Anthony Campolo discusses his journey into web development, his advocacy around RedwoodJS and other Jamstack technologies, and the layered abstractions of modern JS frameworks.
Episode Description
Anthony Campolo shares his journey from teaching music to advocating for RedwoodJS, highlighting modern serverless frameworks and the evolving world of JavaScript development.
Episode Summary
This conversation begins by introducing Anthony’s background in music education and his decision to pursue programming full-time. He recounts how he discovered the Jamstack and ultimately found RedwoodJS, a framework that fuses the convenience of serverless functions with the strength of a full-stack setup. He explains the ways Redwood draws on ideas from Rails while embracing modern concepts like GraphQL, Prisma, and serverless deployment strategies. Throughout, Anthony underscores the importance of opinionated frameworks as educational tools, pointing out how they simplify development for both newcomers and seasoned coders. Toward the end, he touches on his enthusiasm for open-source communities, his upcoming projects, and his deep love for indie rock and experimental bands, rounding out a discussion that links creativity, teaching, and cutting-edge technology.
Chapters
00:00 - 03:58 — Introduction and Redwood Origins
In this opening section, Anthony is welcomed to the show and provides a snapshot of his background. He explains how he initially worked as a music teacher and ran a performing arts summer camp before deciding to explore a new career path in tech. The conversation sets the stage for his transition into full-stack web development, emphasizing his desire to gain fresh skills and contribute to a rapidly changing field. As he recounts his early interest in coding, he touches on why education and building community remain central to his professional goals.
He offers a glimpse into how he discovered RedwoodJS while participating in a coding bootcamp, framing it as a bridge between his teaching roots and his new focus on software. This period of exploration sparked his enthusiasm for open source, especially for tools that empower developers to build fast, scalable applications. The host and Anthony also discuss how frameworks such as Redwood offer a coherent entry point for newcomers, setting up the foundation for the deeper technical topics explored in the following segments.
03:58 - 08:10 — Learning to Code and Jamstack Discovery
As the discussion progresses, Anthony reflects on his early attempts to break into the tech world. Initially drawn to machine learning and data science, he found himself curious about how personal websites were built and managed. His first contact with the idea of a static site came through Jekyll, yet he ended up choosing more traditional methods like WordPress for his initial projects. Over time, curiosity about modern JavaScript frameworks pushed him to sample tools like Gatsby, exposing him to the broader philosophy of the Jamstack.
This segment highlights how learning to code now involves an ecosystem of podcasts, tutorials, and community experiences. Anthony underscores the significance of RedwoodJS for those seeking a holistic, modern approach. He points out that frameworks combining React, GraphQL, and serverless functions create a structured environment for learning. The balance of personal experimentation and group support steered him toward Redwood, allowing him to deepen his understanding of full-stack development and open the door to more advanced possibilities.
08:10 - 13:00 — GraphQL and Redwood’s Approach to Full-Stack
Attention shifts to RedwoodJS’s full-stack architecture and its emphasis on GraphQL as a unifying layer between front-end and back-end. Anthony describes how Redwood employs GraphQL to simplify data fetching, noting that it gives front-end developers precise control over the information they need. He explains that, while setting up GraphQL can appear daunting from a back-end perspective, the payoff in front-end flexibility is substantial. By embedding GraphQL into Redwood from the start, developers receive a streamlined way of managing complex data flows across various services.
Anthony also explains the role of Prisma, highlighting its importance in database operations and migrations. He contrasts this approach with the older days of hacking together data solutions, emphasizing how Redwood unifies different pieces—like serverless functions and a globally distributed CDN—into a single, opinionated framework. The conversation touches on how Redwood’s built-in scaffolding removes some of the tedious setup work, making it an ideal choice for those new to full-stack development, as well as for experienced developers seeking quick, reliable workflows.
13:00 - 18:30 — Framework Layers, Rails Inspiration, and Tools
The focus moves to Redwood’s philosophy of layering abstractions, inspired in part by the efficiency Rails provided in earlier web development eras. Anthony clarifies that while Redwood borrows the productivity and conventions of Rails, it also departs from that framework’s constraints where modern JavaScript workflows demand more flexibility. He mentions how Redwood’s team aims to keep certain opinions strong but remain open to evolving database choices, deployment targets, and front-end best practices.
He goes on to compare Redwood to other emerging frameworks, noting how each finds its own balance of opinionated scaffolding and extensibility. Names like Blitz and Bison come up, illustrating a wider ecosystem of tools built on top of existing solutions like Next.js. Anthony underscores that frameworks on frameworks are a natural outcome of developers seeking to streamline complexity. This segment concludes with a deeper look at Redwood’s synergy of front-end, back-end, and database concerns, ultimately enabling a more efficient development lifecycle.
18:30 - 23:31 — Future Plans, Musical Interests, and FS Jam Org
In the closing portion, Anthony shares his broader vision for combining community-building with technology. He explains how his background as an educator and musician informs his style of advocating for open-source tools. A special highlight is his mention of “FS Jam,” a venture aimed at exploring full-stack Jamstack possibilities and sparking conversations among developers who share similar interests. He suggests that such gatherings, whether in podcasts or online forums, provide a fertile ground for people to learn from one another and experiment together.
Finally, Anthony reveals his longstanding passion for indie rock bands like Radiohead and Bon Iver, tying it back to the importance of creativity and personal expression in any field. Whether in music or web development, he points out that structured frameworks can spark invention by providing a solid foundation on which to build. This final conversation thread links technology, artistry, and community, wrapping up with an optimistic look at how Redwood—and the Jamstack as a whole—can inspire both new and experienced developers.