Louis Pilfold, creator of Gleam, discusses the inspiration behind the functional programming language, its comparison to other languages, overwhelming GitHub sponsor support, plans for language server, and future developments. The podcast covers topics like transitioning to Rust for compiler rewriting, image optimization with Image Proxy, gaining corporate sponsors, and community support.
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Quick takeaways
Gleam emphasizes functional programming for type-safe systems, compiling to Erlang and JavaScript, and crafted in Rust.
Louis Pilfold transitioned to full-time Gleam work via GitHub sponsors, nurturing user-centric tools and experiences.
Gleam offers a cargo-like build tool for seamless dependency management and integration with Erlang and Elixir packages.
Gleam's evolution focuses on practical use cases, diverse integrations, and collaborative growth potential beyond existing languages.
Deep dives
Evolution of Gleam
Gleam programming language, created by Louis Pilfold, focuses on functional programming for building type-safe systems that compile to Erlang and JavaScript. The language emerged from a personal need for a middle ground in existing languages, drawing inspiration from various languages like Erlang, Elixir, Go, Rust, and more. Its development led to massive community interest and contributions, emphasizing a user-driven evolution and gradual robustness towards a stable version.
Sponsorism and Independence
Louis Pilfold transitioned to working full-time on Gleam thanks to community support via GitHub sponsors. This independence allowed him to focus on refining Gleam's ecosystem and tooling, ensuring a genuine user-centered approach and hands-on experience with the language, similar to how Haley Thompson's work with Luster empowered visibility beyond the creator.
Interactive Building With Gleam
Gleam provides a cargo-like build tool, streamlining processes like dependency management, testing, and compilation, akin to Rust's cargo build tool. The language integrates with existing Erlang and Elixir packages, enabling the gradual creation of native Gleam packages or complementary wrappers for external libraries, facilitating a diverse integration approach.
Potential and Comparison
Gleam's growth positions it as a pioneering entity in programming language development, offering opportunities for users to innovate within the ecosystem. While initial comparisons revolved around other languages like Erlang and Elixir, the maturation of Gleam now focuses on practical applications, potential user implementations, and adaptability beyond established languages like TypeScript, showcasing its evolution and tangible utility.
User-Centric Opportunities
Gleam presents a spectrum of opportunities for users to contribute, ranging from developing, wrapping, or porting external libraries to crafting streamlined APIs for improved integration. By utilizing Gleam's versatile and type-safe environment, developers can leverage existing packages while honing Gleam's capabilities, fostering collaborative growth and expanding utility within the community.
Building a Strong Community and Collaboration for Sponsorship Success
The podcast episode delves into the strategies and elements that contributed to successfully securing sponsors for the project. The key focus is on building a robust community alongside technical advancement. The guest emphasizes the importance of fostering a supportive and engaging environment for users, combining it with a well-crafted technology base. The discussion highlights the symbiotic relationship between community engagement and financial support, showcasing how both are essential for sustained project growth and success.
Embracing Sponsorship as a Path to Sustainable Growth and Future Plans
The episode explores sponsorship as a driving force behind sustaining and expanding the project. By securing a major sponsor and utilizing platforms like GitHub sponsors, the project gained vital support to facilitate full-time dedication. The guest emphasizes exploring corporate sponsorships as a means to ensure continued success and growth. Additionally, the podcast touches on plans for diversifying revenue streams through merchandise and premium educational content, aiming to enhance financial stability and further community engagement.
This week we’re joined by Louis Pilfold, the creator of the Gleam programming language. For the uninitiated, Gleam is a functional programming language for building type-safe systems that compiles to Erlang and JavaScript and it’s written in Rust. We discuss the inspiration and development of Gleam, how it compares to other languages, where it shines, the overwhelming amount of support Louis is getting through GitHub sponsors, what’s next for Gleam and their near-term plans for a language server.
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Sponsors:
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