Best of Theo - t3․gg — 2025

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    My Biggest Tutorial Ever (Build A FULL Google Drive Clone with React, Next, TypeScript and more)

    In this extensive tutorial, the author shares a comprehensive guide on building a full Google Drive clone from scratch using React, Next.js, TypeScript, and other modern tools. By diving into real-world development scenarios, including debugging and using AI tools, the tutorial aims to provide a holistic learning experience. Key points include setting up the project, using various tools and technologies, deploying early, and ensuring smooth development workflows with effective debugging and deployment strategies. The tutorial is made possible by the support of several sponsors and is designed to be accessible to learners for free.

  2. 2
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·1y

    Why is Next.js so slow??

    Server components in Next.js are under scrutiny for their performance, and while some apps using server components feel slow, the issue often lies with developer implementation rather than the technology itself. The post discusses the balance between client-side and server-side rendering, emphasizing the need for proper loading states and understanding of server behavior to optimize performance. Tools like Savala can streamline deployment by managing infrastructure needs such as CDNs and databases effectively.

  3. 3
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    I put this function in every codebase

    The author discusses the challenges and solutions for handling errors in TypeScript projects, emphasizing the limitations of traditional try-catch blocks. The piece introduces a custom try-catch function that simplifies error handling and explores other advanced libraries like neverthrow and effect, highlighting their benefits and complexities. The author shares insights and recommendations for developers to manage errors more effectively in their codebases.

  4. 4
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·1y

    Is PHP the new JS?

    The post explores the resurgence of PHP as a viable language in modern web development, largely driven by the Laravel framework. The author reflects on their personal journey with PHP, discussing its historical challenges and recent performance improvements. Laravel is highlighted for its comprehensive features that simplify web application development, making PHP enjoyable to use again.

  5. 5
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·1y

    Abort Controller is criminally underrated (every react dev should use this)

    Abort Controller in JavaScript is a powerful tool for canceling asynchronous operations like API requests, event listeners, and streams. This feature is particularly useful for React developers, simplifying the management of useEffect cleanup functions, event listeners, and fetch requests. The Abort Controller can enhance code clarity and reduce bugs by providing a consistent way to abort operations through the controller's signal and abort methods.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·51w

    Why Tech Companies Are Moving Off React

    A detailed analysis of why some tech companies are considering moving away from React, examining the framework's evolution through hooks, concurrent mode, server components, and the React compiler. The discussion argues that React's recent developments primarily benefit large-scale applications, addressing performance issues and complexity management that big companies face. The author counters claims that React is failing at scale, demonstrating how features like hooks improved code composability, server components solve server-driven UI problems, and the compiler optimizes performance automatically.

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    Rate Limiting

    Rate limiting is essential for controlling traffic and ensuring fair usage of resources in applications. The post explores common rate limiting algorithms, such as fixed window, sliding window, and token buckets, describing their benefits and drawbacks. It highlights practical applications in scenarios like preventing spam in chat services and protecting APIs from excessive requests. Additionally, the post emphasizes considerations for implementing rate limiting effectively, such as data storage and user communication.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·24w

    Shadcn just changed forever

    Shadcn UI introduced a major update called Shadcn Create that puts customization front and center. Instead of websites looking identical with default components, developers can now configure presets, colors, fonts, icon sets, and styles before generating a project. The system supports multiple component libraries (Radix UI and Base UI), offers various design presets (Vega, Nova, Maya, Lyra, Mirror), and allows extensive theming options. Testing shows that providing AI coding assistants with a well-structured component library significantly improves UI generation quality, even for models typically weak at design. The update maintains Shadcn's philosophy of code ownership while making it easier to start with a unique design system.

  9. 9
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·28w

    Google just dropped their Cursor killer (FREE Gemini 3 Pro???)

    Google released Anti-gravity, a free AI-powered IDE built on VS Code that integrates Gemini 3 Pro. The editor features an innovative agent manager workflow that operates as a separate window, browser control capabilities through Chrome integration, and automatic asset generation. While the tool shows promise with successful one-shot project creation and unique UX patterns for managing multiple tasks, it suffers from numerous bugs including broken extensions, inconsistent performance, and UI glitches. The editor appears to be based on Windsurf code from Google's recent acquisition, offering generous free usage limits during its preview period.

  10. 10
    Video
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    I'm Finally Moving On (I have a new browser)

    The author shares their frustrating experiences with the Arc browser due to its performance issues and lack of updates. They explore and evaluate various browsers such as Chrome, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, and Zen. The author ultimately decides to switch to the open-source Zen browser, praising its customizability, user-focused development, and supportive community. They appreciate Zen's continuous improvement and responsiveness to user feedback, unlike the more established but less user-attentive browsers.

  11. 11
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·45w

    Why I quit my job to make a startup

    A software engineer shares their journey from working at Twitch for 5 years to founding their own startup. The story covers their early career struggles, learning experiences at different teams within Twitch, the decision-making process behind quitting, failed attempts at other startups, and eventually building a creator tool called Round that led to acceptance into Y Combinator. Key themes include the importance of mentorship, talking to users, and recognizing when corporate environments no longer align with personal goals.

  12. 12
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·41w

    Things aren’t looking good for GitHub…

    GitHub's CEO Thomas Dohmke has stepped down, and the platform is now being integrated directly into Microsoft's Core AI organization, ending its independent operation. This shift raises concerns about GitHub's future direction, as Microsoft appears to be prioritizing AI features over core platform improvements. The author argues that GitHub has been coasting on legacy sentiment while competitors like Graphite offer better developer experiences. With GitHub now reporting to an AI-focused team, there are worries that non-AI features will be deprioritized, and the platform may not be well-positioned for the future of AI-assisted development.

  13. 13
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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·1y

    React Is the last framework.

    The post argues that React has become the last significant framework due to its widespread adoption and the influence of AI. The abundance of React code has led AI models to default to React-related solutions, hindering the adoption of new frameworks. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by newer frameworks in gaining traction, even if technically superior, due to the entrenched AI training data and established codebases. It also touches on how React's compiler can drive innovation without altering its language fundamentals.

  14. 14
    Video
    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·1y

    SSR, ISR, PPR? Breaking Down JS Rendering For 2025

    The post dives deep into different methods of rendering web applications: Server Side Rendering (SSR), Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR), and Purely Pre-Rendered (PPR). It highlights the evolution of these techniques over time, their benefits, drawbacks, and how they impact frameworks like Next.js, React, and others. The post uses diagrams and real-world examples to explain the complexities and optimizations in web rendering strategies, providing a comprehensive understanding of current and future trends in web development.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·38w

    Ripple: a new framework that takes the best of everything

    Ripple is a new TypeScript UI framework created by Dominic Gannaway, one of React's original creators and a lead Svelte maintainer. The framework combines the best features of React, Solid, and Svelte into a JavaScript-first approach with reactive state management using dollar sign prefixes. Key features include component-based architecture, JSX-like syntax with enhancements, built-in TypeScript support, and the ability to write JavaScript statements directly within markup. Ripple introduces new keywords like 'component' and allows flexible code organization where developers can intersperse TypeScript and markup as needed, rather than following strict file structure requirements.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·24w

    The Github Tax (I can't believe they actually did this...)

    GitHub announced a new fee structure charging 0.008 cents per minute for using self-hosted runners with GitHub Actions, even when compute runs on third-party platforms like Blacksmith or Depot. This pricing change affects all self-hosted runners and has sparked widespread criticism from developers who view it as penalizing users for choosing alternatives to GitHub's infrastructure. The fee applies regardless of whether jobs run for seconds or minutes, and critics argue GitHub is extracting revenue from an ecosystem while failing to invest in improving Actions' performance, reliability, and observability. The change has intensified concerns about GitHub's direction under Microsoft ownership and lack of clear leadership.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·47w

    React feels insane

    A developer critiques React's complexity and design decisions, arguing that the framework feels unnecessarily complicated compared to earlier solutions like Angular and jQuery. The response demonstrates common React anti-patterns like misusing useEffect for API calls and event handling, while defending React's design choices and explaining how proper usage with libraries like React Query can address many of the cited issues. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding tool complexity relative to application requirements and using appropriate patterns for different levels of application complexity.

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    Google won. (Gemini 2.5 Pro is INSANE)

  19. 19
    Video
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    Next.js 15.3: A Huge Change for Vercel

    Next.js 15.3 introduces significant improvements and course corrections, including Turbo Pack support for faster builds, a more modular approach with community support for RSpack, and the deployment adapters API for easier deployment on various platforms. These changes aim to enhance performance, modularity, and compatibility with different environments, demonstrating a major shift in Vercel's strategy to accommodate broader developer needs.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·39w

    Git is holding us back

    Git has fundamental limitations that become more apparent with AI-assisted development. The article argues that Git's commit-based workflow, designed for email-based collaboration, doesn't suit modern needs where developers work with AI agents and need finer-grained version control. Zed IDE is developing Delta DB, an operation-based version control system that tracks every edit and maintains context between commits, aiming to create a more collaborative workspace for humans and AI agents working together.

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    Everyone’s mad at Cursor right now

    Cursor recently changed its pricing model from 500 requests per month for $20 to a credit-based system with $20 of API usage, causing user backlash due to poor communication. Many users experienced unexpected charges when the new pricing kicked in without clear warnings. The change reflects broader industry trends as AI coding tools move away from loss-leader pricing to more sustainable models that reflect actual API costs. While Cursor's value proposition remains strong, the lack of transparency in usage tracking and billing has created uncertainty among users about when they'll hit limits or incur additional charges.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·22w

    CSS got WAY better in 2025

    Chrome shipped 22 new CSS and UI features in 2025, including customizable select elements, native popover and dialog controls, scroll-based animations, view transition improvements, and declarative UI patterns. Major additions include invoker commands for JavaScript-free interactions, anchor positioning with container queries, scroll state queries, tree counting functions for staggered animations, and the shape function for complex clipping paths. New text layout controls enable proper vertical centering, while DOM state-preserving moves keep video and iframe state during reparenting. Most features work in Chromium browsers but lack Firefox and Safari support.

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    Video
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    I can't believe this is real

    The rapid advancements in AI, particularly with OpenAI, have been surprising, with changes in pricing and performance among different models. OpenAI's recent 01 Pro API is much more expensive compared to alternatives, posing challenges for content creators and developers. The post highlights the comparative advantages of the 03 Mini model, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and performance. Additionally, issues with user experience and pricing structures of various AI models are discussed, leading to frustrations among users. Savala, a sponsor mentioned in the post, offers easy deployment solutions for developers.

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    Netflix Removed React?

    Netflix removed React from their website's client-side bundle, making it 50% faster by server-side rendering the landing page. This approach retains React's dynamic capabilities without sending JavaScript to the client. The post discusses the complexities and benefits of this method, highlighting advancements like server components that further optimize this process.

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    Avatar of t3dotggTheo - t3․gg·48w

    Why are developers always so angry?

    Software engineers often display fragility and defensiveness due to the nature of their work requiring constant learning and feeling incompetent. The field's rapid evolution creates insecurity as developers build expertise in narrow domains, then feel threatened when those domains expand or change. The loudest critics online represent a small minority of below-average engineers who resist growth, while most developers quietly adapt and improve. AI amplifies these tensions by potentially replacing lower-skilled developers, making continuous learning more critical than ever.

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