Olly Headey

I suppose it does look like that, doesn't it? But yeah, I think, well, my involvement in the cloud exit at 37signals was pretty minimal. I mean, to be honest, I wasn't involved technically really in many things there. It was very much more of a management leadership role. So... Unfortunately, I didn't get stuck in.

I suppose it does look like that, doesn't it? But yeah, I think, well, my involvement in the cloud exit at 37signals was pretty minimal. I mean, to be honest, I wasn't involved technically really in many things there. It was very much more of a management leadership role. So... Unfortunately, I didn't get stuck in.

Well, I'd love to claim that, but let's dive into what the reality under the hood is, shall we? So, I mean, front end, right? Like, back in 2007, the noughts, it was all, you know... prototype JS, that kind of thing, right?

Well, I'd love to claim that, but let's dive into what the reality under the hood is, shall we? So, I mean, front end, right? Like, back in 2007, the noughts, it was all, you know... prototype JS, that kind of thing, right?

That's how it was. That's when I got started, was prototype.

That's how it was. That's when I got started, was prototype.

Yeah, we didn't have jQuery, but until we... I suppose, fortunately, in some way, we just didn't really do that much JavaScript. I think the only places we really had it were populating combo boxes, that kind of thing. When you change one, the next one populates. A few things like that. So we kind of avoided it just because, well, I wasn't really very good at JavaScript.

Yeah, we didn't have jQuery, but until we... I suppose, fortunately, in some way, we just didn't really do that much JavaScript. I think the only places we really had it were populating combo boxes, that kind of thing. When you change one, the next one populates. A few things like that. So we kind of avoided it just because, well, I wasn't really very good at JavaScript.

I don't think I am very good at JavaScript even now, to be honest, because I just try to avoid it as much as I can. And then jQuery, I guess, came along and we used some of that for a while. And I think part of the thing was that free agent's scope was really broad. So when it came to dev, there were so many features that we wanted to do.

I don't think I am very good at JavaScript even now, to be honest, because I just try to avoid it as much as I can. And then jQuery, I guess, came along and we used some of that for a while. And I think part of the thing was that free agent's scope was really broad. So when it came to dev, there were so many features that we wanted to do.

And it was like everything, it was like payroll and, you know, bank, you know, using bank feeds like Yodlee we had to do back in the day. There was this huge scope of stuff. So like faffing around and rewriting UIs. was not really a useful business thing to do. So we just kind of didn't do it. We just left it.

And it was like everything, it was like payroll and, you know, bank, you know, using bank feeds like Yodlee we had to do back in the day. There was this huge scope of stuff. So like faffing around and rewriting UIs. was not really a useful business thing to do. So we just kind of didn't do it. We just left it.

Now, except that one of the most kind of interactive parts of the app is the banking area where you have all your bank transactions and you kind of click and you can explain them and categorize them. Now that probably 20, trying to think 13 or something like that. I think someone had started playing around with, with a JavaScript framework.

Now, except that one of the most kind of interactive parts of the app is the banking area where you have all your bank transactions and you kind of click and you can explain them and categorize them. Now that probably 20, trying to think 13 or something like that. I think someone had started playing around with, with a JavaScript framework.

I can't remember off the top of my head, actually, what that was called. It was one of the early ones. And then, which I think we actually put live, perhaps, but then someone during one of our hack days decided to try and build it in React. the banking section, which kind of works. And they got it working quite quickly in a few days, prototyping this thing. And it was better.

I can't remember off the top of my head, actually, what that was called. It was one of the early ones. And then, which I think we actually put live, perhaps, but then someone during one of our hack days decided to try and build it in React. the banking section, which kind of works. And they got it working quite quickly in a few days, prototyping this thing. And it was better.

It worked better from a UI point of view. But then it kind of grew arms and legs. And what happened with that project is that, ultimately, that area then became written in React and it stuck, even though it was much more complicated. It was quite buggy because like all the validation was on the server side.

It worked better from a UI point of view. But then it kind of grew arms and legs. And what happened with that project is that, ultimately, that area then became written in React and it stuck, even though it was much more complicated. It was quite buggy because like all the validation was on the server side.

So all the front end validation was being duplicated again, including we had stuff like formatting numbers and stuff that the Rails app would do. And so when this section got built in React, then all of that had to be, people were duplicating number formatting. So it's all a bit of a mess, to be honest. And as far as I know, that is still there. That whole banking area in FreeAgent is React app.

So all the front end validation was being duplicated again, including we had stuff like formatting numbers and stuff that the Rails app would do. And so when this section got built in React, then all of that had to be, people were duplicating number formatting. So it's all a bit of a mess, to be honest. And as far as I know, that is still there. That whole banking area in FreeAgent is React app.