Mar 16
Loading video player...
Jack Herrington sits down with Tanner Linsley to talk about the evolution of TanStack and where it’s headed next. They explore how early projects like React Query and React Table influenced the headless philosophy behind TanStack Router, why virtualized lists matter at scale, and what makes forms in React so challenging. Tanner breaks down TanStack Start and its client-first approach to SSR, routing, and data loading, and shares his perspective on React Server Components, modern authentication tradeoffs, and composable tooling. The episode wraps with a look at TanStack’s roadmap and what it takes to sustainably maintain open source at scale. --- Fill out our feedback form to help us improve PodRocket! https://forms.gle/xHm5PdAasfYqXYzT7 --- Chapters 01:05 – What is TanStack? Mission, contributors, and philosophy 02:05 – Origins of TanStack: React Table before React Query 03:20 – Core TanStack principles: headless, cross-platform, type safety 04:00 – TanStack Virtual and performance at scale 05:30 – Forms, abandoned projects, and lessons learned 06:50 – Why TanStack will never build auth 08:40 – Partnerships with Clerk, WorkOS, Netlify, and Cloudflare 10:00 – Introducing TanStack Start and how it differs from Next.js 11:30 – Client-first architecture and React Router DNA 12:45 – Pages Router nostalgia and migration paths 14:10 – Loaders, data-only routes, and seamless transitions 15:45 – Why TanStack Start feels fast (SWR-style caching) 17:30 – Loaders vs server functions and common footguns 19:10 – Isomorphic execution model explained 21:00 – Gradual adoption: router → file routing → Start 22:30 – Learning from Remix, Next.js, and earlier frameworks 24:00 – Full-stack React before modern frameworks 25:20 – Server functions, HTTP methods, and caching semantics 27:40 – Simpler mental models vs server components complexity 29:50 – Staying pragmatic and not losing touch with real users 32:10 – When *not* to use TanStack (Shopify, WordPress, etc.) 34:30 – Marketing sites, CMS pain, and tool evolution 36:20 – Scaling realities and backend tradeoffs 38:00 – Frameworks across the static → dynamic spectrum 40:10 – Astro + TanStack Start hybrid architectures 42:00 – Composability: Nitro, Hono, tRPC, and Start 43:30 – Why TanStack Start is a request handler, not a platform 45:00 – TanStack AI announcement and roadmap 46:30 – TanStack DB explained 48:50 – Start 1.0 status and real-world adoption 50:00 – Devtools, Pacer, and upcoming libraries 51:40 – Sustainability, sponsorships, and supporting maintainers 53:30 – Closing thoughts and outro --- 🎙 Listen to PodRocket 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oFuKu8... 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @LogRocket Follow on Socials ➡️ Jack Herrington, Host ➡️ Elizabeth Becz, Producer ➡️ LogRocket: / logrocket --- What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surface the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understanding where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.