No Compromises
Episodes
Learning from other communities
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can a Laravel developer learn something from the Rails or Erlang communities? We share some perspective on how to broaden your horizons, and when migh...
Uh-oh, that proof of concept is going into production. Now what?
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us have built something we thought was "throw-away" code, only to have someone decide it's good enough to ship to production. How can you prep...
The benefits of sharing what you learn
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are listening to this, you probably enjoy hearing other people share what they've learned. In this episode, we turn the tables and explain why ...
How to deal with interruptions
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can you handle an interruption to your work, especially if it is an urgent request for help? We discuss how to do this without derailing your plan...
Should I write this weird code or is there a Laravel feature I can use instead?
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We walk through a recent experience where Joel was about to "burn down the world," as Aaron calls it. Instead, after doing a little exploration of the...
Take time to look back and review
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It feels good to finish a project, but before you move on, there are benefits to pausing and reflecting on what went well and what could have been bet...
The benefits of testing, even under a deadline
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We have to ship this feature in 2 weeks! Do we have time to test? In this episode we talk through this scenario and share some benefits of testing eve...
When to calculate a value versus when to store it in the database
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For some values, it can be tricky to know whether it's better to calculate it on the fly or when to calculate it once and store in the database. We ta...
Should I use an event/listener or a model observer?
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We share a few rules that help guide us to determine when to manually fire an event versus when to wire up a model observer.Make my phone buzz and dow...
How we wrap up a project
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wrapping up our series on how we work, we talk through the end of a project and how to make sure there are no surprises.Download the free security tip...
Don't be afraid to change your mind
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You learned a best practice, and it served you well. Is it set in stone? Or should you be open to re-evaluate later?Get those free e-books at masterin...
The proper way to argue
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've all had disagreements about how to write or organize code, or how a feature should work. We share some tips on how to discuss it productively.Be...
What makes a good staging environment?
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Setting up a useful staging environment involves a number of choices. We discuss our preferred strategies and talk about why having a staging environm...
Your project is not special
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This isn't meant to be an insult. It's actually a good thing that your project isn't completely unique, and you can benefit from what other people hav...
Planning out a week of work
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our series on "how we work", today we finally get to the dev work. How we organize it, plan it, and communicate with the project stakeholde...
A few things to watch for with Laravel policies
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron shares a few things that he's bumped into with policies in his apps, and we talk through some possible solutions or processes to help avoid them...
Onboarding a new project
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you inherit a project, how do you draw a balance before making everything nice to work with and delivering value to the stakeholders?Check out ma...
Paying down technical debt
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have a question? Want us to discuss a topic? Do you like sending email to random people on the Internet?Contact us at [email protected] for all...
Knowing when and how to try something new
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You just attended a conference or finished a book/course and you're all excited to try out some new "best practice". We discuss how to balance this en...
Wireframe before coding
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As developers, coding is the fun part, but we share why we like to slow down and take some time to wireframe before diving into the editor* Download o...
Continuous integration doesn't have to be hard
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
* Github Actions by Michael Heap (50% discount for podcast listeners)* masteringlaravel.io - get a jump start on validation with our free worksheet
Deciding what to build
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Check out our new website: MasteringLaravel.io
Are your logs too noisy?
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The broken window theory of programmingNew site launch! MasteringLaravel.io
How we decide whether or not to take on something new
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a little different. We take a peek behind the scenes as to how we qualify projects, and the sorts of things you might think about befo...
Are you allowed to do that?
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Roles and permissions are a core part of most applications. Laravel provides some tools for managing and enforcing this, and third party packages prov...
Are you a Laravel developer or a PHP developer?
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you're building a Laravel app, you're writing PHP code, but you're dealing with many patterns and conveniences provided by Laravel. So where do y...
Should developers have access to production?
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
> Developer: "I just need to SSH in real quick"> Server admin: "No"Have you had this discussion? Listen in as Joel and Aaron talk about their ex...
Pick a coding standard, any one will do
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where should I place this curly brace? Trailing commas or not? Have you encountered disagreements about coding standards on your team. In this episode...
The art of asking and answering questions
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We've all been stuck with something we didn't know. Should you ask for help? And how? Or if someone on your team asks you a question, how can you hand...
Testing 1 ... 2 ... 3, let's talk testing
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the big 3 types of tests we use on our projects? How do we decide which to use? Listen in as we discuss this and more.Need help improving you...
Guarded vs fillable, fight!
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's no tabs versus spaces, but it's close. Do you use guarded or fillable in your Laravel models? Aaron and Joel share their default approach, as wel...
Don't ignore that pain!
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's easy to get used to things that cause us friction or pain in our development process. In this episode, we discuss how to avoid that trap and how ...
Validation is your friend
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Validation may seem boring, but it's a vital part of any Laravel application. Joel and Aaron share some tips on validation along with exciting news ab...
Always be ready to hand off the project
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it important to think about a future project hand-off at the beginning of a client relationship? Aaron and Joel share their approach.Sign up fo...
Finding and fixing a performance issue
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last episode we discussed how to deal with a "slow app" complaint. This episode we discuss some technical approaches to find and fix the issue.Sign up...
Someone said my app is slow. Now what?
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The dreaded support ticket gets filed: App is slow! Before you get defensive or close as "Won't fix", consider a few tips on how to successfully appro...
How long does it take to get your project running?
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron and Joel have joined a fair number of projects over the years. Listen as they share some tips on how to make process less painful for your team....
Is it a good idea to install that package?
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Laravel and PHP have a rich ecosystem, but it's good to weigh the pros and cons before reaching for a new package. We share some things to consider.Si...
Where do I start making things better?
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where are some good starting points for modernizing and improving a legacy codebase? Joel and Aaron discuss a few ideas where you could start.Sign up ...
How long is that going to take?
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The eternal question that every developer hears: How long is that going to take? Aaron and Joel discuss some ways to frame that question, and how to p...
Getting started with a legacy codebase
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stepping into an unfamiliar codebase with a long history can be a challenge. Aaron and Joel share some tips on how to get started and build confidence...
Why even review when my code is perfect?
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some shy away from code review, not wanting to be critiqued. Aaron and Joel share some tips on how to get the most out of code reviews, and things to ...
Are you testing me?
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron and Joel talk about why they write tests and what sorts of tests they find valuable.00:00 Why do we write tests?03:05 Implied trust in packages0...
What is the one true way to do this?
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss a couple scenarios where there's more than one way to do something, and how we think through our decision.00:00 How to pick what file to pu...
Did you just tell me to read the manual?
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you learn a new technology? Or how do you find out what's changed in the latest version of something you already use? Aaron and Joel share some...
Do you have a clear mental model?
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The technologies we work with are extremely detailed. Without a clear mental model of how things work together, it's easy to get lost or confused.00:0...
The best argument is no argument
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Disagreements and debate can sap your team's energy. We'll talk about some ways to avoid unnecessary conflicts, and how to successfully handle a diffe...
What's with these flaky tests?
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Croissants are great because they're flaky, but no one likes a flaky test. We share some strategies on how to make your tests more reliable.00:00 Flak...
When should I upgrade my Laravel project?
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
00:00 The desire to upgrade to a shiny new Laravel version02:20 I actually enjoy maintenance03:48 An analogy with cars04:30 The importance of communic...
How do you figure out why your code isn't working?
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
00:00 The thought process when you get stuck01:40 An example with CSS03:40 Tools that can help locally06:15 Using a debugger to learn about Laravel06:...
When is the right time to automate a dev task?
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
00:00 The urge to automate everything01:49 Document before you automate02:45 Weighing time spent versus time saved03:30 Automation isn't maintenance-f...