James and Amy discuss different categories of sites and the best tools and tech stacks to reach for. Categories include brochure and marketing sites, eCommerce, Applications, and Membership sites.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

https://www.codingzeal.com/hiring

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction

2:42 Asking a lot of questions

What does this thing need to do? - Determine the hopes and dreams for the app o the app will be able to grow as the site grows.
Working on an MVP
Who's going to update it?

5:36 Jot things down on paper

What's it going to look like?

7:23 Holotypes - fancy word for category

A holotype gives a framework for being able to ask the right questions and know what tech to reach for.

8:34 Brochure or Marketing Sites

Mostly informational
Examples: restaurants, stores, moving company

9:39 eCommerce Sites

Collecting credit card information

10:11 Membership Sites

Managing users
Ability to Log in
Determining what a user can do once they've logged in
Collecting information on your users

10:49 Difference between authentication and authorization

11:40 Difference between a web site and a web application

Interactivity

13:00 Sponsor: Vercel

13:17 YouTube video: I don't use Create React App anymore

13:42 Technologies for Brochure and Marketing Sites

13:57 WordPress

Powers 1/3 of the Internet
Powers 14.7% of the top 100 websites

16:39 Webflow
* No Code Solution
* Writes and exports clean code

19:40 James's personal site is on Gatsby
* Can be difficult if you don't know GraphQL

21:01 Other options, apart from React

Nuxt.js is the Next.js Vue equivalent
Scully for Angular

21:26 Platforms eCommerce sites

26:14 - Refactoring UI

27:17 Sponsor: Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

28:58 Membership Sites

Compressed.fm is using Auth0 and the API folder
Membership plugins within WordPress
Podia has a membership component

30:05 Grab Bag Question #1: When is a good time to start freelancing?

What is your tolerance for risk?
Do you have a partner that can help contribute additional income or provide health benefits?
Talk to your employer. They may be willing to negotiate.
Talk to local stores, build a network
Can start right away, not all or nothing.

33:15 Grab Bag Question #2: What are your thoughts on not code tools for developers?

No code tools will not put developers out of work. They will just enable developers to focus on more interesting problems.
Conversation around no code should be a safe space.

35:53 Sponsor: ZEAL

36:46 Amy's Pick: Roost Stand
Perfect laptop stand for mobile or remote working.

37:23 Amy's Plug: SelfTeach.me on YouTube channel

Series on SVGs
Getting ready to release a series on building the custom audio player, used on the Compressed.fm site.

37:42 James's Pick: BenQ Light

Helps with eye fatigue

38:20 James's Plug #1: The Learn Build Teach Discord Community (free)

38:42 James's Pick: James Q Quick on YouTube Channel