Sync Conf + InstantDB × Expo Meetup - SF Developer Vlog

I flew to San Francisco to present at the InstantDB × Expo meetup, and the live coding got dicey: the AI assistant took so long generating code that I had to cut it short on stage. The demo still landed, a local-first shopping list app built with Expo and Instant that synced updates across devices instantly. The whole trip is in the video, including a tour of Instant's office and time with the founders.

What's inside

• A local-first shopping list app with real-time sync and dark mode
• Live coding with Expo MCP and Instant MCP, including what went wrong
• What Instant is: a batteries-included backend you start with npx create-instant-app
• Inside Instant's SF office, from the pull-up bar challenge to the bookshelf
• My takeaways from Sync Conf and the local-first movement
• The Paul Graham essays and startup books Stopa gifted me

Resources

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