In this episode of Señors @ Scale, Adrian Marin, founder of AVO and host of FriendlyRB, joins Dan to share his journey into programming and his deep commitment to the Ruby ecosystem.Adrian walks us through his transition from a non-technical background into software development and how he fell in love with Ruby on Rails for its elegance and productivity. He explains why everything in Ruby is an object, what makes Rails still the fastest way to build apps, and how Hotwire redefines frontend development with minimal JavaScript.We also dive into the tools and frameworks shaping today’s developer experience: the rise of Tailwind CSS, why Adrian built AVO to make internal tooling in Rails as smooth as Laravel Nova, and how the Ruby ecosystem continues to thrive with innovative libraries and first-party tools.Beyond code, Adrian shares how community and creativity intersect in tech — from organizing FriendlyRB in Romania to inventing a Ruby Passport that lets conference-goers collect stamps and connect with peers across events.🎯 Whether you’re a Rubyist, Rails engineer, or curious about how productivity frameworks scale, this episode is packed with insights, stories, and lessons from the trenches.---Chapters00:00 Introduction to Adrian Marin and His Journey04:33 The Early Days of Programming06:58 Nostalgia for the Old Web Development Days08:53 Evolution of Web Development Tools12:45 The Impact of AI on Development14:11 The Rise of Tailwind CSS15:16 Adrian's Love for Tailwind CSS20:46 Transitioning from PHP to Ruby on Rails29:35 Building AVO: A Toolkit for Internal Tools34:31 Understanding Hotwire in Rails36:29 Understanding Client-Server Interactions39:30 The Ruby Ecosystem and Community Engagement44:36 Creating Memorable Conferences46:10 Innovative Networking: The Ruby Passport54:46 Getting Started with Ruby on Rails01:06:24 Balancing Work and Family Life01:07:42 Recommended Reads for Developers---Follow & Subscribe:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senorsatscale/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neciudev🎙 Podcast URL: https://neciudan.dev/senors-at-scale📬 Newsletter: https://neciudan.dev/subscribe💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neciudan💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/se%C3%B1ors-scale/---#rubyonrails #ruby #rails #hotwire #tailwindcss #avo #softwaredevelopment #developercommunity #webdevelopment #engineeringculture #señorsatscaleDon’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more engineering stories from the front lines. Are you building with Rails at scale? Share your experience below 👇

In this episode of Señors @ Scale, Andreas Panopoulos — Staff Software Engineer at Hack the Box and co-organizer of Vue.js Athens — joins Dan to share his journey from building jQuery landing pages to leading frontend teams powered by Vue.Andreas walks us through the evolution of Vue.js, from version 2 to 3, and how features like the Composition API and TypeScript support transformed developer experience. He shares what it was like to rewrite Hack the Box’s Academy platform on Nuxt 3, why Vue scales for millions of users, and what performance practices every frontend team should keep in mind.We also dive into the human side of engineering: why understanding the basics of JavaScript is essential even when using frameworks, how public speaking and community organizing can accelerate growth, and why keeping things simple often beats overengineering.Along the way, Andreas reflects on lessons learned from his early career, his transition to staff engineer, and the role of community in shaping modern engineering culture.🎯 Whether you’re a Vue enthusiast, frontend engineer, or developer community organizer, this episode is packed with practical insights and stories from the trenches.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Andreas Panopoulos02:56 Andreas's Journey into Programming09:52 Transitioning to Frontend Development17:52 Current Role at Hack the Box21:41 Vue 2 vs Vue 3: A Developer's Perspective26:13 Lessons Learned from Early Career30:21 Transition to Staff Engineer34:46 Project Updates and Future Plans35:54 Understanding Hack the Box38:25 Security Practices in Development39:47 Performance and User Experience42:03 Vue's Popularity in Athens46:12 Business Logic and Frameworks47:27 Challenges in Finding Speakers52:26 Public Speaking Experiences56:34 Relaxation and Personal Interests58:00 Book RecommendationsFollow & Subscribe:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senorsatscale/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neciudev🎙 Podcast URL: https://neciudan.dev/senors-at-scale📬 Newsletter: https://neciudan.dev/subscribe💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neciudan💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/se%C3%B1ors-scale/#vuejs #vue3 #nuxt #frontenddevelopment #javascript #hackthebox #softwareengineering #webdevelopment #engineeringculture #señorsatscaleDon’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more engineering stories from the front lines. Are you using Vue at scale in your team? Share your experience below 👇

In this episode of Señors @ Scale, Faris Aziz — Staff Front-End Engineer at Small PDF, international speaker, and co-founder of ZurichJS — joins Dan to talk about scaling both frontend architecture and engineering culture.Faris shares his unconventional journey from CrossFit trainer to software engineer, and how personal projects became his gateway into tech. He opens up about the realities of working on applications serving 30 million+ users, why BFF architecture is such a powerful pattern for managing data between front-end and back-end, and the hidden pitfalls of performance when building with React and Next.js.We also dig into the human side of architecture: how observability, error management, and developer experience shape reliable systems; why ownership and accountability drive better outcomes than process checklists; and how stress can be reframed when you work in a culture of trust.And beyond code, Faris reflects on community: what it takes to co-found a thriving JavaScript meetup in Zurich, why meetups are “mini start-ups,” and how community building fuels personal and professional growth.🎯 Whether you’re a frontend engineer, engineering manager, or developer community organizer, this episode is packed with architectural insights and real-world lessons from the trenches.---Chapters00:00 Introduction to Faris Aziz and His Journey05:46 From Fitness to Coding: The Bootcamp Experience08:33 Building Personal Projects and Learning by Doing11:28 The Impact of Global Work Culture on Engineering14:24 Co-founding ZurichJS: Building Community in Tech19:57 Technical Insights: React vs. Next.js at Scale25:38 Scaling Challenges in Data Representation31:35 Understanding the BFF Architecture40:44 Authentication and Security in BFFs43:30 Comparing BFF with GraphQL and TRPC49:09 Innovative UI Approaches in Application Development51:27 A Day in the Life of a Staff Engineer52:13 Strategic Engineering at Scale55:46 Managing Stress and Engineering Culture01:01:06 Finding Balance in High-Stakes Environments01:05:37 Book Recommendations and Personal Insights---Follow & Subscribe:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senorsatscale/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neciudev🎙 Podcast URL: https://neciudan.dev/senors-at-scale📬 Newsletter: https://neciudan.dev/subscribe💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neciudan💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/se%C3%B1ors-scale/#frontend #nextjs #bffarchitecture #javascript #react #softwaredevelopment #engineeringculture #techevents #zurichjs #webdevelopment #señorsatscaleDon’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more engineering stories from the front lines. Have you ever built — or struggled with — frontend architecture at scale? Share your experience below 👇