Why You Can’t Skip the Fundamentals w/ Henri Helvetica

This week, Chuck and special guest co-host Aaron Francis talk with Henri Helvetica live from React Miami. They explore the evolving challenges of web performance, why genuine research skills still matter in an AI-driven world, and how developers can stay curious and resilient in a fast-moving industry. Henri shares insights from his React Miami talk, his passion for performance advocacy, and why literacy—both digital and physical—matters more than ever.In this episode:(00:00) - Intro(00:54) - Meet Henri Helvetica(05:36) - Rum review and rating: Rhum Barbancourt 15(12:34) - Why the best JS framework is the one you like(14:38) - What makes a good rum?(19:33) - Have performance and accessibility been left behind?(22:32) - Where Henri’s working now—and how he’s pushing for better performance(26:47) - Hot Take: Why modern dev learning paths are hurting growth(35:43) - Henri’s advice for junior devs who want to master performance(39:05) - How to use AI without sabotaging your future learning(43:36) - Henri's passion for running and exercise(52:19) - Building and growing Henri's dev running community(54:27) - If not tech, what would Henri do instead?(55:26) - PlugsLinksRhum Barbancourt 15: https://barbancourt.com/React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/Remix: https://remix.run/Ryan Florence: https://x.com/ryanflorenceBuffalo Trace: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/Pappy Van Winkle: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/van-winkle.htmlMaker's Mark: https://www.makersmark.com/Weller: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/w-l-weller.htmlEmber: https://emberjs.com/James Earl Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_JonesAppleton Estate: https://appletonestate.com/Zacapa 23: https://www.zacaparum.com/Guillermo Rauch: https://x.com/rauchgChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/Web.dev: https://web.dev/Performance.now(): https://perfnow.nl/Couch to 5k: https://c25k.com/Connect with HenriX / Twitter: https://x.com/henrihelveticaConnect with Chuck and RobbieRobbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagnerChuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rdSubscribe and stay in touchWebsite: https://whiskey.fmApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDfOvercast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnotWhiskey Web and Whatnot MerchEnjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.