In the fast-paced world of software development, why reinvent the wheel when you can just copy-paste someone else’s? We live in a copy-paste culture, where solving problems often means borrowing what already works.

And that’s exactly what npm packages and tech conference talks have in common. Both are shortcuts. Both exist so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Let’s explore how these two seemingly different worlds share the same philosophy of borrowed brilliance.

Thinking about speaking at a tech conference? That’s awesome! But before you start planning your victory dance 🕺, let’s go over how to make your talk not just good, but downright unforgettable.

Before You Start… 🎤

We all know the CSS blinds meme, right? Or the CSS is Awesome text that exceeds the box? These seem to appeal to many developers these days, perhaps even more than in the past. We've started leveraging JavaScript or TypeScript-oriented frameworks and features, while relying on Tailwind to help us style our interfaces.

We've drifted away from one of the main pillars of the web: CSS is not a main focus anymore but an afterthought—something to slap onto a bit of interactive code. Leaning on these frameworks can lead to lower maintenance and more up-to-date knowledge of CSS.

In the wild world of software development, just like in thermodynamics, entropy is always lurking. Understanding these scientific principles can give us some insights into taming and improving our codebases.

Let’s throw on our lab coats and dive into how the laws of thermodynamics can jazz up our approach to software development! 🧪

Vue adopted a Single File Component philosophy, which has some benefits over splitting concerns, which you can read up on in the official Vue Docs. From a SFC philosophy, you’d want everything that relates to your component in a Single File. So let’s explore this take with our component tests as well, because why would your tests be any different than your scripts, template or styles?

We’re going to leverage a feature that Vitest offers, out of the box, to a Vue example code base. Bear in mind that this approach would be applicable to other implementations that leverage Vitest just as easy. Also, this is a thought experiment.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a tech conference? While attendees marvel at the seamless flow of talks and workshops, there's a dedicated team working tirelessly to curate the program. I have been part of the committee for both the JS Nation as well as JS Nation US conferences for close to a year now, time to spill the tea! 🫖

Enter the Program Committee – the unsung heroes responsible for crafting the conference agenda and ensuring a memorable experience for all.

Software development is a craft and we can follow many routes to achieving a specific goal. Having this freedom allows us to create simple solutions for very complex problems. That same freedom has a flip side, where very complex solutions can be applied to very simple problems!

To be clear: I don't think anybody purposefully sets out to create complex solutions to simple problems (unless part of an artistic discovery). I think it is a sign of lack of understanding of a certain domain or technology. I also think there are several strategies you can apply to reduce complexity!

As developers most of the actual work is done behind the scenes (or screens). This is not just for backend development, but goes for frontend development just as well. Consider all the time, effort and planning that goes into executing a technical solution or building an interface. Aligning between multiple stakeholders or comparing technical solutions and routes before implementing, goes largely unnoticed.

In most cases, what the end user sees, is just the tip of an iceberg! With "going public" I mean proudly exposing the underside of that iceberg. Not for the sake of the end user, but for your self. You should always consider contributing to your personal brand!