Avindra Fernando
Principal Architect | Fractional CTO | AI-Driven Development & Modernization | Conference Speaker
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
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Avindra Fernando is a software consultant with over 13 years of experience helping teams build scalable, modern web applications. In 2021, he founded Taprobane Consulting to guide clients through architectural decisions, migrations to newer tech stacks, and the implementation of robust AI-powered development and testing strategies that ensure quality and performance.
He actively mentors engineering teams, leads workshops, and delivers hands-on training. As a regular speaker at tech conferences, Avindra shares practical lessons on concepts and technologies such as Software Architecture, AI-driven development, React, Next.js, E2E Testing, and TypeScript. He leverages his experience to shape future technology direction and accelerate the growth of companies across industries.
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The Hidden Struggles of React Server Components
Why do React Server Components (RSCs) feel so difficult to work with? They are the future of React apps, but many developers find them challenging to adopt.
In the recent State of React survey, developers listed RSCs as the number one pain point. I have faced many of these struggles myself. State management is confusing, unnecessary fetch calls slow things down, and client-server waterfalls create performance issues. The learning curve is steep, and managing error boundaries can make debugging harder than expected. Thankfully, there are ways to overcome these challenges and make RSCs easier to use.
Join me in this session as we break down these challenges and explore ways to avoid them. You will leave with a better understanding of RSCs and how to use them effectively in your React applications.
The Future of Code Reviews: Will Humans Still Be Needed?
What if AI reviewed your pull requests before a human ever looked at them? Today AI agents can scan diffs, suggest fixes, and catch bugs in seconds. So what does that mean for human code reviews?
Tools like CodeRabbit, Copilot, and Qodo AI are already helping teams review code faster. AI can point out issues, suggest improvements, and flag risky changes. But good software is not just about catching bugs. Context, architecture decisions, and long-term maintainability still require human judgment.
In this session we’ll explore how AI and human reviewers can work together in modern development workflows. You’ll learn where AI can speed things up, where humans still matter most, and how teams can rethink the review process going forward.
Playbook-Based E2E Testing with Playwright CLI and AI Agents
End-to-end tests are powerful, but they’re slow to write and easy to drift. We translate requirements into test code by hand, and over time the intent gets lost. What if behavior could be described in plain language and turned into reliable E2E coverage through a repeatable playbook?
As an architect working across teams, I’ve been building structured playbooks that AI agents run through the Playwright CLI. These playbooks take requirements, designs, or existing code and generate natural language-based E2E scenarios tied to real user flows. The key isn’t automation. It’s structure. The playbook defines how context is gathered, how scenarios are created, and how results are validated so the system stays predictable.
Join me to see how this works in practice. I’ll walk through the playbook design, the tradeoffs, and where AI helps versus where human judgment still matters. You’ll leave with a practical approach to adding AI-driven E2E testing without losing control of your test suite.
Coding Isn’t the Bottleneck. Validation Is.
AI can generate code in seconds. We can create features, tests, and pull requests faster than ever. But if code is now easy to produce, what is the real bottleneck?
Many teams are generating more code than ever with tools like Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, and other AI agents. The hard part is no longer writing the code. The hard part is knowing if the code is actually good. Is it secure, performant, and maintainable? Does it fit the architecture of the system? AI can generate a lot of output, but without the right context and validation it can also introduce risk.
In this session we’ll look at how teams can shift their focus from generation to validation. We’ll talk about testing, good architecture, and simple validation patterns teams can use today. You’ll leave with practical ideas for making sure the code we generate is actually ready for production.
Building the AI-first Developer Stack
Developers are feeling the friction. AI can help us write code faster, but many team workflows still haven’t caught up. Some teams are still copying and pasting. Some are still jumping between tools. And even with better agents and coding assistants, speed can still show up as messy PRs and code that doesn’t quite fit the system.
I wanted something better. I’ve been building and refining an AI-first way of working where tools understand the codebase, follow constraints, and handle repeatable tasks across the development process. As an architect, this has helped me deliver features faster and reduce context switching without sacrificing standards. I spend less time writing every line and more time guiding the tools with clear instructions and validation. That’s what keeps the architecture steady while still moving faster.
Join me to see what this looks like in real projects. I’ll share what worked, what didn’t, and the small changes that made the biggest difference. You’ll leave with practical steps to improve your workflow, guide AI with intention, and move faster without creating long-term problems.
Beyond Prompting: How Skills and Playbooks Guide AI Agents
Using AI without guidelines can feel like walking in the dark. One prompt works well. The next one fails in unexpected ways. Token usage can also become unpredictable. Some days it is cheap. Other days the cost jumps quickly. As AI agents start working directly in our codebases, how do we give them better context and structure?
Most teams still rely only on prompts. But agents can do much more when we give them structure. Tools like Claude Code, OpenCode, Factory, and other coding agents support patterns like skills.md files and playbooks. A skills file teaches an agent how to work in your repository. It can define things like architecture, coding conventions, and testing approaches. Playbooks then turn those skills into repeatable workflows for tasks like building features, reviewing pull requests, or writing tests. This approach helps agents follow the same patterns every time and can even reduce token usage.
In this session we’ll explore how skills and playbooks bring structure to AI agents. I’ll show how teams can design skills, structure playbooks, and guide agents so they work more predictably in a codebase. You’ll leave with practical ideas for guiding AI agents in your own codebase.
Building Better Tests: Lessons from Real World E2E Testing
Many companies use end-to-end testing to release high-quality software and stay competitive. With tools like Playwright and Cypress, testing web applications has become easier and more enjoyable.
As a software consultant, I have faced challenges that can make or break an E2E testing strategy. Slow tests caused by time-based waits, flaky failures due to async behavior, and brittle tests from unreliable selectors were just a few. Through experience, I have learned how to overcome these issues and help my clients build tests that are faster, more stable, and maintainable.
In this session, I will share real-world lessons and simple techniques to avoid common testing pitfalls. You will walk away with practical strategies to write reliable tests and improve the overall quality of your applications.
Testing UI Components: Common Testing Library Pitfalls
Many front end development teams have adopted libraries and frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, or Svelte to remain competitive in today’s market. The UI components that the above mentioned technologies let us create are perfect candidates for unit and integration testing. The "Testing Library" provides a great testing toolkit, which helps simulate how the user interacts with your application.
Over the years, after working with Testing Library, there are common pitfalls that I have come across. Recognizing and fixing these mistakes taught me how to write robust and reliable tests that vastly improved the quality of my applications.
In this session, let's discuss best practices that I found useful to write tests for your UI components.
The XR Takeover: Is the Web Browser Era Ending?
In our fast-changing world, Extended Reality (XR) is becoming the next big thing. It’s like stepping into a new kind of world where things are more than they seem. We’re already seeing XR in many areas, such as gaming, shopping, and even software development.
But what if XR could change the way we use the internet? Today, we use web browsers to build software, shop, and search for information. Now imagine stepping into a 3D world where you don’t just look at content, but interact with it. Devices like smart glasses and XR headsets are already showing us what’s possible. They offer experiences that go beyond what traditional browsers can do.
So, what can you expect from this talk? We’ll look at how XR might reshape how we use the internet. Will XR replace web browsers, or will they work together? Let’s explore these questions and see where XR is headed.
Smarter Testing: Leveraging AI in E2E Journeys
Today, using AI in your end-to-end (E2E) tests is more important than ever. Web apps are getting more complex, and users expect them to work perfectly. Traditional testing methods are not fast or accurate enough anymore. By adding AI to E2E testing, we can find and fix problems faster to keep us ahead in the market.
Incorporating AI with popular testing tools like Cypress and Playwright can significantly enhance the efficiency of E2E testing. AI's capability to generate test cases based on actual user interactions ensures that our testing is not only thorough but also aligned with real-world scenarios. This talk will dive into concrete ways AI can augment these tools, elevating their functionality.
Join me to explore the transformative impact of AI in your E2E testing process. You will learn strategies to leverage AI, improving your testing framework, and consequently, the quality of your web applications.
Revolutionize Your Backend: Mastering Server Actions with Next.js and React
In the world of web development, React and Next.js are really shaking things up, challenging traditional backend languages with their innovative approach. From my own experience, the addition of server actions in Next.js has been a game-changer in how we interact with the backend.
Server actions in Next.js open up new possibilities for developers to directly consume data from databases or endpoints. This simplifies the process of fetching and managing data, making things more accessible and less time-consuming. By integrating server actions, developers can directly interact with their data sources within the Next.js framework, bypassing the need for separate backend code.
After this session, you will walk out with the knowledge and skills needed to integrate the power of server actions into your Next.js application.
React and Next.js: Building Future-Ready Web Applications
Join us for a half-day workshop dedicated to exploring the essentials of Next.js. This 4-hour session is designed to provide a solid understanding of Next.js for developers. We'll start with the basics of the framework, covering key concepts such as the app router and different rendering methods like server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG). A special focus will be given to React Server Components (RSC), discussing their role and advantages in building modern web applications.
As we progress, the workshop will also include practical aspects of routing, data fetching, and strategies for optimizing your Next.js applications. The session concludes with a hands-on deployment experience using Vercel, where participants will apply what they've learned to deploy a functional Next.js application. This workshop is ideal for those looking to gain a comprehensive yet concise understanding of Next.js in a collaborative and hands-on environment.
The Future of React Applications: Journey Towards Next.js
Companies who build web applications are constantly looking for ways to deliver value to their customers. In today’s market it is very important for these web applications to be performant, deliver an excellent user experience, and have great discovery through SEO to remain competitive.
Many development teams have adopted React as a solution to build these applications, as it has remained a very popular solution throughout recent years. However, since most of these apps are being rendered on the client side, we have started to experience several challenges.
What if there are better ways to improve performance and user experience along with great developer experience? Thankfully with concepts like server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and incremental static regeneration (ISR) it is now possible to address the above-mentioned challenges. Today, frameworks like Next.js have been able to revolutionize the way we build React applications.
Come join me in discussing where we are headed with the future of React applications and how Next.js can help us get there.
10 Ways to Write Clean TypeScript Code
As a superset of JavaScript, TypeScript continues to deliver better tooling at scale that the JavaScript developer had hoped for years. However, if written poorly, one can end up with codebases that are not readable or maintainable.
Over the years, after working with TypeScript, there are many things that I have learned the hard way. TypeScript and its ecosystem is fast changing. When you think you have grasped a concept in TypeScript, it loves to throw another curveball at you.
In this talk, let's discuss 10 ways that I found useful to write clean TypeScript code. These guidelines will help you keep the clutter away, and write maintainable TypeScript code.
From Create React App to Next.js
In recent years, React has become a widely adopted solution used by many development teams to build their web applications. Developers mostly use Create React App (CRA) to get started with React as it offers a modern build setup with no configuration.
Despite the benefits of CRA, we are now starting to experience performance issues and poor SEO in production. Thankfully with the Next.js framework, which leverages concepts like server-side rendering (SSR) it is now possible to address the above-mentioned challenges.
Come join me on a step by step journey, where we migrate our existing React app built with CRA to Next.js. After this session, you will be equipped to transform your codebase into a Next.js application.
10 Ways to Write Clean JavaScript Code
Written in just 10 days, JavaScript continues to be very successful in modern software development. The flexibility of JavaScript empowered rapid innovation in software. But, this flexibility comes at a cost of readable, maintainable, and scalable JavaScript code.
Over the years, after working with JavaScript, there are many things that I have learned the hard way. JavaScript and its ecosystem is fast changing. When you think you have grasped a concept in JavaScript, it loves to throw another curveball at you.
In this talk, let's discuss 10 ways that I found useful to write clean JavaScript code. These guidelines will help you keep the clutter away, and write maintainable JavaScript code.
Service Workers: Transforming your Angular Application into a Progressive Web Application
What if we could build a web application which auto-magically works across various devices and platforms? Thanks to Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), this dream has now come true. PWAs use modern web capabilities to provide a user experience similar to that of mobile applications.
PWAs make use of Web App Manifest files and Service Workers, to make the magic happen.
A Service Worker is a standalone JavaScript program that can handle background/network tasks for your web application. Service Workers enable us to have total control over the outgoing and incoming network requests as well as the browser cache. Many browsers have now added support to run Service Workers.
I have some great news for all of you. Angular 5+ has added built-in support for Service Workers into the framework. In this talk, we will dive into exploring the transformation of a simple Angular application into a Progressive Web Application using Service Workers.
Tags - pwa, service worker, angular, angular5, javascript, typescript
Testing your React Components
When our clients give us kudos for releasing high quality applications, it makes us happy. To achieve great levels of quality, we need to thoroughly test our applications. But we know that some forms of testing can be expensive and tedious at times. Unit and integration tests help overcome some of the testing challenges companies are facing today. We’ve all heard that these types of tests help reduce bugs in new features. While reduced bugs are a great benefit, the main goal of unit and integration testing is to drive better design.
As reusable units, React components are perfect candidates for unit and integration testing. React Testing Library provides a great testing toolkit. It helps simulate how the user interacts with your application.
In this session, we will explore how you can leverage the React Testing Library and Jest to test React components. By the end of this session, you will be better equipped to test your React components and improve the quality of your application.
Service Workers: Transforming your App into a Progressive Web Application
What if we could build a web application which auto-magically works across various devices and platforms? Thanks to Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), this dream has now come true. PWAs use modern web capabilities to provide a user experience similar to that of mobile applications.
PWAs make use of Web App Manifest files and Service Workers, to make the magic happen. A Service Worker is a standalone JavaScript program that can handle background/network tasks for your web application. Service Workers enable us to have total control over the outgoing and incoming network requests as well as the browser cache.
I have some great news for all of you. Many browsers and modern JavaScript frameworks (React, Angular, Vue) have built-in support for Service Workers. In this talk, we will dive into exploring the transformation of a simple web application into a PWA using Service Workers.
Think Global: A Guide to High Performing Global Development Teams
We live in a world where our colleagues may not sit next to us, or be in the same city, or even in the same country. A diverse workforce with varied perspectives, help companies to remain competitive today.
But, geographically dispersed teams also come with a set of challenges. Managing development teams is a hard enough task even when the teams are co-located. When the team members come from different parts of the world, it makes it even harder. Communication may deteriorate, misunderstandings may occur, teams may stop trusting each other.
Over the years, I have worked with several global development teams. We have experienced many challenges during our interactions and have figured out ways to overcome them.
In this talk, I would like to share various approaches that I have used in my career to build great relationships with global colleagues. This session will enable you to be a part of a high performing team irrespective of the geographical and cultural differences.
Testing your UI Components
When our clients give us kudos for releasing high quality applications, it makes us happy. To achieve great levels of quality, we need to thoroughly test our applications. But we know that some forms of testing can be expensive and tedious at times. Unit and integration tests help overcome some of the testing challenges companies are facing today. We’ve all heard that these types of tests help reduce bugs in new features. While reduced bugs are a great benefit, the main goal of unit and integration testing is to drive better design.
As reusable units, React, Vue, or Angular components are perfect candidates for unit and integration testing. The "Testing Library" provides a great testing toolkit, which helps simulate how the user interacts with your application.
In this session, we will explore how you can leverage the Testing Library and Jest to test React, Vue, or Angular components. By the end of this session, you will be better equipped to test your UI components and improve the quality of your application.
End to End Testing With Cypress
Lots of companies are investing in end to end testing to release high quality software and remain competitive in today’s market. But, end to end testing also come with a set of challenges that we have to overcome. Setting up, writing, running, and debugging these tests could be challenging and tedious. Now with Cypress, end to end testing has become very intuitive and a whole lot of fun.
Cypress is a blazing fast testing library that integrates well with your favorite front end frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular. With Cypress, you do not need to install various other tools and libraries to write and run your end to end tests. Since Cypress tests are so easy to work with, developers as well as QA engineers will enjoy it a lot.
In this session, we will explore Cypress and look at how you can integrate it with your web application. This end to end testing experience will enable you to release high quality software to your clients.
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Avindra Fernando
Principal Architect | Fractional CTO | AI-Driven Development & Modernization | Conference Speaker
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
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