Aaron Katz

Handling 401 Errors Like a Pro in React + Redux 🔐 Security isn’t just about strong passwords — it's also about smart error handling. A 401 Unauthorized error can create confusion for users if not managed properly. Here's how to handle it the right way: ✅ Intercept 401 responses using Axios interceptors or middleware. ✅ Dispatch Redux actions to log out users or refresh tokens gracefully. ✅ Redirect to Login with context — show a message like "Your session has expired. Please log in again." ✅ Preserve state so users can pick up right where they left off after re-authentication. ✅ Track 401s to monitor suspicious activity or auth-related issues. Pro tip: A seamless 401 experience improves security and user trust. How do you handle authentication errors in your apps? #ReactJS #Redux #Authentication #WebSecurity #JavaScript #FrontendDevelopment #ReactDeveloper #CleanCode #CodingTips #WebDev #UXDesign #TokenAuth #ErrorHandling #SoftwareEngineering #DeveloperExperience

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This week I shipped two micro-frontends from prototype to production as part of Upwork's platform decomposition into composable smart surfaces. The job search browser went from zero to merged with real pagination, sidebar filtering, accessible scroll-to-top, and reactive search state. The membership manager was the heavier lift: 4 parallel GraphQL queries with graceful degradation, a full API transform layer normalizing raw schema into clean store state, reworked modals, alerts, tracking, and i18n — roughly 1,750 lines across 36 files. Both run as independent SPAs injected into the platform shell, each with its own Pinia store, error boundaries, and analytics instrumentation. What I keep learning at this scale is that the hard part isn't building the feature — it's designing the boundary. Where does the microapp end and the shell begin? Which queries are critical enough to block render, and which degrade silently? How do you instrument analytics without coupling to the host? These are the decisions that determine whether a micro-frontend architecture actually scales or just moves the monolith into smaller boxes.

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The Breach Starts at Localhost We often treat our local dev environments like sanctuaries. They aren't. "Metro4Shell" (CVE-2025-11953) just proved it. If you're running an older React Native CLI and exposing your Metro bundler for device testing, you are widely exposed. This isn't theoretical. Attackers are actively deploying Rust-based malware directly onto developer machines. The immediate fix: 1. Upgrade `react-native` and `@react-native-community/cli`. 2. Stop exposing port 8081 to the public internet. But the architectural lesson is critical. We spend millions securing production, yet leave the front door open on our laptops. Security isn't a "post-deploy" ticket. It starts the moment you run `npm start`. Patch your environment today.

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Here’s the uncomfortable truth about why junior developers can’t get hired right now. Many juniors wonder why they can’t land their first role. The reality? You’re often competing with candidates who have 10+ years of experience and advanced degrees. Employers are naturally drawn to these “safer” bets—but that doesn’t mean juniors are out of luck. Understanding this gap helps you strategize smarter, not blame yourself. My take: focus on building projects that solve problems that would mimic real problems you would likely face in the workplace. Connect with senior developers, recruiters and even directors and start a conversation. This will help you figure out what “real problems” would look like and from there you’d be able to see what projects may help you land that next role. Question: Did you have a project that helped you stand out or land a role? #softwaredevelopment #softwareengineering #jobmarket #competition #tech

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You have a live coding interview coming up… and that’s all they’ve told you. Here’s how to prepare (besides practice, practice, practice). First: Ask clarifying questions Before you write a single line of code, make sure you understand the problem. Even if you think you understand the problem take 30 seconds to repeat back what the problem is And if anything sounds vague or unclear — ASK It is never just about how quickly you get to the answer You are expected to think clearly and communicate well. Second: Listen for hints If your interviewer says something like: “What about edge cases here?” or “Would that still scale with larger inputs?” That’s a hint. A big one. Don’t ignore it. Adjust your approach and talk through your thought process. I have read hundreds of times in feedback about candidates ignoring hints, I think it is nerves but the ability to listen and adjust is critical Third: Be honest if you're stuck If something doesn’t make sense, say so. Don’t fake it. Don’t stall. Instead: ✔️ Acknowledge what you’re unsure about ✔️ Pivot to what you do know ✔️ Re-engage with the problem from a different angle The best interviews are conversations — not performances.

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Software engineers fear the AI that will take their job while the real danger I see should be in companies and solution owners themselves. Products that you spent years and tons of dollars for buildng selling it for whatever the number of subscriptions is can now be easily cloned and it costs nothing but the Gen AI subscription and some small resources. I am really curious of how the scene will look like after maybe Q2 of 2026. The development that business owners needs to follow “not to fail in the common nokia example” is now talking days not years like all used before!! #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #SaaS #StartupLife #ProductManagement  #SoftwareEngineering #TechTrends #DigitalTransformation  #Innovation #FutureOfWork #Entrepreneurship  

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I always tell devs: if you're stuck on what to build with AI, reverse-engineer real tools. Try this: - Look at GitHub Copilot—what does it automate? - Use Grammarly—how does it rewrite? - Play with Notion AI—what prompts power it? Then, recreate a tiny version of one. That’s the best way to learn.

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Coding tests: helpful filter or hiring hurdle? I recently ran a poll to ask tech professionals which type of coding test they prefer during the interview process and the results were telling: 🟨 59% said they’d rather skip coding tests altogether 🟩 24% prefer take-home projects 🟩 18% voted for live pair programming ⬜ 0% backed the classic whiteboard session While take-home projects and live collaboration still have their fans, the majority response was clear: many candidates view coding tests as a barrier, not a bridge. So what does this mean for hiring teams? It’s not about removing assessment altogether - it’s about making the process meaningful, respectful of time, and relevant to the role. #TechHiring #DeveloperExperience #EngineeringCareers

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