
Show Notes
Jake shares lessons from rebuilding a permissions system around flexible roles, temporary permission leases, and delegated user management. He also discusses adding Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus designing automated text-message payment flows that use numbered choices instead of complicated keywords.
Michael talks about building lender integrations, the importance of adding real context to API documentation, and using Claude to turn JSON specifications into PHP DTOs and enums. He also reflects on his team’s new helpdesk rotation, where direct exposure to users has uncovered long-standing bugs, inefficient manual processes, and opportunities for developers to better understand the people using their software.
They finish with the challenges of parenting teenagers, preparations for Laracon US in Boston, including a search for coffee, donuts, bagels, and cannoli.
(00:00) - Club World Cup surprises and sports talk
(03:12) - UFC, LeBron and basketball moves
(06:33) - Rebuilding roles and permissions
(08:39) - Permission leases and delegated management
(10:02) - Apple Pay, Google Pay and text-based payments
(11:50) - Lender integrations and better API documentation
(14:08) - A new developer and the helpdesk rotation
(17:13) - Automated tickets and failed queue jobs
(18:54) - The address autocomplete bug
(19:58) - When tiny code changes create hidden failures
(23:02) - Why support requests need a real ticket
(25:17) - Developers learning directly from customers
(27:53) - Cross-department training and business context
(30:51) - Building trust beyond Slack
(32:02) - Weekly stress, workload and personal check-ins
(35:18) - Parenting teenagers and setting curfews
(37:10) - Planning for Laracon US in Boston
(40:00) - Australian and American school calendars
(42:51) - Vacations, PTO and wrapping up
More from North Meets South Web Podcast
In this episode, Jake and Michael discuss the value of consistency, the final preparations for Laracon AU, and how AI is changing the economics of building software. Michael shares how his custom-built conference operations platform is simplifying everything from attendee registration and dietary requirements to merchandise, QR codes, and venue deliveries. This leads to a broader conversation about highly specialised software, declining costs of building apps, and whether traditional SaaS subscriptions still make sense.
Michael and Jake celebrate episode 200 in the most outlandish way possible: with no special plan whatsoever. Michael shares an update on his home renovation, including construction progress, verandah engineering, outdoor kitchen plans, landscaping, structured cabling, smoke alarms, CCTV, and the ever-growing list of "small" additions that come with a major building project.
Jake and Michael are joined by TJ Miller, David Hemphill, and Chris Gmyr to talk about the realities of working with non-technical stakeholders that are now empowered to deliver software through AI. Show links TJ Miller David Hemphill Chris Gmyr KFC's Picklecore Menu Luma Brighter Learning Zillow Rula Health Laravel Nova Lovable Laravel AI Refactoring to Collections Rector PHPStan
In this episode, Michael and Jake recap Laracon US Boston, from Malaysian food and an undefeated dodgeball run to Laraprom, the great nachos-with-rice debate, conference logistics, Aaron Francis stepping into Laravel’s VP of Marketing and Community role, and a reminder to make room for silly software. Jake shares his work rebuilding Boom Party, the fast-paced Bomberman clone his team used to play after stand-up, along with hosting decisions and a creative workflow involving Claude, Gemini, and Suno. Michael closes things out with what was supposed to be an easy Pest 5 upgrade but turned into a much bigger test-suite adventure: converting old PHPUnit-style tests, untangling inheritance, tracking down mysterious parallel test failures, discovering the pain of stray exit statements, and ultimately getting repeat runs across an approximately 18,000-test suite down to just eight seconds. Show links Pomplamoose Spindrift IZZE Laracon US Aaron Francis Sidecar Whimsy-driven development by Christina Martinez Boom Party Fly.io
Michael and Jake catch up ahead of Laracon in Boston, beginning with Michael's increasingly complicated home extension. Jake shares a family trip to Cedar Point, then the conversation moves to how a Laravel Cloud weekend challenge inspired Michael to build Fitrack, a personal app for coordinating training around a single fitness goal.