Interview with Philip Dren – Technology, Trends, and the Future of Web and eCommerce

Which technology trends have had the biggest impact in 2024?

It’s hard not to mention AI these days. In 2024, AI has continued to make significant progress. Our top headless hosting provider, Vercel, launched V0, a tool that creates graphical interfaces in Next.js and React using generative AI. The development environment VSCode faced competition from Cursor, which we’ve implemented for our entire development team to increase productivity and write safer, more optimized code with AI assistance.

Moreover, new AI models continue to emerge. Technologies that have particularly stood out to me include Cursor, an AI-driven programming environment, combined with Claude Sonnet 3.5, an advanced AI model excelling in handling complex conversations and generating natural, context-aware responses quickly and effectively. These have created significant buzz in the industry over the past six months and have made a huge difference for developers, improving code quality and productivity in daily workflows.

How do you think AI and machine learning will evolve next year?

AI will likely become more autonomous, delivering even more complete solutions. We’re seeing a trend towards AI systems not just supporting but driving and coordinating development in entirely new ways. I also think more of our clients will start using AI models in their eCommerce solutions, such as smarter product recommendations and related content through Algolia. For Shopify retailers, I believe Sidekick, Shopify’s eCommerce AI assistant, will take significant steps forward next year.

What do you see as the next major step in web development?

I believe headless solutions are becoming the new standard in web development, even for smaller projects. WordPress faces increasing competition, both because headless technologies are becoming more accessible and due to ongoing conflicts between Automattic and WP Engine. By choosing a headless architecture, developers and businesses can avoid being locked into a specific platform, offering greater freedom and flexibility in their projects.

Which new programming languages or frameworks do you think will gain traction in 2025?

We might not see entirely new technologies gaining traction as early as 2025, given how much has already happened recently. Next.js will likely remain a strong framework in frontend development, with new features and improved support for server components. At Intervaro, Next.js is a natural choice for many projects, although we still work with monolithic solutions like WordPress and Shopify for certain cases.

What technologies do you recommend businesses invest in to stay competitive?

For eCommerce, we recommend businesses invest in headless and Shopify to stay competitive. However, as we are platform-independent, I’d also highlight Centra, Norce, and Commercetools. By using a headless architecture alongside a high-performance eCommerce system like Shopify, businesses can enjoy the value of increased flexibility, enabling tailored user experiences and a shorter time-to-market.

Headless solutions, or composable solutions, also allow for seamless integration with other systems, helping businesses stay agile and adapt to customer demands, market changes, trends, and new technologies.

For non-eCommerce websites, headless is also preferred for sustainable competitiveness. We often recommend Payload CMS or Contentful for headless sites.

How can businesses effectively implement new technologies without disrupting existing operations?

We typically recommend a gradual approach, starting with implementing new technology in a smaller part of the business. By testing on a small scale, issues can be identified and resolved before rolling out the solution more broadly. This method keeps costs and risks low while giving the business time and space to adapt to the new technology.

We follow our thoroughly developed methodology, IO Way, which step by step drives change and creates value for the clients we work with.

What do you think will be the most transformative technology in the next five years?

AI will undoubtedly continue to evolve and impact more areas. I think we’re only at the beginning of what AI can achieve. Advanced language models and AI-driven tools will automate and simplify complex processes, from development to decision-making. The combination of AI with technologies like AR and VR could also create entirely new ways of interacting with technology, potentially changing how we work and live.

Which technology or trend are you personally most excited about for 2025?

I’m particularly excited about Payload 3.0, which offers direct integration with Next.js. This solution has the potential to solve many of the challenges we’ve encountered when building headless solutions at Intervaro. We believe this could be a decisive step towards making headless more common in the industry. With Payload 3.0, developers can easily create tailored and efficient applications, streamlining and accelerating development processes, allowing more people to enjoy the benefits of headless.

Lastly, which channels and resources would you recommend to Intervaro’s followers?

Apart from running, web technology is my greatest passion, and I’m always eager to learn. I keep up with most developments in Next.js, Shopify, and headless technologies in general. My top recommendations include the YouTube channel Fireship for quick overviews of new technologies, the channel Theo - t3․gg for more in-depth explorations, and the weekly newsletter NEXT.JS Weekly to stay updated on the latest in Next.js and React.