 Getting too cozy with your tools. * 01:34 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax]. * 03:40 LangFlow [https://www.langflow.org/]. * 08:44 Super Whisper [https://superwhisper.com/] and Whisper Flow [https://wisprflow.ai/]. * 15:00 Dia [https://www.diabrowser.com/]. * 23:16 Chat apps. * Claude [https://claude.ai/] * ChatGPT [https://chatgpt.com/] * Raycast [https://www.raycast.com/] * Cursor [https://cursor.com/en] * Midjourney (Imagine.art) [https://www.imagine.art/] * 26:58 Self-hosted. * 27:01 Comfy UI [https://www.comfy.org/]. * 31:27 Automatic1111 [https://github.com/automatic1111] and Forge UI [https://github.com/lllyasviel/stable-diffusion-webui-forge]. * Xenova Shoutout [https://huggingface.co/Xenova] * 34:11 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. SICK PICKS * Scott: Rat A Tat Cat Card Game [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000GBQJ?&linkCode=sl1&tag=leveluptuts01-20&linkId=b839d4c45ff12c09bbc5e4633d2cf584&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl]. * Wes: Syntax Hats [https://sentry.shop/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Wes: Syntax Hats [https://sentry.shop/] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about maintaining popular open-source projects, where to start after a layoff, impostor syndrome, Scott’s recording setup, whether a computer science degree is still worth it in the age of AI, and more! SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:44 Brought to you bySentry.io [https://sentry.io/] * 04:16 How to maintain a successful NPM package * 08:03 What to do in Denver while attending Laracon * 11:18 How to branch out and learn new frameworks while balancing work life and family * 15:55 Built-in state management vs external state management * Full Stack App Build | Travel Log w/ Nuxt, Vue, Better Auth, Drizzle, Tailwind, DaisyUI, MapLibre [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK93dqmJJYg] * 19:43 Suggestion for CSS battles: Removing white space and new lines after the time limit? * 23:06 What is Scott’s recording setup? * Aputure Light Dome [https://amzn.to/3HoebgC] * Aputure Amaran 150c [https://amzn.to/4mKYO1U] * Sony FX3 [https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/all-interchangeable-lens-cameras/p/ilmefx3a] * Electro-Voice RE20 [https://products.electrovoice.com/na/en/re20/] * 27:46 Snake case vs camel case * Eye Tracking Study on camelCase and under_score Identifier Styles [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5521745] * 31:16 Have you ever had impostor syndrome? * 34:56 Is a degree worth it for computer science or machine learning? * 38:41 Should I use a reverse proxy server? * Ep 798: Self Hosting: Reverse Proxy Servers [https://syntax.fm/show/798/self-hosting-reverse-proxy-servers] * 42:03 Where to start when updating your webdev skillset * 50:11 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott:Cardboard Cutter [https://amzn.to/4kpTlfG] * Wes:Kitchen Scissors [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kitchen+scissors&crid=3VAEGVD5TS68I&sprefix=kitchen+scissors] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Syntax YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@syntaxfm] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax:X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/]Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes:X [https://twitter.com/wesbos]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/]Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott:X [https://twitter.com/stolinski]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/]Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy:X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/]YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

AI coding agents are getting wild. Scott and Wes break down the latest tools that run in the background, write code across multiple steps, and charge you $200 a month to do it. From CLI-based primitives to full-on copilots, this episode covers the next wave of dev tools and what it takes to use them effectively. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 03:13 Background Agents. * 04:26 Appropriate tasks for background agents. * 12:46 CLI tooling. * 14:17 Claude Code Pricing. * 18:20 Approaches to get the most from these tools. * 19:56 PRD Documents. * Atlasian What’s a PRD Document [https://www.atlassian.com/agile/product-management/requirements]. * 20:50 Claude Taskmaster [https://www.task-master.dev/]. * Langflow [www.langflow.org]. * 25:29 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. SICK PICKS * Scott: RingConn [https://amzn.to/4nkXe7w]. * Wes: Dell Projector SHAMELESS PLUGS * Scott: Syntax on YouTube [www.youtube.com/@syntaxfm]. HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

Wes and Scott talk about the latest JavaScript proposals from TC39, including features like import defer, the powerful new random namespace, Array.fromAsync, and native clamp and upsert methods. They break down what’s coming, why it matters, and how it might improve your code. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 02:55 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/] * 05:37 Import Defer * proposal-defer-import-eval [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-defer-import-eval/] * proposal-deferred-reexports [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-deferred-reexports?tab=readme-ov-file] * Rob Palmer [https://x.com/robpalmer2] * 09:30 Random Functions * proposal-random-functions [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-random-functions] * proposal-seeded-random [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-seeded-random] * 18:32 Array from Async * proposal-array-from-async [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-array-from-async] * 20:56 Upsert for Maps * proposal-upsert [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-upsert] * 23:13 Clamp * proposal-math-clamp [https://github.com/tc39/proposal-math-clamp] * 27:02 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott: Anker Max USB 4-Port [https://amzn.to/3FCQFfo] * Wes: Clarkson’s Farm [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarkson%27s_Farm] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]