When Remix was first announced, by the gentlemen behind React Router, I knew it
was gonna rock...eventually. I figured they would need some time to work out the
exact APIs. That it was released initially as a paid offering was all I needed
to ignore it for a bit to let it mature. When it became open source several
months later, my interest was piqued.

I've been using [Next.js](https://nextjs.org) since it was in version 1.0. I
fully understood all that it was doing for me, because I had extensive
experience cobbling together such a site using Webpack, React Router, Express,
Server Side Rendering, Hot Reloading, and all the hot new technologies in 2015.
Even after authoring open source libraries used by millions of companies around
the globe,
[React Redux Universal Hot Example](https://github.com/erikras/react-redux-universal-hot-example)
remains my repository with more Github stars than any other. People are still
starring it, despite all the cobwebs, as I have not touched it in six years.
Every once in a while, someone will come up to me a conference and thank me for
it, telling me that they built and launched and grew a startup using that
starter kit. So I've been starting every project with Next.js and recommending
that everyone do the same for years and years.

All that is to say that I was highly skeptical that any framework could come
along and unseat my beloved Next.js from its pedestal. Nevertheless, I went
through the [Remix Tutorial](https://remix.run/docs/en/v1/tutorials/blog) –
which is different (better) now than it was when I did it – to see what these
Router boys were up to.

Within an hour, I was hooked. I will never start a project with Next.js again.

I've been building websites since _all_ pages were static files. When it was
discovered that you could execute code on the server – I ❤️ U `/cgi-bin`! – to
_dynamically_ change the HTML that was downloaded we were off to the races!

So I also come to Remix with a fundamental understanding of the ...errr...
fundamentals of HTTP and how the web works. Seeing Remix embrace The Platform™
warms my heart. That said, I remember why we all moved away from The
Platform™... because browsers sucked! But now that Internet Explorer is rotting
in its grave, I think it might be just the right time to return to the
fundamentals.

When [Remix Conf 2022](https://remix.run/conf/2022) was announced, I immediately
began brainstorming ideas interesting enough to attract the attention of the
Remix team. In my dayjob at [Centered](https://centered.app/erik), I have been
introducing [XState](https://xstate.js.org) state machines at every opportunity,
and it invariably improves the codebase. There was even one particularly complex
bit of backend logic, accepting a webhook from Linear, where I chose to
implement it as a state machine, and, wouldn't you know it?, it improved the
readability and robustness of the code. Remix is so elegant about how it does
stuff on the backend, I began to wonder if I couldn't come up with some sort of
an app to use a state machine on the backend using Remix.
[My previous talk](./infobip-shift-2021) was about using XState to implement an
e-commerce checkout flow, so what if I could do that entirely on the backend?

Narrator: "He pulled it off."

I wrote the prototype entirely on a transatlantic flight in February, and shared
the code with both the Remix and XState teams. My talk was _sort of_ accepted at
RemixConf. I was chosen as a backup speaker. This was a new concept to me, but
it makes total sense. I was to have all the perks of a speaker, travel,
expenses, hotel, etc., but rather than give my talk in front of the conference
attendees, it would be to an empty auditorium the night before, and the talk
would be released on YouTube with all the others, so future people wouldn't even
know it was to an empty crowd. Great plan! I was just delighted to attend the
conference!

As luck would have it, one of the speakers had some visa issues, and I was
bumped up to give a talk in front of an audience. And it made all the
difference! I've never given a talk with such an enthusiastic audience!

So, without further ado...

## The Talk

<video>r4xI6LPf6iQ</video>

<caption>
 The slides can be found{" "}
 <a
 href="https://speakerdeck.com/erikras/state-machines-on-the-edge-remixconf-2022"
 target="_blank"
 >
 here
 </a>
 , and the code <a
 href="https://github.com/erikras/remix-conf-2022"
 target="_blank"
 >
 here
 </a>, if you so desire.
</caption>

## Photos


<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-2.jpg"
 alt="The audience during my talk"
 width={2500}
 height={1669}
/>

<caption>
 The audience during my talk. I had the perfect slot, right before the morning coffee break.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-3.jpg"
 alt="View from the back"
 width={2500}
 height={1668}
/>

<caption>
 The view from the back. That's Kent C. Dodds' pink sleeve on the far left, furiously live tweeting.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-4.jpg"
 alt="Fisheye from the stage"
 width={2500}
 height={1669}
/>

<caption>
 Fisheye from the stage.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-5.jpg"
 alt="Heroes and friends"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 A few of my heroes that I now call friends, <a href="https://twitter.com/tannerlinsley">Tanner Linsley</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jen_ayy_">Jenny Truong</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/mattpocockuk">Matt Pocock</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidKPiano">David Khourshid</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/chancethedev">Chance Strickland</a>.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-6.jpg"
 alt="Michael Chan and Chance Strickland"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 Photogenic lads, <a href="https://twitter.com/chantastic">Michael Chan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/chancethedev">Chance Strickland</a>.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-7.jpg"
 alt="Van Selfie"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 We morbidly joked about what a loss to the JavaScript community it would be if this van crashed.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-8.jpg"
 alt="Scooter Crew"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 <a href="https://twitter.com/johnlindquist">John Lindquist</a> lent some scooters to <a href="https://twitter.com/jen_ayy_">Jenny Truong</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/mattpocockuk">Matt Pocock</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidKPiano">David Khourshid</a>, and me to ride around his neighborhood.
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/remixconf-2022-9.jpg"
 alt="Smash Burgers"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 <a href="https://twitter.com/jlengstorf">Jason Lengstorf</a> taught me the meaning of "smash burgers", and my life will never be the same.
</caption>


## Salt Lake City – Aerial Shots


<img
 src="/images/slc-2022-1.jpg"
 alt="Flying into Salt Lake City"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 As an East Coast boy whose never been to the rocky mountains, the terrain around Salt Lake City was gorgeous!
</caption>



<img
 src="/images/slc-2022-2.jpg"
 alt="Salt Lake"
 width={4032}
 height={3024}
/>

<caption>
 Apparently they have a big – dare I say "great"? – lake of salt there.
</caption>

Remix

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