Articles & podcasts
Articles, podcasts and the odd video.
My blog posts, articles I've written for other sites, and podcasts I've been on, all in one place, newest first.
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Articles
On this siteWhy it’s called ZurichJSWhy is it called ZurichJS? The name started as something simple, but over time it came to represent something much bigger. This post breaks down how the meetup got its name, why JavaScript became the common ground, and why ZurichJS was never meant to be just about JavaScript.Read · 4 min
On this siteCommunity, Open Source, and npmxnpmx is a fast-moving open source train that welcomes you aboard the moment you show up.Read · 7 min
On this site2025 in Review: a year of exposure, compounding, and trusting my gutA reflective 2025 year-in-review covering community building with ZurichJS, conference speaking across the world, shipping high-impact systems at Smallpdf, and showing up consistently online. Lessons learned, things shipped, and what’s next for 2026, including ZurichJS Conf in Zurich.Read · 26 min
iJSReact 19.2 Explained: Updates, Impact, and What to Watch ForA practical walkthrough of React’s latest improvements and fresh performance insights
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Podcasts
JS-CraftJS-Craft - Faris Aziz – Staff Engineer at @Smallpdf & @zurichjs organizerIn this episode, I sit down with Faris Aziz, Staff Engineer at Smallpdf and organizer of ZurichJS, to talk about engineering fundamentals and the career lessons. We get into his unusual path into web development, what moved the needle for him, what turned out to be a time waster, and why he prefers betting on strong fundamentals over chasing every new tech trend.
We also talk about the story behind ZurichJS, thinking at the systems level, understanding how software fails, what it takes to run a community and conference, and the ideas behind his talk “Engineering Without a Safety Net” especially what helps build confidence when shipping software. Listen (opens in a new tab)
PodRocketPodRocket - Caching, payloads, and other front-end dark arts with Faris AzizFaris Aziz joins PodRocket to unpack the front-end "dark arts" behind building resilient dashboards under API rate limits and bloated payloads. He walks through front-end caching strategies, why a backend for frontend pattern using Next.js API routes as a proxy solved a 13-second load time, and how TanStack Query resilience patterns hold up differently at fintech scale versus Smallpdf's tens of millions of users. They also dig into defining a retryable error to avoid runaway infrastructure costs. Listen (opens in a new tab)
YouTubeAI Engineering: Are We Trading Craftsmanship For Scale?Is Artificial Intelligence making us faster, or is it emptying out our critical thinking? In this deep dive, I speak with Faris, who navigates the intersection of high-performance software engineering and human psychology. We explore what truly matters in a world where code generation can be effortless, focusing on skills that AI cannot touch: resilience, empathy, curiosity, and the art of the uncomfortable conversation. Listen (opens in a new tab)
Life of Dev · Episode 36Life of Dev - Episode 36 - Faris AzizToday on Life of Dev, we have the pleasure of hosting Faris Aziz, a Staff Frontend Engineer, Engineering Leader, and one of the most positive humans in the tech industry. Whether he’s building monetization systems for millions or organizing the next big ZurichJS event, Faris always brings an incredible, high-energy vibe to the conversation.
In this episode, we discuss:
• The Fitness-to-Tech Pivot: How Faris transitioned from a CrossFit trainer to a Staff Engineer and what "muscle memory" he kept from the gym.
• Engineering at Scale: The challenges of building monetization systems and resilient architectures at companies like Smallpdf and Navro.
• Community Spirit: Why he keeps coming back to the Greek tech scene and the story behind co-founding ZurichJS.
• The AI Shift: How AI is changing the role of developers and what skills you need to stay "future-proof."
• Devoxx Greece 2026: A teaser of his upcoming session and why you need to be there! Listen (opens in a new tab)
ConTejasConTejas - Faris Aziz: How to Get Promoted, Build Resilience, and Lead with EmpathyWhat does it take to become an Engineering Manager at 21? How do you rebuild your identity when a chronic illness takes away your physical strength? In this episode of ConTejas Code, I sit down with Faris Aziz, a Staff Engineer at Smallpdf and the lead organizer of ZurichJS. At just 25 years old, Faris has lived a career’s worth of highs and lows. From failing his first coding bootcamp module to building a career ladder for a fintech startup, and from ranking as the 2nd fittest CrossFit athlete in Switzerland to being bedridden by an autoimmune condition, Faris shares the mindset required to navigate extreme volatility.
This conversation moves beyond technical skills into the "internal garden"—how emotional regulation, sleep, and nutrition directly impact your ability to lead others. Faris breaks down his philosophy on "Peace of Mind" as the primary metric for promotion, why invisible work builds character, and how to steward authority without intimidation. Whether you are an aspiring manager, a developer looking to level up, or someone navigating a personal setback, this episode offers a blueprint for resilience and professional excellence. Listen (opens in a new tab)
Seniors @ ScaleFrontend Architecture at Scale with Faris AzizIn this episode of Señors @ Scale, Faris Aziz — Staff Front-End Engineer at Small PDF, international speaker, and co-founder of ZurichJS — joins Dan to talk about scaling both frontend architecture and engineering culture.
Faris shares his unconventional journey from CrossFit trainer to software engineer, and how personal projects became his gateway into tech. He opens up about the realities of working on applications serving 30 million+ users, why BFF architecture is such a powerful pattern for managing data between front-end and back-end, and the hidden pitfalls of performance when building with React and Next.js.
We also dig into the human side of architecture: how observability, error management, and developer experience shape reliable systems; why ownership and accountability drive better outcomes than process checklists; and how stress can be reframed when you work in a culture of trust.
And beyond code, Faris reflects on community: what it takes to co-found a thriving JavaScript meetup in Zurich, why meetups are “mini start-ups,” and how community building fuels personal and professional growth.
🎯 Whether you’re a frontend engineer, engineering manager, or developer community organizer, this episode is packed with architectural insights and real-world lessons from the trenches. Listen (opens in a new tab)
SpotifyDeveloper Communities: What's the Secret Behind ZurichJS' Rise?In this episode of Hapidev Decoding, we sit down with Faris Aziz, co-founder of ZurichJS, one of Switzerland’s most active and fast-growing JavaScript communities.
Faris shares how ZurichJS started, what makes this meetup stand out, and why community-driven tech spaces matter more than ever in today’s developer world. From organizing local events to building a space where ideas, code, and people connect — discover the story behind one of Zurich’s most exciting tech initiatives.
If you're passionate about JavaScript, developer communities, or just curious about what makes tech ecosystems thrive in Switzerland, this one’s for you. Listen (opens in a new tab)
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