Anthony Campolo joins Jamstack Radio to discuss RedwoodJS, an open source fullstack Jamstack framework built on React, GraphQL and serverless technologies.
Episode Description
A conversation about RedwoodJS, open source contributions, and how a beginner can learn to build full-stack Jamstack applications with a supportive community.
Episode Summary
In this episode, Redwood.js contributor Anthony Campolo discusses his background as a music teacher turned developer while exploring Redwood.js, an open-source full-stack framework for Jamstack. He addresses Redwood’s synergy with React, GraphQL, and serverless deployment services such as Netlify. He also shares how Redwood’s tutorial-driven approach demystifies modern web technologies, making advanced topics like serverless functions and GraphQL more approachable. Listeners learn how Redwood compares to other frameworks like Blitz.js and Bison, while hearing about the benefits of strong documentation and welcoming contributor communities. Anthony also describes his experience at Lambda School and underscores the importance of open source participation and content creation for new developers hoping to stand out. The episode culminates with practical tips, personal stories, and references to tools that can help devs navigate the evolving Jamstack ecosystem.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Overview
The hosts greet each other and introduce Redwood.js, an open-source full-stack framework bridging React, GraphQL, and serverless functions for Jamstack apps. They mention Redwood’s approach of combining static frontends with serverless backends. The discussion quickly touches on Redwood’s synergy with Netlify, AWS Lambda, and other hosting platforms, highlighting its aim to streamline developer workflows. The conversation also brings up Redwood’s tutorial-first methodology, which focuses on making advanced technologies like GraphQL and serverless less intimidating. The episode’s central theme revolves around how Redwood simplifies project scaffolding and fosters a strong community culture.
Listeners learn that guest Anthony Campolo discovered Redwood as a student at Lambda School, where he was already familiar with coding fundamentals and open-source tools. He shares his passion for Redwood’s comprehensive documentation, particularly praising the built-in tutorial that sparked his interest. The hosts reflect on the significance of well-structured projects that minimize friction for newcomers, comparing Redwood to other frameworks in the React ecosystem. These initial remarks set the stage for a deeper discussion about Redwood’s role in modern web development and how it stands apart from existing libraries and frameworks.
03:03 - A Shift from Library to Framework
The conversation turns to the evolution of React from a library to a foundation for more opinionated frameworks. Anthony and the host note how early React adopters built custom setups, deciding everything from folder structures to routing. Over time, frameworks like Redwood.js, Blitz.js, and Bison have emerged to consolidate best practices and offer ready-to-go solutions. They discuss how Redwood’s scaffolding can expedite development, enabling teams to focus on core application logic rather than low-level configurations.
Drawing parallels with Rails, they recall that prebuilt conventions and strong community support can help developers move quickly from idea to production. Anthony underscores that Redwood’s streamlined approach reduces repetitive decisions around architecture. This shift, from picking libraries to adopting a unified framework, appeals to both new and seasoned developers. They see Redwood as the next step for teams looking to harness React’s flexibility without losing momentum to setup overhead, reinforcing how Redwood addresses many of the community’s longstanding pain points.
07:06 - Discovering Redwood and Tutorial-Driven Development
Anthony describes how he found Redwood through podcasts and developer conferences, mentioning Redwood creator Tom Preston-Werner’s various appearances. Intrigued by Redwood’s “tutorial-driven development,” he explored the official guide and discovered how Redwood systematically introduces concepts like GraphQL schema design, serverless functions, and the Redwood router. He emphasizes how the tutorial’s practical, step-by-step format offers clarity on the entire development flow, from initial installation to deploying live.
The hosts highlight that Redwood’s tutorial-driven approach is reminiscent of readme-driven development, ensuring that explanations remain aligned with real-world usage. Anthony recalls how he wrote a 12-part blog series about Redwood’s tutorial, breaking down each milestone to deepen his understanding. By dissecting scaffold commands and exploring Redwood’s auto-generated components, he gained hands-on experience with modern full-stack techniques. This structured approach to learning stands out as a defining characteristic of Redwood, shaping its documentation and developer experience.
12:02 - Open Source, Community, and Contributor Experience
As the conversation progresses, Anthony outlines how Redwood fosters a welcoming open-source community. He recalls his first interactions with Redwood’s core team, highlighting the project’s eagerness to integrate fresh ideas. By writing detailed blog posts and engaging on social media, Anthony quickly found himself invited to contributor meetings. These gatherings, he notes, function as a platform to share progress, align on roadmap priorities, and address community questions. The hosts emphasize that Redwood’s open environment exemplifies how modern frameworks can thrive on active collaboration.
The group also touches on Redwood’s Discord channel and public meetups, which allow both new and veteran developers to learn from one another. Anthony reflects on how Redwood’s leadership encourages diverse forms of contribution—everything from code commits to improving docs or blogging. This inclusive ethos helps lower barriers for aspiring developers who might initially hesitate to participate. By creating multiple entry points to join, Redwood cements itself as a project where newcomers can build skills and confidence alongside experienced engineers.
16:30 - Lambda School and Balancing Formal Education
Anthony transitions into his background as a Lambda School student, a program known for its remote and flexible learning environment. He shares how Lambda’s curriculum combines lectures, guided projects, and monthly build weeks, exposing students to real-world coding scenarios. Despite Redwood not being part of the official lessons, Anthony discovered Redwood on his own and used it as a vehicle to learn advanced concepts faster. This dual path of structured schooling and self-driven exploration informed his perspective on modern web frameworks.
The hosts discuss the pros and cons of self-paced learning at Lambda and how it permits exploring side projects like Redwood. They touch on the challenges novices face when bridging theoretical lessons with practical application. Anthony explains that while many classmates learn React fundamentals, only a few engage in open source at a deeper level. This gap reveals how Redwood’s strong documentation and inviting community can serve as an ideal launchpad for students seeking to fast-track their growth, complementing the traditional bootcamp model.
21:10 - Advanced Integrations and the Full Stack Jamstack Vision
Anthony shares a recent project connecting Redwood with FaunaDB, underscoring Redwood’s potential to adopt a globally distributed, serverless database solution. He elaborates on the Redwood stack’s integration with Prisma for database queries but notes that a GraphQL endpoint like FaunaDB’s opens new avenues for truly serverless full-stack apps. He recounts the additional insights he gained into Redwood’s architecture by diverging from the standard Postgres tutorial path.
This experiment with FaunaDB highlights Redwood’s versatility. By removing Prisma’s default setup and calling Fauna’s GraphQL endpoint directly, Anthony achieved a fully serverless architecture that addresses Redwood’s original promise of bridging frontends with Lambdas. The discussion also touches on other frameworks, like Bison, that incorporate continuous integration by default. The hosts emphasize that Redwood’s community is keen to explore such integrations further, pushing Redwood to accommodate cutting-edge databases and services in the broader Jamstack ecosystem.
26:15 - Building Careers Through Community and Next Steps
In the final segment, the hosts focus on how open source involvement helps new developers stand out. Anthony’s experience exemplifies how blogging, attending contributor calls, and creating content around Redwood’s tutorial provided him with real project experience. They reference how Redwood’s structure mirrors Ruby on Rails but is tailored for today’s Jamstack environment, offering best practices for everything from front-end workflows to backend deployments. Their conversation illustrates how Redwood’s maturity and helpful community can accelerate a developer’s path to professional opportunities.
The hosts wrap up by encouraging listeners to embrace Redwood or any open-source framework that resonates with them. They mention the benefits of stepping into a project early, forging relationships with maintainers, and shaping a tool that could define the future of web development. By blending self-study, community engagement, and a passion for teaching, developers can gain valuable skills and visibility. The episode closes on an optimistic note, stressing that Redwood’s supportive ecosystem and tutorial-driven approach offer a fulfilling way to learn, contribute, and grow in the Jamstack world.