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We Tried Clash of Code… in Reverse Mode! (JavaScript Challenge)
We put ourselves to the test with 3 Clash of Code challenges in Reverse Mode, where you don’t just solve the problem, you figure out what the problem *is* by looking only at the test cases. It’s ch...
we mic'd up a web developer
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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 dura...
CSS Without Classes! Styled Apps By Default
In this video CJ talks about classless CSS frameworks, what they are and why you might use them. He shows examples of a few of his favorites and also shares a tool that lets you preview HTML with 6...
I 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...
Why Is This CSS Overlap So Hard?! CSS Battle
We’re back with another round of CSS Battle, and this one is brutal. Overlapping shapes, weird positioning, and way too many headaches for something that looks so simple. Can we crack it, or will t...
Is there a crisis in Open Source software? - Open Path #3
DHH made some bold claims about Open Source funding on the Lex Fridman podcast. Is he right? Join Chad Whitacre on a quest to discover the true meaning of the gift of Open Source. In this episode,...
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 update...
Summarize Hacker News with Hono + Cloudflare
In this video CJ shows how to use Hono and Cloudflare Workers / KV / AI to summarize articles from the Hacker News home page. 🔥 Be the ~14,700th person to join our super tasty newsletter https://b...
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 hav...
This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS Challenge)
Scott's Code: https://codepen.io/stolinski/pen/gbaBOOr Wes' Code: https://codepen.io/wesbos/pen/jEbeNdw Can we rebuild this trending UI button with just CSS? In this CSS Challenge, Wes and Scott ...
Vibe Coding’s Huge Problem
Wes and Scott talk about the dangers of vibe coding when it comes to authentication and access control. They share real-world examples of security fails, discuss how to avoid client-side-only check...
How to make good choices when starting a coding project
Scott and Wes dive into the fundamentals of project initialization and planning, from outlining ideas and choosing the right tools to making smart technology decisions. They also chat about leverag...
Text Editor Keybindings, WASM Replacing Docker, LLM apathy and hosting mini apps
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about VS Code vs Cursor, navigating promotions and job titles, database fundamentals, avoiding decision paralysis, how AI is s...
Scott's take on InstantDB
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Cloudflare Blocks AI Crawlers × Debugging Local Data and more
Scott and Wes tackle listener questions on everything from local-first databases and AI-built CRMs to protecting APIs and raising kids with healthy digital habits. They also weigh in on Cloudflare’...
CSS Speed Challenge! Devs Race to Recreate React Logo
Scott, Wes, and CJ face off in a lightning-fast CSS Battle to recreate the React logo, but this time, it’s not about shortest code, it’s about speed. Who will ship it fastest? Who will get hopeless...
What about the Dia browser??
Didn’t Scott JUST say DIA is the future of browsers? Things sure do change quickly in the browser wars… 🔥 Be the ~16,700th person to join our super tasty newsletter https://bit.ly/syntax_snackpac...
State of Devs 2025 Results
Wes and Scott talk about the 2025 State of Devs survey, diving into trends in salaries, job titles, remote work, health, hobbies, and more. 🔥 Be the ~14,700th person to join our super tasty newslet...
Copyparty is blowing our minds
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AI Browsers, 100X Build Speed, Massive Svelte Update - Web Dev News
Scott and Wes break down the latest in web dev news, from Amazon’s AI-powered VS Code fork and Node’s native TypeScript support, to Vite overtaking Webpack and Svelte’s newest async and remote feat...
Devs React to Hollywood HACKERS!
Hollywood loves a good hacker, but do they ever get it right? Scott, CJ, and Wes watch and react to scenes from iconic hacker moments in movies and TV like Silicon Valley, Mr. Robot, The Matrix, an...
Tweek.so is Scott's favorite weekly planner/to-do app
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RSS Is NOT Dead
Scott and CJ explore why RSS still matters and how it’s more underused than outdated. They discuss how to self-host RSS readers, escape the noise of the modern web, and reclaim a cleaner, ad-free r...
8 Reasons To Try Better Auth
In this video CJ shows why Better Auth is the BEST auth framework he's ever used. 00:00 Intro 01:16 Framework Support 03:16 Email Verification + Password Reset 07:23 OTP and Magic Links 09:00 Bear...
Scott & CJ’s Fave Productivity Apps & Web Apps
Scott and CJ go full productivity nerd, swapping notes on their favorite web apps for writing, coding, planning, and more. From terminals to to-do lists to dumb phones, it’s a deep dive into the to...
Gotta Catch ’Em All! Recreating a Pokemon Ball with CSS
Scott, Wes, and CJ go head-to-head in another round of CSS Battle. This time, trying to recreate a Poké Ball using only HTML and CSS! Who nails it? Who totally biffs it? Play along and see if you c...
Sync Engines and Local Data
Wes and Scott talk about local-first sync engines—why they matter, what makes apps feel fast, and which platforms stand out. From LiveStore to Convex to Instant DB, they break down the pros and con...
Getting the most out of AI Coding
Scott and Wes share their top strategies for getting high-quality results from AI coding tools like Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, and Windsurf. From better prompting to building reusable rule sets, they...
NPM package or 90s Anime Character?!
Scott, Wes, and CJ face off in the ultimate guessing game. Can they tell if a name belongs to an npm package or a 90s anime character? Expect wild guesses, hilarious mix-ups, and plenty of laughs! ...
which experience do you prefer??
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Web Dev Q&A | Pre-commit Hooks, requestAnimationFrame, Code Reviews, and More
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about code reviews, migrating legacy apps, CSS attr() use cases, pre-commit hooks, the future of creative web development, whe...
how to get good at writing code with AI
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AI Coding Roadmap for Newbies (And Skeptics)
Scott and Wes break down how to code with and for AI; perfect for skeptics, beginners, and curious devs. They cover everything from Ghost Text and CLI agents to building your own AI-powered apps wi...
CSS Battles! Recreate an ALIEN EYE with CSS
The battle rages on! Scott, Wes, and CJ go head-to-head once again in an intense CSS Battle showdown. Who will reign supreme in this rematch? Tune in for some wild code, creative solutions, and ple...
How To Use Kiro, the New Agentic IDE
0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - The Demo App 1:52 - Let's Build 4:00 - The Kiro Page 4:20 - Non-Sponsorship Disclosure, I just like it 5:02 - Back to Kiro 6:20 - Agent Steering 10:50 - Specs 14:06 - Des...
How to Build MCP Servers
Wes and Scott talk about how developers can expose powerful tools to AI using the Model Context Protocol. They discuss tool calling, remote MCP specs, authentication, and real-world use cases that ...
Auth has changed so much in the last ~10 year and we’re very here for it
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Cursor User Tries Claude Code
In this video CJ tries Claude Code for the first time by taking it through a series of increasingly difficult challenges. 🔥 Be the ~14,700th person to join our super tasty newsletter https://bit.l...
BETTER-AUTH's built in access controls are 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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Better Auth with Better Auth
Scott and Wes recap the current state of web authentication and explore how Better Auth simplifies the whole process. With built-in plugins, modern features, and no need to hand-roll your own solut...
Are you a human? Prove it by grilling these 6 items to perfection.
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Framework BATTLE! Who Built the Best Dev Stack?
Scott, Wes, and CJ face off in a framework battle to build the ultimate web dev stack. With only one pick per round (and a single steal each), they draft tools across categories like UI frameworks,...
sing the note CAPTCHa??!
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Extreme Native Perf on the Web with Superhuman
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 datab...
We think the Dia Browser is the future
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AI Tools you should know
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, ...
Can You Reverse Engineer Code? Clash of Code: Reverse Mode!
Scott, Wes, and CJ go head-to-head in a Clash of Code challenge, but there’s a twist: it’s reverse mode! They’re only given the input and expected output, and have to figure out what the heck the c...
I got fired, what should I focus on?
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, whe...
MCP Explained | What, Why and How
In this video CJ talks about MCP. What it is, why we need it, how to add tools to LLM clients and how to create and debug our own tools. 🔥 Be the ~14,700th person to join our super tasty newslette...