Vladilen Minin on Launching His YouTube Channel and Using WebStorm
We spoke with Vladilen Minin, the author of a popular YouTube channel about web development. Vladilen told us why he decided to leave commercial web development and pursue a career in education. He also explained why he uses WebStorm to make his educational content.
Hi Vladilen! Could you tell us a little bit about what you do?
I am a JavaScript developer. I have over 7 years of commercial development experience and I’ve spent several years working on web development courses. In February 2019, I launched a YouTube channel where I post educational content about JavaScript and related technologies, such as Angular, React, and the like.
Do I understand correctly that you no longer do commercial development, and you’ve devoted yourself entirely to education?
Yes, that’s right. Before making that move, I worked in several companies, coded in a few different languages, and even worked as a full-stack developer for some time. 4 years ago I became interested in education, and I have been doing that since then.
Do you remember what attracted you to work in the area of education?
At one of my jobs, my team and I needed to learn Angular quickly. I mastered it first and started giving internal courses for the rest of the team. Then I realized that I was good at teaching, and that I enjoyed it.
My manager noticed my success in teaching Angular and gave me a group of students who were training to be junior developers. I taught them React and JavaScript basics. A little bit later, I took part in a contest on an online educational platform, where the competition task was to create a new course for that platform. I won that contest, and for me that was the final confirmation that I should go into teaching.
What platforms do you work with now?
When I started, all the courses I worked on were in collaboration with various partners. You can find some of those courses on Udemy. Last year, I completely took everything into my own hands – I launched my YouTube channel, and also my own platform for those who want to become even more advanced.
Where do you get inspiration for videos on your YouTube channel?
First of all, I rely on my intuition. I think about topics I’d like to learn more about. Also, I regularly check comments on YouTube and listen to feedback from my subscribers. For example, I was once asked to make a video about Deno. I was reluctant at first, but when I looked further into it I realized that it was an important topic, and that it was worthy of a separate video.
Most web development videos and courses are recorded using VS Code, but you mostly use WebStorm. Why?
The process of video recording has its own peculiarities. Most teachers use free products to be closer to their audience, simply because anyone can get access to a free product. I sometimes use VS Code too, usually in cases when I think it will be easier for my audience to understand.
I like WebStorm better, both visually and in terms of features, and that’s why I mostly use it to record my videos and courses. I like it, and I also want my audience to know that I like it and to try it if they can.
What exactly do you like about using WebStorm?
Above all, I like the out-of-the-box experience it gives me. With WebStorm, I can be sure that even if I have to install it on a new computer, everything will work right away, without having to install any extensions. It’s great that it just works, without you having to deal with any unnecessary distractions.
I also like how many features are hardcoded inside WebStorm. Quite often, it’s something minor. For example, when I paste HTML code into a .jsx file in React, WebStorm automatically changes class to className. I know it’s just a minor detail, but I like it. Maybe there’s an extension for that in VS Code, but I’d need to find it and install it. And check that it works. WebStorm does all that for you, and that’s great.
Also, WebStorm is more reliable. For example, I often end up in a situation when I need to refactor a project. For example, when I need to change the names of folders or files. When I do this in WebStorm, I’m almost 100% sure that it will do it. With VS Code, I wouldn’t be so sure.
Is WebStorm your first JetBrains product?
No, my journey started with IntelliJ IDEA. The first time I tried it was at university, when I needed to write an application in Java. Back then, I wasn’t really interested in any advanced features of IntelliJ IDEA, I just wrote code in it.
Then I started working in a startup and decided to try Sublime Text. When my more experienced colleague found out about that, he started showing me how cool it was to work in IntelliJ IDEA. So, this is how I gradually got used to JetBrains products.
And the last question: what are your favorite WebStorm features?
First of all, Git integration. In WebStorm, you can do the vast majority of tasks with Git, and, more importantly, you can do them easily.
I like the general ease of use, although that’s not really a feature. I’m talking about how WebStorm automatically finds linters and webpack for me, and a lot of other things.
I also actively use Live Templates and have some custom ones. And I’d say that my favorite feature of all is when I write .log and press Tab and WebStorm adds the rest for me.
We’d like to thank Vladilen for taking part in this Q&A.
If you use WebStorm and would like to share your experience with us, please let us know by leaving a comment below or contacting us.
The WebStorm team
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