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Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

940: Picking a Fullstack Stack, Is Next.js Too Complex? Services vs Self-Hosted + More

Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

Wes Bos

Tech News, News, Technology

4.91.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 September 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about modern full-stack stacks, Node.js backend options, managing database indexes, developer burnout, handling toxic bosses, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:36 What’s your go-to Node.js backend in 2025? Polka 06:18 Do you proactively manage database indexes—or fix them only when they become a problem? 09:40 Brought to you by Sentry.io 12:14 After planning a new project, what’s your real-world dev workflow? 931: Project Init - How to Make Good Choices When Starting a New Coding Project 18:19 What to do when you’re feeling burned out as a developer 23:34 Picking the right tech stack for your partner’s website 28:18 How do you deal with a toxic boss? 33:10 The ideal tech stack for launching a SaaS MVP 39:46 Is GraphQL still worth it vs REST or RPC? 44:26 Is Vercel steering modern web dev in the wrong direction? 51:20 What’s up with TanStack Forms? TanStack Form Latest 59:35 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Flesh and Code Wes: WAGO connectors Shameless Plugs Syntax YouTube Channel Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to Syntax today. We've got a Pollock episode for you today. We're going to be talking about Nodejs back end choice.

0:05.6

If you want to build a quick rest API, what you use in Node, a whole bunch of questions around like full stack.

0:11.2

Like what stack should I pull together in order to build like a SaaS app or a CMS that I want to do your own?

0:18.0

We talk a bit about when to use a service versus when to host it

0:22.4

yourself. That free tier will come and bite you in the butt once they pull the rug from you.

0:27.6

Scott is wrong about TAN stack forms. It doesn't understand what they're for. No. And simple stacks.

0:34.6

Someone saying like was express in view and MySQL the perfect stack?

0:40.3

Should we go back to that?

0:42.1

Is next year as too complicated?

0:44.4

We're getting all into that.

0:46.2

So let's get it going.

0:48.1

I feel like this is the stack a setchisode, Wes.

0:50.3

Yes, it's a stack, nothing but stacks.

0:52.5

Full stack flapjack.

0:54.8

Full stack flapjack. Let's go. You ready, Scott? How you doing today?

0:58.8

Hey, I'm doing good, man, just chilling, hanging out. Being back on my Mac feels weird. I'm just

1:04.4

been turning into a Linux boy, so. You've been all over the Omarchie using Linux app get installing things. I've not used Appgit. There's something called Pac-Man. I've been Pac-Man in. I've been chomp-chom-chomping, waku-baku, all that stuff. How are you doing? I'm doing good. We're recording on a Thursday today, which is a little odd, but I'm heading out next week, so we're getting ahead of it, cranking out one for you. And like, honestly, we do a potluck once a month. And there's a lot of questions today. I couldn't believe it. Like, we often come back to the potluck and we're, like, we could maybe do two of these a month. Sometimes there's just so many good questions. So please keep the questions coming.

1:45.6

Go to syntax.fm and in the ural bar in the menu, there's a button that says potluck cues.

1:52.9

You can fill that out.

1:55.2

And we'll answer your question up on an upcoming episode.

1:59.6

So you would say Ural or Earl.

2:02.5

Earl.

...

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