Joel and Aaron tackle the common objection, “We don’t have time,” and show why it usually hides a priority problem. They discuss how to convey the true payoff of process improvements by sharing honest before‑and‑after stories instead of vague promises. You’ll leave with practical ideas for getting buy‑in—whether you’re pitching tests, planning habits, or any other change.(00:00) - “No time” excuse versus priorities
(01:45) - Selling the value of improvements
(03:45) - Sharing real before‑and‑after stories
(05:15) - Balancing honesty with motivation
(09:15) - Silly bit
Stay tuned for part 2... Until then, there's always https://masteringlaravel.io
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11:27
When validation can protect your app's performance
Joel and Aaron show how ignoring GET request validation can cause performance issues and open your application to abuse. They highlight the importance of bounding pagination and share tips for using form requests to handle unexpected user input.Now go check out the best/only Laravel validation book(00:00) - Quiz on Laravel’s default pagination limit
(01:00) - Performance concerns with large datasets
(03:20) - Validating per-page requests in controllers
(05:45) - Why you should block negative page numbers
(09:20) - Silly bit
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12:12
Stick with conventions and avoid overengineering your Laravel app
Joel and Aaron explore why pushing too many layers of abstraction can backfire in a Laravel application. They highlight the benefits of sticking to the framework’s conventions for long-term maintainability and simpler handoff to future developers.(00:00) - Why framework paradigms really matter
(01:00) - When extra abstractions become burdens
(03:00) - Balancing creativity with Laravel’s conventions
(05:15) - Keeping code easy to revisit
(06:45) - silly bit
Need help digging your project out of technical debt? We can help!
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8:41
When to bring in outside help
Joel and Aaron explore the decision-making process behind hiring or consulting an expert for technical challenges. They discuss examples like adding tests to a large codebase and understanding what questions you need to ask. They also reveal how coaching can help teams avoid common pitfalls and reach solutions faster.(00:00) - Determining why you need outside expertise
(02:15) - Pinpointing the real problem (skill gap or strategy)
(05:00) - Deciding between hands-on help or coaching
(08:30) - Learning to ask the right questions
(09:15) - Silly bit
Here is a way to explore how we could help your project
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10:57
Why two databases are better than one
Joel and Aaron discuss the benefits of having distinct databases for testing and local development. They share how this approach ensures a reliable test suite and avoids conflicts with day-to-day dev work. In the process, they reveal a simpler workflow for setting up new environments and keeping projects stable.(00:00) - Why separate dev and test databases
(02:15) - Automating database setup with seeders
(05:00) - Avoiding flaky tests and migration pitfalls
(09:00) - Reimagining old habits with new practices
(12:00) - Silly bit
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