> Canonical URL: https://codingcat.dev/podcast/1-37-building-better-authentication-with-clerk

# Building Better Authentication with Clerk

🎧 Podcast Episode · S1E37September 22, 2021[#Security](/topic/security)[![](/logos/firebase/firebase-symbol.png)![](/logos/firebase/firebase-symbol.png)Firebase](/topic/firebase)[![](/logos/tags/clerk-symbol-light.svg)![](/logos/tags/clerk-symbol-dark.svg)Clerk](/topic/clerk)[![](/logos/tags/astro-symbol-light.svg)![](/logos/tags/astro-symbol-dark.svg)Astro](/topic/astro)[![](/logos/tags/nextjs-symbol-light.svg)![](/logos/tags/nextjs-symbol-dark.svg)Next.js](/topic/nextjs)

# Building Better Authentication with Clerk

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/media-libraries/mlttp0BZbCpV/images/212028e3fef8f64e9471806d7d26d0999a93063e-1920x1080.png?w=1920&h=1080&q=82&fit=max&auto=format)[@CodingCatDev62.5K / 100K Subscribers Goal](https://www.youtube.com/@codingcatdev?sub_confirmation=1)[Subscribe on YouTube→](https://www.youtube.com/@codingcatdev?sub_confirmation=1)[Watch on YouTube App ↗](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&list=UUnKZ8gEb78zXKMi1ns-IQ2g)[![Alex Patterson](https://cdn.sanity.io/media-libraries/mlttp0BZbCpV/images/a606dfaa381aab08ddbe16a33fe1d3e1fb37c927-400x400.jpg?w=96&h=96&q=82&fit=max&auto=format)Alex Patterson](/author/alex-patterson)[![Brittney Postma](https://cdn.sanity.io/media-libraries/mlttp0BZbCpV/images/f25e504779cb6ebb7c0dd7df367f2c7490e17784-735x735.png?w=96&h=96&q=82&fit=max&auto=format)Brittney Postma](/author/brittney-postma)[![Braden Sidoti](https://cdn.sanity.io/media-libraries/mlttp0BZbCpV/images/258b1dfc015aa7a9de3c8884f7f581706d8f4825-800x800.jpg?w=96&h=96&q=82&fit=max&auto=format)Braden Sidoti](/guest/braden-sidoti)🎧 Listen & Subscribe[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5k2mZj2NjvWsfoA1zxDeUP)[Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-37-building-better-authentication-with-clerk/id1491655542?i=1000536297717)[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&list=PLUKgAjyG9B0ZhUEXp9eVa7h4L__FDW3uV)[Subscribe on YouTube (62.5K / 100K) →](https://www.youtube.com/@codingcatdev?sub_confirmation=1)[Pocket Casts](https://pca.st/episode/ce3845c0-e6f3-4634-81b2-a3177b59cf76)[Castbox](https://castbox.fm/episode/id2508485-id425780812)[Castro](https://castro.fm/episode/3aJjXt)[Overcast](https://overcast.fm/itunes1491655542)[RSS](https://anchor.fm/s/115b203c/podcast/rss)

**Building Better Authentication with Clerk ** is a CodingCat.dev podcast episode featuring Braden Sidoti alongside Alex Patterson and Brittney Postma focused on Clerk, Security, Firebase. In this episode we sit down with Braden Sidoti Co-Founder of Clerk. Clerk is the next-gen authentication and user management platform for developers. 1.37 - Building Better Authentication with Clerk: https://codingcat.dev/podcast/1-37-building-better-authentication-with-clerk 0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Braden Sidoti background
3:40 - Co-founding with your brother
5:00 - Web based
6:00 - Frameworks to you can use with Clerk.dev
7:45 - User Management
10:00 - Drop in options
12:45 - Connections with Fir Watch the full video breakdown on [**YouTube**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM) or explore the architectural notes, chapters, and official documentation links below.

## Questions

- Why did you start building Clerk?I noticed your other co-founder is also Sidoti, any relation?

- [Clerk just raised 4M in the seed round to build the next-gen authentication and user management platform for developers.](https://clerk.dev/blog/clerk-raises-for-next-gen-auth)Does it feel like this allows you to stay more focused on the product?

- Does Clerk compete with Firebase and Auth0 for user authentication or can you use it in conjunction?[https://docs.clerk.dev/frontend/integrations/firebase](https://docs.clerk.dev/frontend/integrations/firebase)
- [https://docs.clerk.dev/frontend/integrations/hasura](https://docs.clerk.dev/frontend/integrations/hasura)

- Does Clerk do Authorization and Authentication?What does Clerk do differently with User Management?

- Support for frameworks other than React? (Node SDK / Serverless)

## Links

- [Clerk Careers](https://apply.workable.com/clerk-dev/)
- [Clerk with Firebase from James Perkins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcXvZ-nPXXQ)
- [Bubble - No code integration](https://bubble.io/)

## Technical Overview: Building Better Authentication with Clerk

1.37 - Building Better Authentication with Clerk: https://codingcat.dev/podcast/1-37-building-better-authentication-with-clerk 0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Braden Sidoti background
3:40 - Co-founding with your brother
5:00 - Web based
6:00 - Frameworks to you can use with Clerk.dev
7:45 - User Management
10:00 - Drop in options
12:45 - Connections with Fir

When applying the concepts from **Building Better Authentication with Clerk**  in a production codebase, teams working with Clerk, Security, Firebase, Astro should align their implementation with the [**Clerk Authentication Documentation**](https://clerk.com/docs) (Drop-in user management, passkeys, and multi-tenant organizations). Structuring your workflow around repeatable patterns, automated verification, and clear separation of concerns helps prevent regressions as your application scales.

### Key Engineering Takeaways

- **Core Topic Focus: ** Practical strategies for Clerk, Security, Firebase, Astro covered in "Building Better Authentication with Clerk" (In this episode we sit down with Braden Sidoti Co-Founder of Clerk. Clerk is the next-gen authentication and user management platform for developers.).
- **Production Implementation: ** Combine the architectural patterns demonstrated in this podcast with the official [Clerk Authentication Documentation](https://clerk.com/docs) for type safety, performance, and long-term maintainability.
- **Hands-On Video Walkthrough: ** Follow along with the live coding demos and discussion on [YouTube (Building Better Authentication with Clerk)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM) and subscribe to [CodingCat.dev on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@CodingCatDev?sub_confirmation=1) for weekly deep dives.

## Video Chapters & Timestamps

Jump directly to any segment of [**Building Better Authentication with Clerk**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM) on YouTube using the timestamped chapters below:

- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Intro
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Braden Sidoti background
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Co-founding with your brother
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Web based
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Frameworks to you can use with Clerk.dev
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): User Management
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Drop in options
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Connections with Firebase
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Future of Clerk
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Role Authentication
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): RBAC
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Seed funding
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Low/No code
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Brittney got hired!
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Purrfect Picks
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Braden - Dr. Death - https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/dr-death?cid=2107originalsdrdepkpdsearch4656
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Brittney - Astro - https://astro.build/
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Alex - Firebase JS v9
- [**00:00**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM&t=0s): Alex - Marvel's What If

## Resources, Links & Official Documentation

- **Watch on YouTube: ** [Building Better Authentication with Clerk Full Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM) (plus [Subscribe to CodingCat.dev](https://www.youtube.com/@CodingCatDev?sub_confirmation=1))
- **:20 - Braden - Dr. Death: ** [https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/dr-death?cid=2107originalsdrdepkpdsearch4656](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/dr-death?cid=2107originalsdrdepkpdsearch4656)
- **:00 -Brittney - Astro: ** [https://astro.build/](https://astro.build/)
- **Show Pick: ** [Firebase JS v9 (picked by Alex Patterson)](https://firebase.googleblog.com/2021/08/the-new-firebase-js-sdk-now-ga.html)
- **Show Pick: ** [Marvel's What If (picked by Alex Patterson)](https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/what-if#:~:text="What If…%3F" flips,stars who reprise their roles.)
- **Show Pick: ** [Astro (picked by Brittney Postma)](https://astro.build/)
- **Show Pick: ** [Dr. Death (picked by Braden Sidoti)](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/dr-death?cid=2107originalsdrdepkpdsearch4656)
- [**Braden Sidoti Guest Profile & Episodes on CodingCat.dev**](/guest/braden-sidoti)
- [**Clerk Authentication Documentation:**](https://clerk.com/docs) Drop-in user management, passkeys, and multi-tenant organizations
- [**OWASP Top 10 & Application Security Guides:**](https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/) Vulnerability mitigation, authentication hardening, and CVE defense
- [**Firebase Documentation:**](https://firebase.google.com/docs) Firestore, Data Connect, Authentication, App Check, and Cloud Functions

## Related CodingCat.dev Tutorials & Podcast Episodes

- [**Live Coding Clerk, into Next.js with James Perkins**](/podcast/cwcc-0-9-clerk-with-appwrite): James walks Alex through how to use Clerk in Next.js
- [**Authentication made easy: Building a secure e-commerce shopping cart with Firebase: Web Architecture & Implementation Guide**](/post/firebase-2026-09-secure-shopping-cart-firebase): Hands-on web engineering breakdown of "Authentication made easy: Building a secure e-commerce shopping cart with Firebase" (2026-09-01). Learn how to integrate ...
- [**Eval-driven development: How we build better agent skills for Firebase: Web Architecture & Implementation Guide**](/post/firebase-2026-08-eval-driven-development-agent-skills): Hands-on web engineering breakdown of "Eval-driven development: How we build better agent skills for Firebase" (2026-08-11). Learn how to integrate Firebase, Go...

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

### What are the main takeaways from Building Better Authentication with Clerk?

In this episode we sit down with Braden Sidoti Co-Founder of Clerk. Clerk is the next-gen authentication and user management platform for developers. 1.37 - Building Better Authentication with Clerk: https://codingcat.dev/podcast/1-37-building-better-authentication-with-clerk 0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Braden Sidoti background
3:40 - Co-founding with your brother
5:00 - Web based
6:00 - Frameworks to you can use with Clerk.dev
7:45 - User Management
10:00 - Drop in options
12:45 - Connections with Fir Throughout this podcast, Braden Sidoti breaks down real-world implementation details for Clerk, Security, Firebase so developers can apply these patterns directly in production.

### How do you implement Clerk best practices in production?

When adopting Clerk and Security in a production stack, start by validating your configuration against the [**Clerk Authentication Documentation**](https://clerk.com/docs) (Drop-in user management, passkeys, and multi-tenant organizations). Focus on incremental adoption, automated testing, and observability so your team can measure performance and developer velocity improvements at each stage.

### Where can I watch the full Building Better Authentication with Clerk walkthrough and find related code resources?

You can watch the complete video session for [**Building Better Authentication with Clerk**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBlnQfWVQM) on the [**CodingCat.dev YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@CodingCatDev?sub_confirmation=1). For a deeper dive into Clerk, check out our related guide: [**Live Coding Clerk, into Next.js with James Perkins**](/podcast/cwcc-0-9-clerk-with-appwrite).

## ✏️ Episode Summary

1.37 - Building Better Authentication with Clerk: https://codingcat.dev/podcast/1-37-building-better-authentication-with-clerk

0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Braden Sidoti background
3:40 - Co-founding with your brother
5:00 - Web based
6:00 - Frameworks to you can use with Clerk.dev
7:45 - User Management
10:00 - Drop in options
12:45 - Connections with Fir

✏️ Visual Architecture Diagram

## how this episode connects together.

Follow AJ from first principles to production-ready architecture.

Let’s build it!✏️ Visual Diagram: Building Better Authentication with Clerk✓ Good PatternVISUAL DIAGRAM[Diagram Walkthrough]Step-by-step diagram breakdown for Building Better Authentication with Clerk: start with Braden Sidoti, implement Architecture & Patterns, and ship to production.AAA Contrast Verified

## episode picks.

### 🐾 Alex Patterson

- [Firebase JS v9](https://firebase.googleblog.com/2021/08/the-new-firebase-js-sdk-now-ga.html)
- [Marvel's What If](https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/what-if#:~:text="What If…%3F" flips,stars who reprise their roles.)

### 🐾 Braden Sidoti

- [Dr. Death](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/dr-death?cid=2107originalsdrdepkpdsearch4656)

### 🐾 Brittney Postma

- [Astro](https://astro.build/)

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