We all know what it’s like to be fired—but what about firing a client? In this week’s Web News, Matt and Mike explore what happens when a freelance relationship goes sour. Is it ever okay to walk away from a paying client? What if they’re disruptive, draining your time, or you’ve simply lost interest in their project? They break down when it’s appropriate to cut ties and how to do it professionally.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/is-it-ever-okay-to-fire-a-client
Use our Scrimba affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.
--------
18:04
--------
18:04
We Should Care More About Web App Security
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive deep into web app security by walking through a simple SaaS note-taking app and breaking down vulnerabilities at each layer—from frontend and backend to auth and hosting. With 16 billion credentials recently leaked and AI increasing attack complexity, even indie devs need to lock things down. They cover common security pitfalls like XSS, CSRF, IDOR, insecure cookies, and more—along with practical mitigations using tools like tRPC, Prisma, and Next.js. Whether you’re building solo or part of a team, this episode will help you build safer apps from the ground up.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/we-should-care-more-about-web-app-security
Powered by CodeRabbit - AI Code Reviews: https://coderabbit.link/htmlallthethings
Use our Scrimba affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.
--------
1:03:51
--------
1:03:51
Web News: Trying New Things on Customer Sites
Sometimes a customer asks you to do something that you’ve never done before - when it’s mission critical this can be nerve wracking. We’ve all Googled and researched our way to learning new skills before, however, putting them to use and into production straight away seems daunting.
- What’s your policy when it comes to implementing a critical feature for a client, when you’re brand new to the tech at hand?
- Do you disclose that you’re new at it?
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/trying-new-things-on-customer-sites
--------
17:46
--------
17:46
Write Less, Rank More: My Fill-in-the-Blank SEO Method
In this episode, Matt shares his “Write for Google” process — a strategic, keyword-first approach to planning SEO-friendly content. He walks through how he researches keywords, analyzes top-ranking articles, and builds heading structures that make writing feel like filling in the blanks. Matt also explains how he uses AI as a helpful second set of eyes to validate ideas and fine-tune outlines before writing begins.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/write-less-rank-more-my-fill-in-the-blank-seo-method
Use our affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.
--------
1:08:46
--------
1:08:46
Why Developer Experience Matters
In this episode, Matt and Mike dive into developer experience (DX) — what it is, why it matters, and how improving it can make you a better developer. They share personal stories of frustrating build processes, game-changing tools, and scripting away pain points. Whether it's speeding up deployments, eliminating unnecessary rebuilds, or embracing platforms like Vercel and PlanetScale, there's never been a better time to take your DX into your own hands.
Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/why-developer-experience-matters
Use our affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.
About HTML All The Things - Web Development, Web Design, Small Business
The adventures of Matt Lawrence and Mike Karan through the world of web development, web design, and small business management. As web development agency owners for the better part of a decade, they’ve worked with all sorts of technologies, through the rise of responsive web design, the revolution of serverless computing, and the popularity gain of many no-code tools for small business owners. They commonly discuss foundational web development technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - including popular frameworks and tools such as Tailwind CSS, Svelte, WordPress, Vue, and more.
Listen to HTML All The Things - Web Development, Web Design, Small Business, Young and Profiting with Hala Taha (Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing) and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
USA