From the Rickhouse: Tech Talk, Social Media Use, and Netflix with The Primeagen

Whiskey Web and Whatnot: Web Development, Neat

From the Rickhouse: Tech Talk, Social Media Use, and Netflix with The Primeagen

Explicit

Published on Jul 24, 2025, 7:00:00 AM
Total time: 01:36:19

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Episode Description

The Primeagen is known for embracing controversy. He returns to the podcast for a conversation on a range of topics like masculinity, social media, and pornography. He also opens up about his father’s passing and his journey growing up with a single mother.

Michael Paulson aka The Primeagen, Software Engineer at Netflix, is an influential figure in the tech community. He shares his thoughts on React's evolution and the impact it has on web applications and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Netflix and the problem-solving initiatives he led. He also discusses social media use and explains how he leverages platforms like Twitter, Twitch, and YouTube to express his thoughts while fostering an engaging online community.

In this episode, The Primeagen talks to Robbie and Chuck about his views on frameworks like React, the perils of pornography, and how he is saving Netflix millions of dollars.

In this episode:

  • (00:00) - Welcome to Whiskey Web and Whatnot
  • (01:39) - Introduction to The Primeagen
  • (04:21) - A whiskey review - Spirits of French Lick William Dalton Single Barrel Bourbon
  • (14:13) - Tech hot takes
  • (44:49) - The Primeagen talks about limiting social media use
  • (56:38) - What The Primeagen would do if he wasn’t in tech
  • (01:02:25) - The Primeagen’s take on pornography
  • (01:18:09) - The influence of The Primeagen's father's passing
  • (01:21:48) - How The Primeagen saved Netflix millions of dollars


Quotes

[18:50] - “It feels like React, at this point, is in this state where it’s the industry standard, but I don’t feel like people are happy with it.” ~ The Primeagen

[24:45] - “When people start relying on you as some sort of open source provider, you do still have some level of obligation.” ~ The Primeagen

[35:26] - “The thing about Bun is that I really like it. It’s just not 1.0.” ~ The Primeagen

Links

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More about Whiskey Web and Whatnot: Web Development, Neat
Veteran web developers RobbieTheWagner and Charles William Carpenter III 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.
© RobbieTheWagner and Charles William Carpenter III