Join hosts Danny Thompson, Leon Noel, and Shruti Kapoor as they dive into the secrets of professional growth in tech. In this episode, they explore why networking is your greatest asset—even if you only have 15–30 minutes a day—and how to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced industry. From navigating the hidden job market to leveraging React 19’s game-changing features like streamlined forms, actions, and the useOptimistic hook, this episode is packed with actionable tips for developers at every level.

Connect with Shruti!

https://x.com/shrutikapoor08

https://www.youtube.com/@shrutikapoor08

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutikapoor08/

Stay in Touch:

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!

Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!

Learn how to:

- Maintain and grow your network even with a busy schedule

- Use React 19’s new capabilities to simplify your code and improve UI responsiveness

- Strategically migrate legacy codebases to React 19 without major disruptions

- Adopt better design patterns and custom hooks to write scalable, maintainable code

- Build a personal “brag book” and living document to track your career achievements

- Find fulfillment both at work and beyond by taking ownership of your professional growth

Whether you’re a junior developer looking to break into tech or a seasoned pro aiming to stay ahead, these insights will help you navigate the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Chapters & Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction: The Power of Networking & 15-Minute Growth Hacks

1:09 – Host Introductions & Email Story: Losing Momentum in Your Network

4:33 – Why Maintaining Your Network is Crucial for Job Opportunities

5:39 – Networking Strategies: 15-Minute Daily Tasks to Stay Top of Mind

9:01 – The Hidden Job Market: How Networking Opens Doors in Tech

14:03 – React in 2025: Is It Still the Go-To Technology?

18:55 – React 19 Spotlight: Streamlining Forms with Actions

24:05 – Understanding useOptimistic: Instant UI Feedback & Faster Experiences

27:03 – Migrating to React 19: A Step-by-Step Approach for Large Codebases

31:01 – Design Patterns & Custom Hooks: Building Better, Scalable Code

36:42 – Optimizing Performance: React Profiler & Avoiding Excessive Prop Drilling

42:58 – Audience Q&A: Improving Yourself in a Small Company

46:03 – Brag Book & Living Document: Tracking Your Achievements

48:02 – Finding Fulfillment Beyond Your Day Job: Mentorship & Volunteering

50:00 – Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up: Taking Ownership of Your Career

React 19! Some features explained + Networking with Shruti Kapoor

The Programming Podcast