From Tomorrow Back to Yesterday: A Tale of Two Web Architectures - Yang

Yang compares local-first and server-centric web architectures in Clojure using a real-world migration case study.

This presentation examines two contrasting web architectures through a real-world migration case study. Attendees will learn to evaluate Tonsky's "Web After Tomorrow" local-first/client-server patterns against DataStar's "Web From Yesterday" server-centric approach using concrete Clojure examples and production metrics. Attendees will gain practical evaluation criteria for architectural decisions, including performance trade-offs (bundle sizes, load times, memory usage), developer experience comparisons, and maintainability considerations. Through side-by-side code examples, you'll see how identical user interactions are implemented in both architectures, covering state management, event handling, and real-time updates. The talk provides actionable migration strategies with specific techniques for transitioning between approaches, common pitfalls to avoid, and decision frameworks for choosing the right architecture based on application requirements and team capabilities. This talk also aims to show how Clojure/ClojureScript, and functional programming principles apply across both architecture types. Biography Builder at heart. Currently working on a startup bringing superpowers to QuickBooks using Clojure/ClojureScript. Previously, co-founder and CEO of Fullstack Academy - a top-rated coding and cybersecurity bootcamp with partnerships across the country. Fullstack has graduated thousands of students working across every part of the technology ecosystem from first funding to FANG-sized. Fullstack also created the "Grace Hopper Program" - the first deferred-tuition coding bootcamp for women. Recorded Nov 14, 2025 at Clojure/Conj 2025 in Charlotte, NC.