From Frontend to Backend: Lane Wagner's Journey to Boot.dev

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Lane Wanger, the creator of Boot.dev, about his journey to backend development and launching Boot.dev. They discuss the state of developer education, how advanced developers can level up, and the importance of fundamentals. Lane also shares his love for Go, Tailwind, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

In this episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:58) - Meet Lane Wagner
• (03:06) - Whiskey: Old Maysville Club Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• (10:54) - Whiskey rating
• (15:25) - Hot takes
• (36:55) - Whiskey.fund
• (38:08) - Best tooling and learning platforms for developers
• (48:26) - How do experienced developers level up?
• (01:07:32) - Non-tech careers
• (01:09:00) - Tolkien and Rings of Power
• (01:14:56) - Closing thoughts and plugs

• Backend Banter podcast: https://www.backendbanter.fm
• Boot.dev: https://boot.dev
• Go: https://go.dev
• Tailwind CSS: https://tailwindcss.com
• Old Maysville Club Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey: https://www.oldpogue.com
• Adam Argyle: https://x.com/argyleink
• Chris Coyier: https://x.com/chriscoyier
• Codepen: https://codepen.io
• Lane’s Medium articles: https://wagslane.medium.com
• Reddit: https://reddit.com
• Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com
• Ken Wheeler: https://x.com/ken_wheeler
• BYU: https://www.byu.edu
• MIT: https://www.mit.edu
• Stanford: https://www.stanford.edu
• Udemy: https://www.udemy.com
• Ember: https://emberjs.com
• How About Tomorrow with DHH: https://tomorrow.fm/106
• Matt Holt: https://x.com/mholt6
• J.R.R. Tolkien: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien
• The Rings of Power: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings:_The_Rings_of_Power
• Game of Thrones: https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones
• Roald Dahl: https://www.roalddahl.com
• Harry Potter: https://www.wizardingworld.com
• The Hobbit: https://www.tolkienestate.com/writing/the-hobbit
• Wes Anderson: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0027572
• Asteroid City: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14230388
• The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16968450
• All Things Open: https://2024.allthingsopen.org

• X / Twitter: https://x.com/wagslane
• Website: https://www.boot.dev
• Podcast: https://www.backendbanter.fm

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

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Veteran web developers RobbieTheWagner, Charles William Carpenter III, and Adam Argyle host this informal, whiskey-fueled fireside chat with your favorite web devs. They discuss all things web development including JavaScript, TypeScript, EmberJS, React, Astro, SolidJS, CSS, HTML, Web3, and more. They take a unique approach and focus on getting to know the human side of developers and their hobbies outside of work, all while sampling a new whiskey that they rate on their unique tentacle scale.