MEAN Stack Developer Newsletter Issue 8: Back From Hiatus
Read on to learn more about why I needed a brief hiatus (and paid subscribers will be getting a few free months on me), but know that I am back at it again - full steam ahead!
Back from a 3 month, unintentional hiatus due to losing my home
So if you didn’t know - now you will know - my fiance and I lost our apartment at the beginning of January. It was quite devastating for us as we had even raised enough money to pay our landlords. But they were set on kicking us out so we were put out on the streets and have been having a hard time at it ever since. I won’t elaborate much more on being homeless because that’s not the point of this article, but you can read more about it in a post I made on Medium right here if ya want.
I am back to writing consistently for good on all of my blogs now and I have some articles to share from those blogs later on in this newsletter. We also may be getting into a new place soon so things are looking like they are on the up and up for us. We could still use help wherever we can - be it food, or whatever so if you feel like you want to help a homeless couple doing the right thing, you can message me or donate to my Ko-Fi or Patreon pages for creators.
Cool internet things for y’all like usual
Uxcel - Learn design from square one and at your own pace!
I was recently looking for a good design learning resource that is more interactive than just watching videos and reading books. I wanted something hands-on but at the same time, it needed to have a lot of content that would be easy to read and take notes from as there are some topics in UI design and development that are more technical than drawing icons. The quiz and scoreboard feature keeps you engaged throughout the learning process and the videos and graphics are very well done.
You do have to pay for a subscription to get the most out of Uxcel, but there is a free option that allows you to get some of the content and get a taste of the program. Try out the free-trial though and see if Uxcel will make you the next great web designer!
Livecycle - The all-new collaboration tool that puts devs on the same page as shareholders and marketers.
If you have tried to develop a SaaS product or build a new website in an entirely different niche than you are used to, you understand how difficult it can be to succeed without sufficient feedback. I’ve noticed sometimes it’s really difficult to get solid feedback from shareholders, designers, and developers - the people you think you’d get the most feedback from. That’s because most teams aren’t using the right collaboration tools to get right down to the repository code and preview any changes before they go out.
That’s where Livecycle comes in - it is basically a layer on your GitHub repositories that anyone on your team can use to preview any deployments, edit the HTML and CSS on your project, and also leave comments about any component on your site. By removing the friction between developers and everyone else, you have happy developers, an awesome product, and satisfied shareholders who pad your pockets with cash.
Free Agency - “Entertainers and sports stars have agents - so should tech workers”
Free Agency was the most interesting service to pop up on me this week. I had just got rejected by a tech job placement company called Underdogs (which is ironic given my situation) and in their rejection email they included a list of partners who may be able to help me. Free Agency is 100% living up to its title - you are treated like a sports-free agent. You are paired up with an actual talent agent who practices interviews with you, sets up meetings with companies, and even negotiates your salary for you. I guess in a way it could sort of fulfill my childhood dream of being a football star and being a free agent who gets paid the big bucks for signing a huge contract. Eh, not really - but this service looks really cool so check it out!
Zuplo - The fully customizable API management platform that makes it easy. to monetize your APIs.
This one really has me excited because it contains everything you’d want in a great developer experience. I really like the fact that it handles authorization so easily with Supabase - the authorization is something I always hate doing on APIs, but the management platform basically builds it into the process. I also love that. you can customize the entire solution to make the platform feel like home for you and your API. A great example of how to customize the platform is the Rick and Morty-themed platform you can view here.
Basedash - A backend connector/hub for your databases and apps.
Basedash is actually one of the most interesting internal tools that I’ve found so far. Basically, you take Basedash and hook it up to the databases that you use in your applications, like Postgres or MySQL. I just set a connection up between Supabase (Postgres DB) and Air Table as the data layer for my database. You’ll get the best dashboard for managing all your data which includes integrations to Notion, Linear, and even Shopify. Get set up now and build an awesome app that displays your data in a way that allows you. to better tell your story!
Can’t Miss Articles and Tutorials
Generate your memes - create your own Meme App with React and Strapi v4
I love this app design - the Progressify Project Management App
I’m making my college football predicting engine this way - Integrating MindsDB and Supabase to predict Football Scores
Futureproof your e-commerce site with composability and Netlify
Interesting LinkedIn article about Top 10 AI Trends in 2023
Become a master of JavaScript with these 10 concepts
Summing up Auto GPT from these Twitter conversations
System Design Master Template - ace the interview
REST API Handbook for those who are needing a guide while using Zuplo
Ending this list with behavioral design and psychology - Gamification Design
Follow Me & Subscribe for More
That is all I have for this week but I am going to be posting more frequently, including a MEAN Stack tutorial I am finishing up and ready to release to paid subscribers.
As I mentioned, if you would like to help me in a time of need, I have included where you can help and how you can get in touch with me. Any and all help is appreciated!
It just feels good to be back out there creating again. Until next week!
https://ko-fi.com/geauxweisbeck4
https://www.patreon.com/GeauxWeisbeck4dev