Elixir Mentor Brian Cardarella on Elixir Adoption
Jun 7, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Brian Cardarella, CEO of DockYard, shares his expertise on Elixir adoption. He highlights the shifting landscape of tech communities and the challenges newcomers face, particularly with OTP. Brian dives into the role of AI in programming choices, and explores the economic realities affecting tech firms. He also offers practical strategies for overcoming resistance to adopting Elixir, while tackling community engagement and the importance of innovative documentation. Get ready for invaluable insights tailored for developers and tech leaders alike!
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Hidden Elixir User Base
- The visible active Elixir community is a small fraction of the total users who code in Elixir day-to-day without engaging publicly.
- This hidden base means adoption isn't as small as perceived from conferences or social media alone.
OTP Learning Curve Limits Adoption
- Newcomers to Elixir often find OTP challenging despite its power in enabling scalability and concurrency.
- Lack of OTP understanding causes users to miss Elixir's performance advantages and leads to negative adoption experiences.
Speak Beyond Elixir Conferences
- Pursue speaking at non-Elixir specific tech conferences to reach diverse, larger audiences.
- Also consider getting involved with outreach programs incentivizing Elixir talks outside the core community.