202 | Framework Trade-offs: What Laravel Offers JavaScript Developers

Josh Cirre joins us to discuss his transition from the JavaScript ecosystem to Laravel, revealing why PHP frameworks can offer a compelling alternative for full-stack development. We explore the "identity crisis" many frontend developers face when needing robust backend solutions, how Laravel's batteries-included approach compares to piecing together JavaScript services, and the trade-offs between serverless and traditional hosting environments. Josh also shares insights on Laravel's developer experience, front-end integration options, and his thoughts on what JavaScript frameworks could learn from Laravel's approach to abstraction and infrastructure.Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 1:02 - Sponsor: Wix Studio 1:46 - Introduction to Laravel 2:25 - Josh's Journey from Frontend to Backend 5:40 - Building the Same Project Across Frameworks 6:32 - Josh's Breakthrough with Laravel 8:20 - Laravel's Frontend Options 10:25 - React Server Components Comparison 12:00 - Livewire and Volt 13:41 - Josh's Course on Laracasts 14:08 - Laravel's DX and Ecosystem 16:46 - MVC Structure Explained for JavaScript Developers 18:25 - Type Safety Between PHP and JavaScript 21:12 - Laravel Pain Points and Criticisms 22:40 - Laravel Team's Response to Feedback 24:50 - Laravel's Limitations and Use Cases 26:10 - Laravel's Developer Products 27:20 - Option Paralysis in Laravel 30:46 - Laravel's Driver System 33:14 - Web Dev Challenge Experience 33:38 - TanStack Start Exploration 34:50 - Server Functions in TanStack 37:38 - Infrastructure Agnostic Development 41:02 - Serverless vs. Serverful Cost Comparison 44:50 - JavaScript Framework Evolution 46:46 - Framework Ecosystems Comparison 48:25 - Picks and Plugs  Links Mentioned in the EpisodeLaravel - PHP frameworkTanStack Start - React meta-framework Josh created a YouTube video aboutLivewire - Laravel's HTML-over-the-wire front-end frameworkInertia.js - Framework for creating single-page appsVolt - Single file component system for LivewireLaravel Cloud - Managed hosting solution for Laravel applicationsHerd - Laravel's tool for setting up PHP development environmentsForge - Laravel's server management toolEnvoyer - Laravel's zero-downtime deployment toolLaracasts - Where Josh has a course on LivewireJosh Cirre's YouTube channelHTMX - Frontend library Josh compared to LivewireWeb Dev Challenge with Jason Lengstorf (featuring Josh and Amy)Josh Cirre's BlueSky account (@joshcirre)Amy's BlueSky accountBrad's BlueSky account  Additional ResourcesLaravel DocumentationSvelte's new starter kit (mentioned as a good example)Nightwatch - Latest product from LaravelLaravel Vapor - Serverless deployment platform for LaravelTheo's Laravel exploration (discussed in the criticism section)Laravel BreezeLaravel JetstreamLaravel Fortify (authentication package mentioned)Adonis.js (JavaScript framework compared to Laravel)Anker USB powered hub (Josh's pick)Grether's Sugar Free Black Currant Pastilles (Josh's pick)JBL Portable Speaker (Amy's pick)