The shows I host, and the ones I've been a guest on.
Mostly Technical
Apr 29, 2025The Big Announcement w/ Taylor OtwellIan and Aaron are joined by Taylor Otwell to discuss the Mostly Technical Party at Laracon, what exactly Taylor does on a day-to-day basis, how they all use AI, and so much more.
Apr 23, 2025Super Ultra TiltedIan and Aaron discuss their respective trips to Vegas and Miami, Aaron's latest video, making new friends in real life, & more.
Apr 15, 2025The Haters Were RightIan and Aaron discuss upcoming travel to Miami & Vegas, Aaron's new 'Dead Drop" command, the future of Fusion, & more.
Apr 8, 2025Eye on the FutureIan and Aaron discuss Ian's trip to PHP x NYC, Aaron's new art, how to try to thrive if you think a recession is coming, and so much more.
Apr 1, 2025Distribution & Taste w/ Adam WathanAaron is joined this week by Adam Wathan to talk about everything from Disney Cruises to what he wants to do on YouTube and a whole lot more.
Mar 25, 2025Mob MentalityIan and Aaron discuss Ian's trip to Disney World, Aaron's adventures with Reddit & Hacker News, building a new billing system, and so much more.
Mar 18, 2025The Hourglass w/ Jordan GalAaron is joined this week by Jordan Gal (Ian's off at Disney World) to discuss everything from finding product market fit for his new product Rosie to the Try Hard business model and so much more.
Mar 11, 2025Explore vs. ExploitIan and Aaron talk about scheduling your day, Aaron's newsletter, setting big goals, and a whole more.
Mar 4, 2025The Big TweetIan and Aaron discuss Aaron's viral tweet, more problems with HVAC, accountability for your own time, and so much more.
Feb 27, 2025Laravel's Big DayIan and Aaron discuss Aaron's day off, 90s news anchors, Laravel's Big Day, and so much more.
Feb 18, 2025Robber Baron MentalityIan and Aaron discuss why Aaron needs a hobby, HelpSpot's new logo & 20 year (!) revenue graph, microwave power settings, the release of Fusion, and so much more.
Feb 11, 2025Don't Be A DummyIan and Aaron discuss the release date of Fusion, winning money at poker, ideas for Laracon swag jackets, and a whole lot more.
Jan 28, 2025The Big RevealIan and Aaron discuss all things related to AI, Ian's new thing he built, a Rails course, and more.
Jan 21, 2025ZombificationIan and Aaron discuss the importance of seeing your friends in person, why Blade needs to be as fast as possible, weapons grade social media, conferences, and a lot more.
Jan 14, 2025The Existential ThreatIan & Aaron talk about Aaron's upcoming JS library, a new course idea, "AI Aaron Francis", Disney Adults, and a lot more.
Dec 23, 2024Yes ManIan has a Christmas present for Aaron; the guys look back on 2024 and forward to 2025. Finally, they break down MT ad revenue for 2024 and set a goal for 2025.
Dec 17, 2024Unreliable NarratorIan and Aaron discuss Aaron's TUI app, what it's like being a founder over 40, "the drones", and so much more.
Dec 10, 2024Doing Too MuchIan and Aaron talk about everything from Interstellar to the Late Night Wars of the 90s to speaking at conferences to maybe the greatest question of the week: what do you want to do when you retire?
Dec 3, 2024Chasing VanityIan and Aaron go in-depth Aaron's highly anticipated arrival on Bluesky - what's good, what's bad, and why he doesn't like when people tell him he's using it wrong.
Nov 26, 2024The To-Done ListIan and Aaron discuss feedback on ads for the podcast, what the heck Ian does every day, updates on the Try Hard empire, & so much more.
Nov 19, 2024Definitely For ProfitIan and Aaron are back this week to discuss Aaron's adventures with the terminal, Ian's ideas for the future of Mostly Technical, a trip to Boise, and so much more.
Oct 29, 2024Tier MakerIan and Aaron discuss Aaron's trip to San Francisco, Bluesky vs. Twitter, and why Ian's not doing his secret side project plus our tier rankings for...pizza toppings?!
Oct 22, 2024Try Hard EmpireIan and Aaron discuss updates on Aaron's house, the Try Hard Factory, his course launch, and so much more.
Oct 15, 2024Create A SpectacleIan and Aaron discuss everything from Aaron's dream for a Try Hard Factory to Ian being unimpressed with SpaceX rockets to the biggest question of all - what do you want to do with your life?
Oct 8, 2024Talking About LiquidIan and Aaron reunite to talk about bad design, WordPress drama, Aaron's secret physical product, why you want to be liquid, and more.
Sep 24, 2024Launching Flux (Live) with Caleb PorzioIan and Aaron are joined this week by Caleb Porzio (friend of the show) on our very first live stream in honor of Flux, which Caleb literally launches live on the podcast.
Sep 18, 2024Paid In RespectIan is back (!) with Aaron to check in about what happened to Ian's gallbladder, Aaron's announcement video, dreaming big, and so much more.
Sep 3, 2024Stay Lean, Stay Clean with Caleb PorzioAaron is joined this week once again by Caleb Porzio to discuss everything that happened at Laracon (including a basketball game?!) before diving deep into Flux, the online reaction to the price, and what comes next.
Aug 20, 2024Mostly NPTM with Caleb Porzio & Daniel CoulbourneAaron is joined this week by Caleb Porzio (back-to-back weeks!) and Daniel Coulbourne (first-time guest!) to dive deep into prep for Laracon, text editors, something called the "side eye verify", Aaron's recent blog post, and a whole lot…
Aug 13, 2024Jank Free With Caleb PorzioAaron is joined this week by special guest Caleb Porzio (filling in for Ian) to talk about everything from solo parenting to Caleb's new project to rejuvenating Torchlight and a lot more.
Jul 23, 2024The ContestIan and Aaron talk about the investment that got away, why Try Hard is a media company, bringing back the forum, and an incredible idea for a new contest.
Jul 16, 2024Idea About IdeasIan and Aaron talk about Ian's new idea that's got him frazzled and on tilt, Aaron's sales milestone, the game Factorio, and a lot more.
Jul 9, 2024Just Do StuffIan & Aaron talk about Ian's adventures with hiring (and Ian unveils a blisteringly hot take), how Aaron's course performance, why Aaron needs a stage name (maybe), and a lot more.
Jul 2, 2024Push The ButtonIan and Aaron check in the results of Aaron's course launch, talk about the new developer position that Ian just posted, dive into the benefits of scheming time, and so much more.
Jun 25, 2024Beginning of the EmpireIan & Aaron discuss the launch of Aaron's new course, a trip to Texas Hill Country, the idea of 'Profit First', and a whole lot more.
Jun 18, 2024One Big BetIan & Aaron discuss Aaron's various small bets, why they're both so tired, the upcoming variety show 👀, & more.
Jun 13, 2024Mostly HVAC with Dan Myers, CEO of FlairIan and Aaron are joined by Dan Myers, CEO of Flair, for a very special episode about Aaron's HVAC system, Ian's feelings about batteries, why people like "treats in the feed", and more.
Jun 11, 2024Morning PersonIan & Aaron discuss what's going on with Aaron's course and Ian's feistiness on Twitter before diving into what's going on with Aaron's HVAC system (seriously) and a lot more.
Jun 4, 2024S-Tier Software with Taylor OtwellIan and Aaron are joined this week by Taylor Otwell, founder & CEO of Laravel, to discuss the Laravel vs.
May 28, 2024Business DadIan & Aaron discuss Aaron's DHH interview, Ian's phishing fiasco, and are joined by special guest Sam Rose to talk about high effort content & a lot more.
May 21, 2024Laravel vs. JavaScript with Dax & Adam ElmoreIan & Aaron are joined this week by Dax & Adam Elmore to discuss the Laravel vs. JavaScript discourse, selling coffee over the command line, and a lot more.
May 14, 2024It's All VibesIan & Aaron discuss Aaron's new SQLite course, identifiers in Laravel, New York City, and last but not least - socks.
May 7, 2024The SecretIan & Aaron discuss cheese boards, Aaron's lunch adventure, high performance database consulting, and the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef with special guest Dave Hicking aka Producer Dave.
Apr 30, 2024AI Therapy ConnoisseurIan & Aaron discuss mens fashion, DHH, location sharing follow up, AI therapy hot takes, Laravel Octane, upcoming course update, is MySQL over?, non-competes and concierge medicine, hacking Laravel for prefix indexes, PHP x NYC
Apr 23, 2024Fight or WinIan and Aaron discuss HelpSpot's future. Aaron reveals his next course, how to build courses, the "edge", spouse GPS tracking, and the Doordash tax.
Apr 16, 2024We're Gonna Make ItIan & Aaron return after a few weeks off to check in on Aaron's new business, his studio, and yes, his healthcare woes.
Mar 27, 2024Super Epic Crazy with Adam WathanIan and Aaron are joined by Adam Wathan (our first returning guest!) to talk about Aaron's future plans for courses & consulting, Adam's plans for hiring at Tailwind, & a lot more.
Mar 22, 2024Try Hard StudiosIan & Aaron discuss Chilipad, the Aaron Francis Studio of Light and Sound, the week of calls, how to properly apply to a job, Shibboleth secret passwords, what's next for Aaron, the background on how Try Hard Studios came to be, and…
Mar 12, 2024The LayoffIan & Aaron discuss being laid off, what comes next for Aaron, why layoffs always go bad, good free tiers vs. bad free tiers, & more.
Mar 5, 2024Indie TycoonIan & Aaron discuss config files in Laravel 11, having ambitious goals, the merits of checking vs. not checking your bag, & more.
Feb 27, 2024Careful, Careful!Ian & Aaron discuss morning people, PHP/Laravel origin stories, using ChatGPT to write blog posts, Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero, & more.
Feb 21, 2024What's The Good Word?Ian & Aaron discuss the joy of Diet Coke, Ian's deep dive into DTOs, Inertia vs. Livewire, & more.
Feb 14, 2024Real Dad StuffIan & Aaron discuss everything from cryotherapy to the ugliness of most B2B apps to Aaron's first time doing meditation and a lot more.
Feb 6, 2024My Mind ViseIan & Aaron give out their Super Bowl Predictions, recap the first wave of announcements from Laracon EU, & more.
Jan 31, 2024Your Glove SituationIan & Aaron discuss getting sick, something called 'The Suburban Dad Zone', using gloves to change diapers (!?!), and more.
Jan 19, 2024A Man of CultureIan & Aaron discuss the Laracon US announcement, going on ski vacations, route model bindings in Laravel, & more.
Jan 11, 2024It's Content, Baby!Ian & Aaron are back(!) to discuss whatever happened with Ian's DB woes, what it's like to parent two sets of twins, the brand new PlanetScale Studios, & more.
Dec 14, 2023You Need Tinker Time with Adam WathanIan & Aaron are joined by Adam Wathan, founder of Tailwind, to discuss everything from the upcoming Tailwind Catalyst UI kit to hiring to a hypothetical Tailwind marketplace & more.
Dec 6, 2023Ecosystem of CardsIan & Aaron discuss Laravel Pulse, DHH's upcoming Slack competitor, Rails copying Laravel, & more.
Nov 30, 2023We Didn't Have JSON In My DayIan & Aaron return after a mini break to talk about Aaron's new twin babies, Ian's MySQL 8 upgrade woes, the origin story of Eloquent, and a lot more.
Nov 14, 2023Farming, Threadbois, & Meme Lords with Jeffrey WayIan & Aaron are joined by Jeffrey Way to discuss everything from the ethics of retweeting compliments to the pros & cons of hiring people to help you and a *lot* more.
Nov 7, 2023Nobody Uses Trucks For ThatIan & Aaron follow up on last week's component conversation, talk about Ian's new truck, debate if Laravel devs get paid less, & more.
Nov 6, 2023The SQL Injection Slide with Sam SelikoffIan & Aaron are joined by Sam Selikoff to discuss React Server Actions & Server Components, why it's important to have one set of opinions, and yes, the infamous SQL Injection Slide at NextConf.
Oct 31, 2023All Things Livewire with Caleb PorzioIan & Aaron are joined by Caleb Porzio to talk about all things Livewire - how it makes money, the future of Livewire screencasts & components, and a ton more.
Oct 24, 2023Your Computer Is Your SanctuaryIan & Aaron discuss Aaron's 'This Week, Last Week', Texts.com, the importance of socks, combining React with Livewire, & more.
Oct 17, 2023Late Night BiteIan & Aaron discuss time zones, tunnels, Aaron's hatred of NYC, static site generators, and more.
Oct 10, 2023Just Enough LaraconsIan & Aaron discuss a recent minivan purchase, upcoming Laracons around the world, Taylor Swift vs. Lionel Messi, & more.
Oct 3, 2023Galaxy Quadrant TheoryIan & Aaron discuss the dangers of reading documentation, the "long slow SaaS ramp of death", something that Aaron called "so freaking stupid", and more.
Sep 26, 2023Forward Only!Ian & Aaron discuss the launch of Screencasting.com, whether or not babies are "super tough", down migrations in Laravel, and a lot more.
Sep 19, 2023The Week of AaronIan & Aaron discuss Screencasting.com, why Ian can't leave email alone, how and why the internet is a vast place, and much more.
Sep 13, 2023He Likes a ManifestoIan & Aaron discuss DHH & TypeScript, Once & the success of outrage marketing, Aaron's rules for Twitter, & more.
Sep 6, 2023The Year of LivewireIan & Aaron discuss what's new with Screencasting.com & HelloQuery, why LinkedIn might not be terrible, and why 2024 is going to be the year of Livewire.
Aug 30, 2023The Secret Is to Get a TruckIan & Aaron discuss Ian's vacation on the Outer Banks, Aaron's drive back from Vermont, Lift for Laravel, making videos for YouTube, & more.
Aug 15, 2023It's React in PHPIan & Aaron discuss Messi, Aaron becoming an Oracle ACE, their shared accounting background, Livewire Volt, source diving, and more.
Aug 9, 2023The PilotIn this very special pilot episode of 'Mostly Technical', Ian & Aaron discuss everything from LK-99 to Screencasting.com & Aaron's 'Maximum Effort' era.
Dec 8, 2021(Finally) Exiting the Trough of Despair<div>Aaron and Colleen talk about the trough of despair and also numeric range optimizations, of course.</div>
Nov 30, 2021React, Vue, Laravel, Rails, and Hotwire. Oh my!<div>Back from Thanksgiving, we talk about finding an amazing React contractor, integrating the Vue and Laravel libraries, and more. </div>
Nov 2, 2021Colleen Reaches Enlightenment <div>Lots of exciting updates from Founder's Summit, and Aaron reports back on the first Laravel client.</div>
Oct 22, 2021Back in the Saddle<div>After a short break, we're back!</div>
Oct 1, 2021Pheasants, Live Coding, Filters-in-a-filter<div>Sean went pheasant "hunting", Aaron gave a live coding presentation, Colleen is building out nested filters</div>
Sep 24, 2021Who _Are_ You?<div>Colleen listened to Aaron's solo episodes and it... raised some questions</div>
Sep 17, 2021Hammerstone, a History<div>Aaron comin atcha from the kitchen table. A solo show.</div>
Sep 10, 20212 Jobs, Stabilizers, and Torchlight Clients<div>Sean is feeling the weight of his many jobs, Aaron tries to say "stabilizers" as much as possible in one episode, and we talk about new Torchlight clients.</div>
Aug 27, 2021Colleen's First Week, Refine Pricing, and Acquiring a Product<div>Colleen is a week into working with the client. Sean can't sleep, Aaron is having surgery. We talk about Refine + Laravel launch date, and Hammerstone acquiring a product!</div>
Aug 13, 2021Billions with a "B"<div>Aaron can barely move, Colleen is working with billions of records. Sean is on vacation! Lucky Sean.</div>
Jul 23, 2021Railsifying Refine, Torchlight, and the Myth of the MVP<div>Refine is getting more and more Rails-y, Aaron talks about Torchlight and the Hammerstone thesis, and we debate the merits of the "launch immediately" trope.</div>
Jul 16, 2021Updates, Updates, Updates<div>So many updates! Aaron has twins now, which is a lot of babies. Sean talks about his job changes. We talk about Sidecar, Torchlight, the Laravel ecosystem, and much more.</div>
Apr 8, 2021Sales Safari for Torchlight.dev & Wanting to Give Up<div>Sean and Aaron attempt a "Sales Safari" for Torchlight.dev. It gets a little painful because there aren't many results, and Aaron kind of feels like giving up. </div>
Apr 2, 2021Rough Week, Good Friday<div>Sean has had an extremely busy week with work, other work, and house stuff. Aaron has torchlight.dev up and running and ready to start selling.</div>
Mar 19, 2021Healing Back Pain, Twitter Coincidences, and Torchlight.dev<div>Aaron has a bunch of mystery pain, Sean has a fix that's kind of "out there". Aaron runs into the owner of hammerstone.com in a Twitter thread. Launching torchlight.dev.</div>
Mar 10, 2021Rails Integration and Laravel Admin Panels<div>Colleen and Sean have the Rails integration working, and Aaron talks about Laravel admin panels as a potential marketing channel.</div>
Apr 25, 2025Developing your personal API | Aaron FrancisSanity · Aaron Francis, founder of Try Hard Studios joins the Code && Content podcast to discuss the contrast between internal and independent content production, being your authentic self without projecting your whole self, and the role of human…
Mar 27, 2025Getting Laid Off On Paternity Leave With TwinsStartup Dad Podcast · @aarondfrancis is the co-founder of @wetryhard a company he started with Steve Tenuto that makes amazing videos for developers and teaches companies how to do it too.
Mar 20, 2025Why Most Developers Overcomplicate Everything w/ Aaron FrancisWhiskey Web and Whatnot: Web Development, Neat · This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Aaron Francis about developer education, Laravel vs. Rails, and the evolution of full-stack development.
Mar 11, 2025Aaron Francis: Building and Teaching Cool ThingsJosh and Austin Figure It Out · Aaron Francis is here! We chat about open source projects, Fusion and Solo, his company Try Hard Studios, and his educational courses. Is Aaron an LLM? Maybe! He also tweets viral things sometimes.
Mar 5, 2025Aaron Francis is putting PHP in Your JS FilesSyntax.fm · Wes and Scott talk with Aaron Francis about Fusion for Laravel, a new way to seamlessly integrate PHP into JavaScript.
Feb 13, 2025#33 - Aaron Francis on Fusion, TUIs and Content CreationThe Navbar Podcast · In this episode of the Navbar podcast, Jon and Simon welcome Aaron Francis, a Laravel developer and content creator, to discuss his new library, Fusion, which aims to bridge the gap between Laravel and modern JavaScript frameworks like…
Jan 16, 202599 Dev Problems with Aaron FrancisBuilt for Devs · 99 Dev Problems features candid conversations with developers at every level about real-world challenges, career growth, and the evolving tech landscape.
Dec 23, 2024Side Project Podcast: Aaron FrancisSide Project Podcast · Aaron Francis hops on to go full galaxy brain on his interactive TUI Solo.
Dec 20, 2024Aaron Francis: Laravel Solo, Courses, Screen castingThe Laravel News Podcast · In this episode of the Laravel Creator Spotlight, we speak with @aarondfrancis and look at his journey to fame, his recent Laravel package called Solo, Try Hard Studios courses, transitioning from full-time work to running a full-time…
Nov 23, 2024Special Guest Aaron FrancisFull Stack Chat · Today I'm joined by Aaron Francis, Cofounder of Try Hard Studios, to talk through his path that lead him to build a technical media company, and chat about his general business and marketing prowess.
Aug 30, 2024Paige Against the Machine – Starting a Robopocalypse with Aaron FrancisI Don't Know Anything with Paige Harriman · In this episode, Aaron Francis (founder of Try Hard Studios, devoted husband and father, Laracon speaker, coolest person in Dallas) walks me through how he built four giant handwriting robots.
Aug 19, 2024How to Be Better than 96.487% of DevelopersBackend Banter · In today’s episode, we bring back Aaron Francis. If you haven’t watched our previous episode with him, he is a software developer, fellow content creator and co-founder of Try Hard Studios.
Aug 19, 2024The Milk of TexasCheese and Weather · We're joined this week by Aaron Francis for a very special pre-Laracon episode to discuss his hatred of certain cheeses, why olives are gross, satisfying vs. maximizing, & more.
Aug 10, 2024Interview with Aaron FrancisThe Tech Commute · Buckle up and join us on "The Tech Commute Podcast" for a thrilling ride with Aaron Francis!
Aug 6, 2024Developer to Business OwnerCoding Coders · Ever wondered how a backend developer can transition into a successful content creator while juggling a bustling family life?
Jul 31, 2024Aaron and Caleb Porzio talk wrappersNotes On Work - by Caleb Porzio · I joined Caleb Porzio to talk about the ethics and morals of building wrapper products.
Jun 27, 2024Aaron Francis on being a Christian in techThe Save File · In today's episode, I had an emotional conversation with Aaron Francis, the founder of TryHard Studios, and a powerhouse in the PHP/Laravel Community.
Jun 25, 2024How Aaron Francis Turned a Layoff Into a Thriving Educational EmpireThe Business of Laravel Podcast · In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, host Matt Stauffer interviews Aaron Francis, co-founder of Try Hard Studios, beloved Internet personality, Laravel developer, and all-around Internet nice guy.
Jun 7, 2024Elevate Your Video Developer Brand: Featuring Aaron FrancisKevin Blanco's Podcast · With over 36k subscribers, Aaron Francis, the renowned developer educator, conference speaker, and creator, will share invaluable insights into crafting compelling video content, building an engaged community, and mastering the art of…
May 2, 2024DevRel, Content, Going out on Your Own w/Aaron FrancisGuidance Counselor 2.0 · I am joined by Aaron Francis who just left his full time job at PlanetScale and is doing his own thing! We are going to dive into starting your own business and the state of DevRel.
Apr 2, 2024Ben steps away from TupleHackers Incorporated · After almost six years, Ben has stepped away from day-to-day work on Tuple and moved to its board.
Nov 2, 2023How To Level Up Your Video Content with Aaron FrancisLevel Up Creators · I joined the Level Up Creators team to shares tips and tricks for creating high-quality content, from the initial recording process to the final editing stages.
Oct 11, 2023The Power of Sharing ExpertiseThe Bootstrapped Founder · I joined Arvid Kahl on his Bootstrapped Founder podcast to talk about sharing your expertise, teaching, and the launch of screencasting.com
Sep 15, 2023PHP doesnt suck (anymore)Log Rocket · The kind folks at Log Rocket interviewed me about my "PHP doesn't suck anymore" video.
Sep 15, 2023Empanelling Aaron Francisthunk.dev · I joined John Drexler of Thunk.dev to talk about social media and positioning.
May 11, 2023Benchmarking, Type Systems, and Good HustleHow about tomorrow · Adam & Dax discuss Dax's recent efforts in benchmarking Vercel against OpenNext and then bring on Aaron Francis to discuss type systems and what good hustle looks like.
Apr 4, 2023MySQL for Developers with Aaron FrancisRooftop Ruby Podcast · I joined the Rooftop Ruby folks to talk about the MySQL for Developers course I made for PlanetScale.
Oct 12, 2022Live Streaming Tools and ToysRubber Duck Dev Show · Talking about live streaming and the gear and tools I use for it.
Sep 21, 2022Build your own luckThe GitHub ReadME Podcast · I was a guest on the GitHub ReadME Podcast to talk about how I built my own luck by publishing my work.
Sep 16, 2022Aaron Francis on TorchlightTwenty Percent Time · I was a guest on the Twenty Percent Time podcast to talk about Torchlight, my syntax highlighting service.
Jul 27, 2022Half a Job You LoveArt of Product · I joined my boss Ben on his podcast to talk about my side-business.