My Weird Journey To Next.js

Summary

In this video, the creator shares his personal journey with Next.js, a framework he initially disliked but later embraced as the future of web development. He discusses his background in programming, his transition from backend to frontend, and his love for functional programming. The creator details his frustration with the slow process of backend and frontend synchronization and how Vercel's server components, especially the introduction of async support, revolutionized his workflow. His passion for the seamless integration of server and client-side code in one project, along with the efficiency of Vercel's deployment process, transformed him into a staunch advocate for Next.js.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker's journey with Next.js started with a love for functional programming languages, which led to an appreciation for the framework's ability to integrate backend and frontend code in a single project.
• 🔧 The speaker initially disliked JavaScript and frontend work but eventually fell in love with React and its component model after being pushed to contribute to Twitch's frontend rewrite.
• 📚 The importance of a well-defined API layer was highlighted through the speaker's experiences at Twitch, emphasizing the need for synchronization between backend and frontend teams.
• 🚀 The speaker's frustration with slow development cycles and the inability to quickly iterate led to the exploration and adoption of Vercel Functions and later, Next.js for their project needs.
• 🛠️ The speaker's initial use of Vercel Functions (then called API Directory) allowed for the addition of backend functionality to a frontend project without needing to change the framework or setup.
• 🔄 The transition to Next.js was driven by the need to reduce build times and improve performance by bundling multiple endpoints into a single Lambda function, enhancing the deployment process.
• 💡 The introduction of tRPC simplified the speaker's codebase significantly, allowing for type-safe and efficient data fetching and server-client communication.
• 🌐 The speaker's advocacy for the T3 stack (Tailwind, TypeScript, tRPC) and its popularity among the developer community demonstrated the appeal of combining these technologies for building applications.
• 🎥 The speaker's YouTube channel took off quickly, leading to sponsored content opportunities and collaborations with companies like Vercel, which aligned with their genuine enthusiasm for the technology.
• 🔄 The evolution of Next.js, particularly the introduction of server components and their asynchronous capabilities, represented a significant shift in the speaker's perspective, transforming them into a strong proponent of the framework.
• 🚀 The speaker's passion for Next.js is rooted in their personal development journey and the evolution of the framework, rather than any financial incentives or sponsorships.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial impression of functional programming when they first tried Elixir?

The speaker initially found functional programming with Elixir to be weird but quickly fell in love with it, to the point where they loved coding.

Why did the speaker dislike working with Go?

The speaker disliked working with Go because they had fallen deeply in love with functional programming and the thought of not doing it hurt, making them unproductive and unhappy.

How did the speaker's experience with React change their perspective on front-end development?

The speaker discovered the power of the component model in React and composition, which made them fall in love with front-end development quickly, despite previously hating writing JavaScript.

What was the speaker's role in the team that used Elixir at Twitch?

The speaker joined the team at Twitch without being a qualified developer but ended up contributing significantly, especially after moving from backend to frontend roles.

Why was the speaker frustrated with the API layer in their work at Twitch?

The speaker was frustrated because the back-and-forth with the backend team to get features shipped was time-consuming and often held up the shipping process, which was a difficult problem to solve.

What motivated the speaker to use Vercel Functions (API Routes) in their project?

The speaker was motivated to use Vercel Functions to avoid being blocked by the backend team and to have the ability to quickly add backend functionality to their frontend project without changing the framework.

Why did the speaker eventually choose to use Next.js for their video call app?

The speaker chose Next.js to bundle all the API endpoints into a single Lambda, which reduced build times and improved performance, as opposed to having each endpoint compiled and deployed individually.

What was the speaker's initial opinion on Next.js's data fetching methods?

The speaker initially disliked Next.js's data fetching methods, particularly getServerSideProps, because they found it to be inconsistent, not type-safe, and not providing the necessary functionality for their pages.

How did the introduction of Next.js's Server Components change the speaker's perspective on the framework?

The introduction of asynchronous Server Components made the speaker fall in love with Next.js, as it allowed for a more seamless and type-safe way to handle data within components, aligning with the speaker's vision for a better development experience.

What was the speaker's involvement with Vercel and Next.js before becoming a well-known advocate?

The speaker used Vercel and Next.js in their projects long before becoming a public advocate, and their positive experiences with the technologies led to them promoting them to others and eventually creating content about them.

How did the speaker's content creation journey begin, and what was the impact of their first few videos?

The speaker's content creation journey began with a live stream to showcase their stack to creators, which eventually led to a video that gained traction. Their first few videos, including a mock interview with Dan Abramov, helped establish their presence and credibility in the developer community.