How to Get People Excited about Functional Programming
summary
Argues functional programming wins when it reduces side effects and makes core logic as testable as math functions, and recommends learning by building: build a Lisp in Python or implement tiny interpreters (author built one in Fortran). Cites real-world evidence: a bank runs a Clojure monoculture with 100 million customers and libraries like Pedestal are ~10,000 lines of Clojure. Advises incremental adoption—move testable pieces first, don’t promise magical instant change.
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chapters (11)
- 0:00Intro
- 0:53How Russ got started with functional programming
- 5:55Russ' new book
- 11:05Clojure
- 14:46Q&A
- 24:15Misconceptions about functional programming
- 28:25To the Moon
- 34:20Q&A
- 37:34Mechanical vs Software Engineering
- 38:23Agile & TDD
- 40:28Outro
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