OpenLampTech - Developer Interview with Joey Farruggio
Independent web developer Joey Farruggio shares a ton of value and insight with the OpenLampTech newsletter readers in this interview.
Welcome to this OpenLampTech text-based developer interview.
From writing about modern WordPress development to using it and a host of other web technologies, Joey Farruggio is very active in web development.
Maintaining a Slack community and building tools for developers are just a couple of the many projects he has going, in addition to working with big brands
I reached out to Joey on Twitter/X about participating in a text-based developer interview for the OpenLampTech newsletter readers.
Needless to say, I'm very excited Joey took the time to share his knowledge and experience with the OpenLampTech community.
And now without any further ado, on to the interview.
Q: Please introduce yourself and tell us what you currently do for a living.
My name is Joey Farruggio and I'm an independent web developer from SE Wisconsin. I'm serving clients in Enterprise, SaaS, and publishing. Recent clients in these spaces are Vimeo (video platform), BiggerPockets (Real Estate Investment community with 1M+ subscribers), Swoogo (enterprise event platform).
Q: What PHP framework(s) and/or CMS(s) are you interested in the most or currently using (if any) and why?
Day to day I'm building web websites WordPress, but I've been learning Laravel over the summer and have since build a CLI for WordPress development and I've converted a couple small web apps I built that were built with Astro and Supabase. I'm also working on a Statamic project.
Q: Do you think it is important for developers to know some SQL and not rely solely on an ORM? Why or why not?
I know very basic SQL and I get along just fine.
Q: What is one piece of software that you just cannot live without and why?
Actual software doesn't come to mind, but two tools that I'll take to the grave are Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js.
Q: You type all of your code in which IDE/Text Editor/Software?
VS Code
Q: How has working as a web developer/designer/professional benefited you other than the obvious paycheck and monetary value?
I can build solutions and tools for real problems.
Q: Do you have a book, newsletter, blog, podcast or other resource you would recommend to other developers?
I run modernWPdev.co where I:
Write about modern WordPress development
Run a free Slack community (tons of kind and smart folks in there)
Q: What hobbies or activities do you do for fun?
I love to go kayaking with my kids and backpack with friends.
Q: Where can readers go to learn more about you and any projects you may have going?
Follow me on Twitter: @Joey_Farruggio
Or visit my personal site: joeyfarruggio.com
Q: Anything else you'd like to add or share with the OpenLampTech readers?
I'm currently open for new work and can book projects for late Q4 and into 2024.
I'm often building custom WordPress themes - it's where I have the deepest expertise.
I also use Astro for static projects.
As a bonus, I have a background in design and I work well with in-house content and SEO teams.
Thank you, Joey Farruggio, for sharing your knowledge and insights with the OpenLampTech newsletter readers and community!
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great rest of your week.
Take care.
Josh Otwell