Darko's CornerDarko's Cornerhttps://darko.io/en-usGameOfCodes 2026: this is why I keep going to conferenceshttps://darko.io/posts/good-for-the-soul-why-you-should-support-your-local-events/https://darko.io/posts/good-for-the-soul-why-you-should-support-your-local-events/Back in Nis for GameOfCodes: friends, late-night nerding, good talks, and a power outage that couldn’t spoil the experience. This is why I’ll be back.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:01:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/good-for-the-soul-why-you-should-support-your-local-events/og.pngGameOfCodes 2026: this is why I keep going to conferenceshttps://darko.io/_emdash/api/media/file/01M5EWF6MVATK9FB5ZZZFJ5VZ7.01M5EWF6ZGN5W6B62TCBP6J4B8.jpgWhatTheStack the thirdhttps://darko.io/posts/wts-the-third/https://darko.io/posts/wts-the-third/On making it through year three of WhatTheStack, what we learned, and sticking to our principlesFri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/wts-the-third/og.pngWhatTheStack the thirdhttps://darko.io/blog-media/32e49dff6ab5e69d645b382c64c70034d2b44f47af7fbeb656308af182921561-wts-the-third-og.webpSelf-hosting isn't scary: a practical guide with Coolify and Hetznerhttps://darko.io/posts/self-hosting-with-coolify-and-hetzner/https://darko.io/posts/self-hosting-with-coolify-and-hetzner/You deploy to Vercel without thinking twice. Self-hosting is the same thing, except you own it. Here's how I run 3 servers, dozens of services, and sleep fine at night.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/self-hosting-with-coolify-and-hetzner/og.pngSelf-hosting isn't scary: a practical guide with Coolify and Hetznerhttps://darko.io/blog-media/c31b2e5defc507f6f1df04ee1a7f43b9e8289da18e3b6f718f4a7dabed073170-pexels-cookiecutter-17489157.jpgInside the CfP: How We Pick Talks at WhatTheStackhttps://darko.io/posts/inside-the-cfp/https://darko.io/posts/inside-the-cfp/A transparent look at the conference's Call for Papers process, including scoring methodology, committee selection, and application tips.Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/inside-the-cfp/og.pngInside the CfP: How We Pick Talks at WhatTheStackhttps://darko.io/blog-media/eea4bc590dfac1461bfcffc50cf5d2342e3996b3c3e111162eb40f0beaab7476-inside-the-cfp-og.pngBehind the Scenes: What It Takes to Run WhatTheStackhttps://darko.io/posts/behind-the-scenes-running-wts/https://darko.io/posts/behind-the-scenes-running-wts/Running a developer conference is a lot more than booking a venue and setting up a projector. Here's what it actually looks like.Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/behind-the-scenes-running-wts/og.pngBehind the Scenes: What It Takes to Run WhatTheStackhttps://darko.io/blog-media/a0cbc419b01769901ecda5ca933afdffa61b01fb6f89818e5859df6927deda6e-behind-the-scenes-running-wts-og.pngMigrating from Next.js to SolidStart: An Opinionated Guidehttps://darko.io/posts/next-to-solidstart-migration-guide/https://darko.io/posts/next-to-solidstart-migration-guide/A practical guide to migrating from Next.js to SolidStart - focusing on the primitives, the mental model shift, and why it might be worth your time.Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/next-to-solidstart-migration-guide/og.pngMigrating from Next.js to SolidStart: An Opinionated Guidehttps://darko.io/blog-media/898d6710d4f1d0586a427100ea94d69b83eb555cf4f28b94080c177d147d17dd-mohamed-nohassi-odxB5oIG_iA-unsplash.jpgDo better.https://darko.io/posts/do-better/https://darko.io/posts/do-better/To hell with tech feudalism. Let's do better - ethically and technologicallyTue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/do-better/og.pngDo better.https://darko.io/blog-media/1e091913cc70cecfeb9d1589396fc303473707ab54a3610211e2e7f2c57dcd9f-pexels-markusspiske-2990644.jpg2024 year-in-review: 'Test it in production' editionhttps://darko.io/posts/2024-test-in-production/https://darko.io/posts/2024-test-in-production/If there's one thing I've learned in 2024, it's that sometimes you just have to ship it and see what happens. You know, like deploying to production on a Friday, as the tired ol' cliche goes.Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/2024-test-in-production/og.png2024 year-in-review: 'Test it in production' editionhttps://darko.io/blog-media/027ada37d2021bdb4397905989c5bf83d8f904ef8dcb95548a6d0c74811699ce-2024-year-in-review.webpWeb Components: The Unsexy Solution to Cross-Framework UIhttps://darko.io/posts/future-proof-your-ui-web-components/https://darko.io/posts/future-proof-your-ui-web-components/An R&D experiment on how might approach the cross-framework UI challenge at SuperTokens with Web Components and why they're not as bad as you might thinkFri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/future-proof-your-ui-web-components/og.pngWeb Components: The Unsexy Solution to Cross-Framework UIhttps://darko.io/blog-media/5192f97fb0ab0f18feda0fbf073a2d8b4da3dd2eb0b24626eebbd1e8990c8300-45aeb973d9a682460353d93b93e6c025-1076811598.jpgSo you want to start a developer conference?https://darko.io/posts/so-you-want-to-start-a-developer-conference/https://darko.io/posts/so-you-want-to-start-a-developer-conference/The story of WhatTheStack from the PoV of a co-founder. A candid retelling of all things good, bad and ugly - and ultimately, why it's totally worth it.Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/so-you-want-to-start-a-developer-conference/og.pngSo you want to start a developer conference?https://darko.io/blog-media/79a37a827bdbac1ef660b244bbf0a6f6d912a0a246aa3459f80bdc95fcb671b9-DSC_9512.JPGThe Joy of Astrohttps://darko.io/posts/the-joy-of-astro/https://darko.io/posts/the-joy-of-astro/Told from the perspective of a person building demo integrations for SuperTokens - and how it's an absolute joy to create with.Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/the-joy-of-astro/og.pngThe Joy of Astrohttps://darko.io/blog-media/7ae1c7a289df17c7e293882c7d7c88c68794fd70591c805423e09a01b662a89a-ries-bosch-WCDyy-yHz5Y-unsplash.jpgA Better Hammer?https://darko.io/posts/a-better-hammer/https://darko.io/posts/a-better-hammer/It hasn't replaced us. Not yet. But I'm finding ways to make my work easier and faster. Yes, I'm talking about AI.Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/a-better-hammer/og.pngA Better Hammer?https://darko.io/blog-media/f327ee5c1833e5075a8bd77b424e53dd3e60f746f18a3b32a4fa395da8b02ec5-adam-sherez-PtgLGdMzi-Y-unsplash.jpg"BuT, aUtH iS HaRd"https://darko.io/posts/but-auth-is-hard/https://darko.io/posts/but-auth-is-hard/No, it's not. It's boring, red-tapey, a solved problem... but don't call it hard as a blanket statement.Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/but-auth-is-hard/og.png"BuT, aUtH iS HaRd"https://darko.io/blog-media/6dec7bf2a06ca660e7a6a9924a210e8ac375a3465e10ec70a2cf5495dbe8464d-david-clode-cUGNFbxxD1E-unsplash.jpgFrom Promises to Async/Await: Navigating the Evolution of Asynchronicity in JavaScripthttps://darko.io/posts/navigating-the-evolution-of-asynchronicity-in-javascript/https://darko.io/posts/navigating-the-evolution-of-asynchronicity-in-javascript/From callbacks to async/await - a journey through the evolution of asynchronicity in JavaScript.Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/navigating-the-evolution-of-asynchronicity-in-javascript/og.pngFrom Promises to Async/Await: Navigating the Evolution of Asynchronicity in JavaScripthttps://darko.io/blog-media/830c63920ea91b4bc01d6239ed3d2d4b3666b3dcab3a02f067920412c2cad554-async-cover.pngQuick-and-useful: A DIY, self-hosted Linktree and Linkinbio clone with Astro and TinaCMShttps://darko.io/posts/linktree-and-linkinbio-clone-with-astro-and-tinacms/https://darko.io/posts/linktree-and-linkinbio-clone-with-astro-and-tinacms/Quick-and-useful, part 2: A self-hosted Linktree and Linkinbio clone based on Astro with a user-friendly edit interface.Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/linktree-and-linkinbio-clone-with-astro-and-tinacms/og.pngQuick-and-useful: A DIY, self-hosted Linktree and Linkinbio clone with Astro and TinaCMShttps://darko.io/blog-media/67b80761698f8439ae1985ee7f130738228a7817511a91c237667b911cd1a265-ltree.webpBuild you a related post classifier for Astrohttps://darko.io/posts/build-you-a-related-post-classifier/https://darko.io/posts/build-you-a-related-post-classifier/A step-by-step guide on how to build a related post classifier for Astro using `natural` and the content collection API. And a package to make it easier.Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/build-you-a-related-post-classifier/og.pngBuild you a related post classifier for Astrohttps://darko.io/blog-media/1904dfb43c1e54aefcc07ed564b2a8aab48702759964caaeeb5e96e6467a0212-nino-maghradze-0f8P-Y4Ib5U-unsplash.jpgWeb standards: neat HTML tricks you probably haven’t heard about.https://darko.io/posts/web-standards-neat-html-tricks-you-probably-havent-heard-about/https://darko.io/posts/web-standards-neat-html-tricks-you-probably-havent-heard-about/A blog post remix of a recent presentation I gave at the WP meetup Skopje - some cool and lesser-known HTML tricks you might not know about.Wed, 15 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/web-standards-neat-html-tricks-you-probably-havent-heard-about/og.pngWeb standards: neat HTML tricks you probably haven’t heard about.https://darko.io/blog-media/c646f2f5dd75ba8ed21d3eb793eaad5bfe4fd20bdc6c545b64959cdf9df5d00f-adventure-island.jpgQuick-and-useful: Build you a wishlist app with Astro, Solid, and Baserowhttps://darko.io/posts/wishlist-app-with-astro-and-solid/https://darko.io/posts/wishlist-app-with-astro-and-solid/The first part of a series of posts about building quick and useful apps with Astro. Part 1: A wishlist app.Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/wishlist-app-with-astro-and-solid/og.pngQuick-and-useful: Build you a wishlist app with Astro, Solid, and Baserowhttps://darko.io/blog-media/6b62b95dfe43c650fe7b5a74ab439073fd00880c223a57b95819d501147b5931-wishlist.jpgThe Jokers in a Deck of cards - on the ever-evolving Generalist Rolehttps://darko.io/posts/the-jokers-in-a-deck-of-cards/https://darko.io/posts/the-jokers-in-a-deck-of-cards/On the ever-evolving generalist/full-stack role and to what extent does it make sense to broaden your skillset.Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/the-jokers-in-a-deck-of-cards/og.pngThe Jokers in a Deck of cards - on the ever-evolving Generalist Rolehttps://darko.io/blog-media/ea33f05baa322b69a71f000c7aa2f7c5864e83e1373374085c463757489b5bdf-nadejda-yanchuk-XlWLXlObh5I-unsplash.jpgFind your tribe - why developers need their crewhttps://darko.io/posts/find-your-tribe/https://darko.io/posts/find-your-tribe/On the importance of being part of a community as a developer.Thu, 24 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/find-your-tribe/og.pngFind your tribe - why developers need their crewhttps://darko.io/blog-media/89e8b7e7ef48c2e31033eb099ff44f7b6c6e350f0a121287ad58643f530e2a67-william-white-TZCppMjaOHU-unsplash.jpgWeird node version errors and how to solve themhttps://darko.io/posts/weird-node-version-errors/https://darko.io/posts/weird-node-version-errors/The woes of using two computers for development. On node versions and unfriendly errors.Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/weird-node-version-errors/og.pngWeird node version errors and how to solve themhttps://darko.io/blog-media/1074b0e1575f56ecb8f75de66b384967c45d3293f024d64692382e83ed55a904-etienne-girardet-OA0qcP6GOw0-unsplash.jpgAstro.js and WordPress as an APIhttps://darko.io/posts/wp-as-an-api/https://darko.io/posts/wp-as-an-api/Using WordPress as a headless CMS and an API via Astro.js. Exactly as cool as it sounds.Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/wp-as-an-api/og.pngAstro.js and WordPress as an APIhttps://darko.io/blog-media/242bf408ce4b1f0538e552563d94bcdd16330593b51ff3da7ad9b6182872b4a8-evgeni-tcherkasski-BfBhwJ4qafo-unsplash.webpDevRel, not DevSellhttps://darko.io/posts/devrel-not-devsell/https://darko.io/posts/devrel-not-devsell/On the fine art of DevRel, what it is not. And how to get started.Wed, 21 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/devrel-not-devsell/og.pngDevRel, not DevSellhttps://darko.io/blog-media/579bb4401a506481f16b99cd42cb581d84c23ee6ab840c80090cb01bba693e75-rod-long-JB5YCqOXV1o-unsplash.jpgSwag corner stories - 3. The Loka beer mughttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-3/https://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-3/A trip down memory lane, from the swag corner of my office. part 3.Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-3/og.pngSwag corner stories - 3. The Loka beer mughttps://darko.io/blog-media/34c381f8ef8efb319e7f7266001f602b84f0daf392846992c22187d0aa6c009e-loka_mug.webpSwag corner stories - 2. The DevCon badgehttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-2/https://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-2/A trip down memory lane, from the swag corner of my office. part 2.Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-2/og.pngSwag corner stories - 2. The DevCon badgehttps://darko.io/blog-media/f934604214c5cfd17f5825ddfaad63c79daa4738d7c036314421bc2644f2956f-devcon_badge.webpThe case for agency DevEx and internal DevRel. Part 1: Communityhttps://darko.io/posts/the-case-for-agency-devex/https://darko.io/posts/the-case-for-agency-devex/On square pegs and round holes - the one about the fine art of DevEx. In agencies. And why it makes sense.Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/the-case-for-agency-devex/og.pngThe case for agency DevEx and internal DevRel. Part 1: Communityhttps://darko.io/blog-media/bdfb665bf8cb0a866896b72a9afa5aea0e1ef716e6f1a567f8ab4293ee668dc5-olga-zhushman-7P7K74q67QY-unsplash.jpgSwag corner stories - 1. Chokanchehttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-stories---1-chokanche/https://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-stories---1-chokanche/A trip down memory lane, from the swag corner of my office. Part 1.Sun, 11 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-stories---1-chokanche/og.pngSwag corner stories - 1. Chokanchehttps://darko.io/blog-media/440731382a08e01fe31f4d45b03a27ceb0dbb87d9b379cf510ff7cb696eddab4-1670609537652.jpegSwag corner stories - Introhttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-stories---intro/https://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-stories---intro/A trip down memory lane, from the swag corner of my office.Fri, 02 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/swag-corner-stories---intro/og.pngSwag corner stories - Introhttps://darko.io/blog-media/251215cf1cfa2a6acdc674f383bfaa5adde18c3b44916af5f6b8d5cf4009245a-1670352867487.jpegAll you need to know about serverless functions and the edgehttps://darko.io/posts/all-you-need-to-know-about-serverless-functions-and-the-edge/https://darko.io/posts/all-you-need-to-know-about-serverless-functions-and-the-edge/As much of a misnomer `serverless` is, it is pretty useful, especially when the actual computing happens close to you.Fri, 25 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/all-you-need-to-know-about-serverless-functions-and-the-edge/og.pngAll you need to know about serverless functions and the edgehttps://darko.io/blog-media/f2cda1f34a9229dd6deec87ddcba9be791d5eccd5c11454be5ac335b595b9a71-taylor-vick-M5tzZtFCOfs-unsplash.jpgColor systems and accessibility - an adventure in plugin authoring for Chakra UI and Tailwindhttps://darko.io/posts/colors-accessibility-and-plugins/https://darko.io/posts/colors-accessibility-and-plugins/An adventure in plugin authoring for Chakra UI and Tailwind. With some accessible color systems mixed in.Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/colors-accessibility-and-plugins/og.pngColor systems and accessibility - an adventure in plugin authoring for Chakra UI and Tailwindhttps://darko.io/blog-media/618b84d9da99403df93dd4355cf42b655a6a4437e596eaece556ad5aec30816e-ramakant-sharda-0aFg0U2uPJY-unsplash.jpgOn meetups, community and principleshttps://darko.io/posts/on-meetups-community-and-principles/https://darko.io/posts/on-meetups-community-and-principles/The one about how I got started with community stuff, meetups and conferences; On complaining vs. taking action.Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/on-meetups-community-and-principles/og.pngOn meetups, community and principleshttps://darko.io/blog-media/83c99296a90f0dd3e8347c6804dcbe38ab81acebd939a18b4af5a4b111c74954-meetups_post.jpgGuest post: Building a Personal Assistant PWA: (Part 3)https://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-3/https://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-3/On offline-capable PWAs with a twist - a personal assistant wannabe chatbot.Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-3/og.pngGuest post: Building a Personal Assistant PWA: (Part 3)https://darko.io/blog-media/46b689ade646cf010cf6c4f92b3f39cd00ce0b606113b50d99abba2bede56620-volodymyr-hryshchenko-V5vqWC9gyEU-unsplash.jpgGuest post: Building a Personal Assistant PWA: (Part 2)https://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-2/https://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-2/On offline-capable PWAs with a twist - a personal assistant wannabe chatbot.Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-2/og.pngGuest post: Building a Personal Assistant PWA: (Part 2)https://darko.io/blog-media/46b689ade646cf010cf6c4f92b3f39cd00ce0b606113b50d99abba2bede56620-volodymyr-hryshchenko-V5vqWC9gyEU-unsplash.jpgGuest post: Skip the app store with your own progressive web app (Part 1)https://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-1/https://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-1/On offline-capable PWAs with a twist - a personal assistant wannabe chatbot.Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/personal-assistant-pwa-1/og.pngGuest post: Skip the app store with your own progressive web app (Part 1)https://darko.io/blog-media/46b689ade646cf010cf6c4f92b3f39cd00ce0b606113b50d99abba2bede56620-volodymyr-hryshchenko-V5vqWC9gyEU-unsplash.jpgGuest post: REST vs GraphQLhttps://darko.io/posts/rest-vs-graphql/https://darko.io/posts/rest-vs-graphql/POV: a stubborn front-end hardlinerThu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/rest-vs-graphql/og.pngGuest post: REST vs GraphQLhttps://darko.io/blog-media/bb110f7f776eaf3bdf165d5036a4da92b8cf27832132bd7d035d73816b0ba308-jason-dent-QSIq9ncQkzY-unsplash.jpgBuild you a COVID-19 tracker the (fun) hard wayhttps://darko.io/posts/build-you-a-corona-tracker-the-hard-way/https://darko.io/posts/build-you-a-corona-tracker-the-hard-way/An adventure in parsing, data massaging, frustration and over-engineering. That just happens to be about COVID-19 data.Mon, 27 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/build-you-a-corona-tracker-the-hard-way/og.pngBuild you a COVID-19 tracker the (fun) hard wayhttps://darko.io/blog-media/27b803e0340b4ae50e8ba057918835138907ec3f6e3e1b8fe5922b9bb89bd9f5-isaac-smith-6EnTPvPPL6I-unsplash.jpgBuilding an offline chatbot, part 2https://darko.io/posts/offline-chatbot-pt2/https://darko.io/posts/offline-chatbot-pt2/Building you an offline chatbot for great good. On the how, why and possibilities when it comes to building such things. Part 2.Mon, 20 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/offline-chatbot-pt2/og.pngBuilding an offline chatbot, part 2https://darko.io/blog-media/9ea3506d5d1d76327ba31660bc24b6d2a55b4228ba5de9b692471f2956f1b3c1-alex-knight-2EJCSULRwC8-unsplash.jpgBuilding an offline chatbothttps://darko.io/posts/offline-chatbot-pt1/https://darko.io/posts/offline-chatbot-pt1/Building you an offline chatbot for great good. On the how, why and the possibilities when it comes to building such things.Sun, 20 May 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://darko.io/posts/offline-chatbot-pt1/og.pngBuilding an offline chatbothttps://darko.io/blog-media/d48e503948f28d151442ab9086d58ea9df9b7305cb999c380fcf6a8e7189c895-lenin-estrada-OI1ToozsKBw-unsplash.jpg