In this episode of Databased, James Cowling and Tom Redman, are joined by Sujay Jayakar, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Convex, to walk through the intricacies of asynchronous technologies and the ”local-first” approach in application design. Together, they discuss the evolution of synchronization in distributed systems, highlighting the challenges of maintaining data consistency and the importance of user experience. Sujay also touches on the significance of understanding user intent when designing applications, ensuring that operations are seamless and efficient. The trio also share insights into how prioritizing local data access can enhance performance and redefine interactions with technology. Key Topics Discussed: - Prioritizing local data access to enhance user experience and ensure seamless functionality, even offline. - The complexities of maintaining data consistency across distributed systems and the implications for application performance. - The need for applications to be responsive and intuitive, focusing on user intent and interaction design. - The historical context of synchronization methods and their impact on modern application development practices. - The various methods for reconciling data conflicts in distributed systems, ensuring reliability and accuracy. - Techniques for reducing latency and improving application responsiveness through effective data management. - How local-first principles can shape the next generation of applications and user interactions with technology.