In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Daniil Popov to discuss CyanView, a system that brings Phoenix LiveView to embedded devices for professional video production. We examine the challenges of creating unified camera control systems that work across 27+ different protocols from manufacturers like Sony, Canon, and RED.
Daniil shares how CyanView enables real-time camera shading for major broadcast events including the Olympics, Super Bowl, and Le Mans races. We discuss the technical implementation of LiveView on resource-constrained 32-bit ARM processors, managing distributed systems with MQTT, and solving complex problems like socket reconnection and performance optimization on embedded devices.
Our conversation covers the unique advantages of using Elixir for embedded systems, from binary pattern matching for protocol reverse engineering to supervision trees for fault tolerance. Daniil explains how they utilize nearly 80% of Elixir's capabilities—far more than typical web applications—including NIFs for C integration, custom FPGA modules for color correction, and practical approaches to creating responsive interfaces on limited hardware.
The episode wraps up with discussion of the future of camera control technology, the challenges of working with proprietary protocols, and why Elixir's actor model and distributed computing capabilities make it uniquely suited for this complex problem space. Whether you're interested in embedded systems, LiveView applications, or the intersection of hardware and software, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on pushing Elixir beyond traditional web development.
Resources Mentioned:
- CyanView:https://cyanview.com/
- Phoenix LiveView Documentation
- MQTT Protocol and Mosquitto
- Burrito and Tauri for Binary Compilation
Connect with Daniil:
- X/Twitter:https://x.com/mrpopov_com
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- Elixir Mentor:https://elixirmentor.com/?utm_source=elixir-mentor
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Mike Hostetler, creator of the Jido agent framework and ReqLLM library. Mike shares his journey building a unified interface for calling multiple LLM providers in Elixir, addressing the frustrating inconsistencies between different AI APIs.
We dive into ReqLLM's architecture, exploring how it normalizes the differences between providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and more. Mike explains his decision to build a lightweight alternative to existing libraries like Instructor and LangChain, creating something that handles streaming, tool calling, and structured outputs with simple one-line function calls.
Mike demonstrates the library live, showing how to test 112+ models across different providers, handle streaming responses, and calculate token usage costs. We discuss the challenges of supporting multiple providers, from handling deprecated models to dealing with provider-specific headers and parameter variations.
The conversation also covers Jido's evolution, the upcoming Phoenix dashboard for managing agents, and Mike's vision for hierarchical agent systems in Elixir. We explore how ReqLLM fits into the broader Elixir AI ecosystem and discuss future plans for local LLM support and integration with frameworks like Ash.
Resources Mentioned:
- ReqLLM GitHub: https://github.com/agentjido/req_llm
- Jido Framework: https://agentjido.xyz
- models.dev: https://models.dev
Connect with Mike:
- GitHub: https://github.com/agentjido
- Website: https://mike-hostetler.com
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Bobby Clayson, CEO of Crofter Market, who's tackling one of America's biggest challenges: food system centralization. Bobby shares his journey from building Tax Bit in the cryptocurrency space to creating a marketplace that connects local farmers directly with consumers.
We dive deep into the technical and business challenges of building a two-sided marketplace with Elixir. Bobby explains how COVID exposed critical weaknesses in our food supply chain—from beef rationing while farms had surplus livestock to the loss of 50% of American ranchers over four decades. He shares how Crofter evolved from a simple directory to a full third-party logistics operation with refrigerated delivery.
The conversation covers crucial startup lessons: solving the cold start problem, building trust with non-technical farmers, knowing when to pivot, and the importance of stepping away from code as a technical founder. Bobby offers candid advice about fundraising, hiring in the Elixir ecosystem, and why passion for your problem matters more than your idea. He emphasizes how functional programming naturally aligns with distributed systems and why Elixir's fault tolerance makes it perfect for marketplace infrastructure.
This episode provides valuable insights for anyone building marketplaces, working with physical logistics, or transitioning from technical to leadership roles. Bobby's story demonstrates how technology can address real-world problems while supporting local farmers and improving public health through better food access.
Resources Mentioned:
- Crofter Market: https://crofter.com
- The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen
- Platform Revolution
Connect with Bobby:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyclayson/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Barnabas Jovanovics, a core engineer on the Ash framework team. Barnabas shares his unique journey from working as an electrician and automation engineer to becoming a key contributor to one of Elixir's most powerful frameworks.
We explore how Barnabas discovered Ash while building a booking platform, initially skeptical but quickly becoming convinced by its power. He discusses his major contributions including Ash RBAC for simplified role-based access control and GraphQL subscriptions, as well as his current work on a Discord bot framework that leverages Ash's architecture patterns.
Our conversation covers the philosophy of open source development, the challenges of maintaining large projects, and the exciting new Ash TypeScript integration that just launched. This feature automatically generates type-safe TypeScript client code from your Ash resources, supporting both fetch and Phoenix channels for real-time communication.
We also discuss valuable perspectives on the Elixir community, conference experiences at Goatmire and Alchemy Conf, and practical advice for developers navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-assisted programming. Whether you're new to Ash or an experienced user, this conversation provides valuable insights into the framework's architecture and future direction.
Resources Mentioned:
- Ash Framework: https://ash-hq.org/
Connect with Barnabas:
- X: https://x.com/barnabasMJ
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I welcome back Michael Lubas, founder of Paraxial.io, where he's building comprehensive security tooling specifically designed for the Elixir ecosystem. We explore how AI-generated code is impacting application security and why traditional scanning tools aren't catching critical vulnerabilities.
Michael shares his experience with the most common security mistakes in Elixir projects, including binary deserialization exploits that can lead to remote code execution. We discuss how Phoenix 1.8's improved security documentation helps developers, the rise of organized ransomware attacks, and why security scanning is more crucial than ever with AI-assisted development becoming mainstream.
Our conversation covers the challenges of enterprise security tooling, the differences between Rails and Elixir security patterns, and how Paraxial 3.0 is addressing the unique needs of Elixir developers. Michael explains why most enterprise security tools fail developers and how Paraxial takes a developer-first approach to vulnerability detection and remediation.
We also discuss the future of AI in software development, identity verification challenges in an age of deepfakes, and the evolving hiring landscape for developers. This conversation provides essential context for anyone building production Elixir applications or concerned about security in the age of AI-generated code.
Resources Mentioned:
- Paraxial.io Security Platform: https://paraxial.io/
- Phoenix Security Documentation: https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix/security.html
Connect with Michael Lubas:
- X/Twitter: https://x.com/paraxialio
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaellubas/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Chris McCord, creator of Phoenix Framework and LiveView. We dive deep into Phoenix 1.8's groundbreaking AI features, including the revolutionary AGENTS.md file that's transforming how developers work with LLMs in their Elixir applications.
Chris shares the fascinating evolution from Phoenix channels to LiveView, explaining how his early experiments with real-time Rails applications led to creating the framework that powers some of today's most ambitious web applications. We explore Phoenix.new, the browser-based development platform that lets anyone build Elixir apps without installing anything locally, and discuss how Tidewave MCP brings intelligent AI assistance directly into your development workflow.
Our conversation reveals why Elixir's concurrency model and OTP primitives make it the perfect platform for building AI agents, with Chris explaining how gen servers naturally solve the complex state management and routing problems that other ecosystems struggle with. He provides valuable insights on using LLMs effectively in development, from avoiding common pitfalls to leveraging AI for code porting and debugging.
The episode concludes with Chris's thoughts on open source sustainability, the importance of community culture, and practical advice for developers looking to level up their skills with AI-assisted development. This conversation offers essential perspective for anyone working with Elixir or considering how AI will shape the future of software development.
Resources Mentioned:
- Phoenix Framework: https://phoenixframework.org/
- Metaprogramming Elixir book
- Phoenix.new - Browser-based development platform
- Tidewave MCP - Local AI development integration
Connect with Chris:
- Website: https://chrismccord.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mccord-98b47a37/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Adam Kirk, CTO and co-founder of Jump, where they're building AI-powered meeting intelligence for financial advisors. We dive deep into scaling Elixir applications, managing LiveView at thousands of concurrent connections, and building high-performance teams in competitive markets.
Adam shares his fascinating journey from PHP and Rails to Elixir, explaining how Jump pivoted from sales automation to financial advisor tools and found explosive product-market fit. We explore the technical challenges of real-time meeting processing, AI cost optimization, and the unique compliance requirements of the financial sector.
Our conversation covers Jump's innovative hiring philosophy, including their distinctive approach of 30-minute coding assessments followed by paid trial weeks. Adam explains how they've successfully hired 40+ engineers, many learning Elixir on the job, while maintaining a strong culture of full-stack ownership and work-life balance.
We also discuss practical aspects of scaling with LiveView, handling WebSocket reconnections gracefully, and why they chose Oban over traditional GenServer patterns in their Kubernetes environment. This episode provides valuable insights for anyone building AI-powered applications, scaling engineering teams, or navigating the challenges of startup growth.
Resources Mentioned:
- Jump: https://jumpapp.com/
- Jump Careers: https://careers.jumpapp.com/
- Adam on X: https://x.com/atomkirk
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
- Recruitment Services: https://elixirmentor.com/?utm_source=elixir-mentor
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Mike Hostetler, creator of Jido, a powerful framework for building autonomous AI agent systems in Elixir. We explore why Elixir's actor model and OTP make it the ideal platform for creating massive agent swarms.
Mike shares his vision of "10,000 agents per human" and explains how Jido's architecture leverages Elixir's strengths to build scalable, distributed agent systems. We dive deep into the framework's core components including actions (atomic units of work), signals (messaging backbone), and how agents can spawn sub-agents in supervision trees. The conversation covers practical applications, from Discord bots to job board automation.
Our discussion reveals fascinating insights about the future of software development, where traditional coding languages may need to evolve for the agent-driven world. Mike explains his design philosophy of keeping LLMs separate from the core framework, allowing for both AI-powered and traditional NPC-style agents to coexist efficiently.
This episode provides valuable perspective for developers interested in building autonomous systems, understanding distributed architecture, and preparing for the next evolution in software development where agents become integral to our development workflow.
**Resources Mentioned:**
- Jido Framework: https://github.com/agentjido
- Agent Jido: https://agentjido.xyz
- Mike's Website: https://mike-hostetler.com/
**Connect with Mike:**
- X/Twitter: @mikehostetler
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Zach Daniel, the brilliant creator of Ash Framework, for a fascinating discussion about the intersection of AI and application development. We dive deep into LLM workflows, explore the revolutionary usage rules system, and get an exclusive look at Ash AI - the comprehensive toolkit that's changing how we integrate AI capabilities into Elixir applications.
Zach shares his insights on effective LLM usage patterns, from vibe coding workflows to production-ready AI integrations. We explore the groundbreaking usage rules system that allows library authors to provide LLM-specific guidance, making AI assistance dramatically more effective for framework users. The conversation covers Ash AI's powerful features including automated chatbot generation, prompt-backed actions, and seamless tool integration that lets you build AI-enabled applications with minimal effort.
Our discussion also touches on the challenges of scaling open source communities, the future of solo entrepreneurship in the AI era, and how tools like Deep Wiki are creating surprisingly accurate AI-generated documentation. Zach provides valuable perspective on managing large open source projects while maintaining code quality and community engagement.
This episode offers essential insights for developers interested in leveraging AI tools effectively, understanding modern framework design, and building robust applications with Elixir and Ash. Whether you're exploring AI integration or looking to understand cutting-edge development workflows, this conversation provides practical wisdom and forward-thinking perspectives.
Resources Mentioned:
- Ash Framework: https://ash-hq.org/
- Ash Framework Book: https://pragprog.com/titles/ldash/ash-framework/
- Usage Rules: https://hexdocs.pm/usage_rules/
- Deep Wiki: https://deepwiki.org/
Connect with Zach:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachdaniel/
- Substack: https://www.zachdaniel.dev/
- GitHub: https://github.com/zachdaniel
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I welcome back Greg Medland, a recruiter who specializes in connecting talented developers with companies seeking expertise in the Elixir ecosystem. We dive deep into the current state of the Elixir job market and explore what developers can expect in 2025.
Greg shares valuable insights on how the market has evolved since the post-COVID correction, revealing encouraging signs of recovery and continued Elixir adoption. We discuss the most in-demand skills including Ash Framework experience, full-stack capabilities with React, and AI/ML integration. The conversation explores how companies like Apple, BBC, and numerous startups are successfully leveraging Elixir at scale.
We tackle the elephant in the room - AI's impact on developer roles. Greg provides a balanced perspective on how AI tools are changing the hiring landscape, what employers expect regarding AI proficiency, and how developers can leverage these tools while maintaining their value. He emphasizes the importance of using AI as a productivity enhancer rather than a replacement for critical thinking.
The episode concludes with practical career advice including resume tips, interview strategies, and how to stand out in a competitive market. Greg shares his unique perspective from reviewing more Elixir developer resumes than perhaps anyone else, offering actionable insights for developers at all levels.
Resources Mentioned:
- Elixir Remote US Jobs Channel (Elixir Slack)
- I Ask.ai: https://iask.ai
Connect with Greg:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregmedlandg2/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this comprehensive episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Brian Cardarella, CEO of DockYard, to tackle one of the most critical topics facing our community: Elixir adoption. We dive deep into the challenges and opportunities that shape how developers and companies discover and embrace Elixir.
Brian shares his extensive experience from the consulting world, discussing everything from the changing conference landscape and social media fragmentation to the existential questions around AI's impact on programming languages. We explore why traditional adoption pathways have shifted, the role of LLMs in shaping developer choices, and practical strategies for convincing teams to adopt Elixir in both startup and enterprise environments.
Our conversation covers the technical barriers newcomers face with OTP, the importance of community building, and the economic realities affecting the entire tech industry. Brian provides candid insights about running a consultancy during market downturns, the influence of private equity, and why Elixir's "makes hard things easy" philosophy sometimes struggles with the "easy things" developers expect.
We also tackle community-submitted questions about migration strategies, tooling gaps, type systems, and the future of Live View Native. This episode offers both tactical advice for developers and strategic insights for technical leaders considering Elixir adoption.
Resources Mentioned:
- Elixir Outreach Stipend Program: https://elixir-lang.org/blog/2025/06/02/elixir-outreach-stipend-for-speakers/
- Conference opportunities list by Dave Erensson:https://www.codosaur.us/speaking/cfps-ending-soon
Connect with Brian:
- X/Twitter: https://x.com/bcardarella/
- DockYard: https://dockyard.com/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I sit down with Henry Saint-Juste, Solutions Architect at NetJets, to explore his philosophy of rapid prototyping and moving fast to validate ideas before committing to tech stacks. Henry shares his unique approach to staying 2-3 sprints ahead of engineering teams and building proof of concepts that drive real business decisions.
We dive deep into Henry's experience building NetJets' mobile application using a "code once, deploy anywhere" strategy with React Native and Expo. Henry explains how he evaluates cross-platform frameworks and why React Native succeeded where other solutions like Flutter and Cordova fell short. Our conversation covers his methodology for rapid prototyping, platform engineering approaches, and the importance of getting user feedback loops as quickly as possible.
Henry also shares his experience working with Elixir at a previous healthcare startup, his thoughts on automation and "speed of thought" development, and some fascinating insights about his unique perks working at NetJets (hint: private jets are involved). We explore modern deployment strategies, the evolving landscape of DevOps tools, and wrap up with predictions about AI's impact on software engineering teams.
This conversation offers valuable insights for anyone interested in rapid prototyping methodologies, cross-platform mobile development, and building MVPs that actually provide meaningful data for product decisions.
Connect with Henry:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hberson/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I talk with Elliott Clark, former engineer at both Facebook and Microsoft, who now runs Batteries Included. Elliott shares his rich background from working on the .NET team at Microsoft and infrastructure and developer efficiency at Facebook to creating a platform that simplifies cloud deployment for developers of all sizes.
Elliott explains how his experience at tech giants shaped his vision for Batteries Included, particularly the pain points he observed while at Facebook's developer efficiency team where he saw firsthand how complex configurations led to outages. He discusses why he chose Elixir and LiveView for his platform, highlighting how the unified language environment allows backend developers to build cohesive UIs without the traditional frontend/backend divide.
We explore how Batteries Included automates complex infrastructure tasks like setting up Kubernetes, Postgres databases, Redis, and monitoring tools with just a few clicks. Elliott also shares insights on their "Robin Hood" business model—keeping the platform free for smaller developers while charging larger enterprises, a philosophy informed by his time with open-source projects at multiple companies.
Our conversation dives into technical territory with discussions on managing large Elixir codebases (approaching 300,000 lines of code), challenges of umbrella projects, and the testing philosophies that help maintain quality. Elliott brings valuable perspectives from his work on large-scale systems at Facebook and Microsoft, offering insights on preventing regressions and building resilient infrastructure.
Whether you're interested in Elixir, deployment infrastructure, or the challenges of building developer tools, this episode offers valuable insights from someone who has worked at both tech giants and startups. Elliott's practical approach to solving deployment pain points demonstrates how developers can build tools that truly make a difference in the development workflow.
Resources Mentioned:
- Batteries Included: https://batteriesincl.com
- GitHub: https://github.com/batteries-included
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Kimberly Erni, a software developer who has found balance through contract-based work. We explore the often-overlooked topic of burnout in the tech industry, where "grind culture" is normalized but comes with significant personal costs.
Kimberly shares her personal journey, including how taking a break from full-time work helped her overcome infertility struggles. We discuss the challenges of working in startups with constantly shifting priorities, unrealistic deadlines, and the pressure to always be "on." Both of us open up about our own experiences with burnout and the importance of creating boundaries, especially in remote work environments.
The conversation covers practical advice for developers considering alternative career paths, including how to transition to contract work, the benefits of building products incrementally, and choosing technologies that maximize productivity while minimizing maintenance overhead. Kimberly also discusses her plans to develop a crochet pattern app, which leads to an insightful discussion about building sustainable side businesses.
This episode provides valuable perspective for anyone feeling overwhelmed in their tech career or looking to create a more flexible work arrangement that accommodates personal priorities. Whether you're dealing with burnout, considering contract work, or building your own product, Kimberly's story offers both inspiration and practical guidance.
Resources Mentioned:
- Healthy Gamer video on burnout: https://youtu.be/XW-02QiiHDM?si=d7LeRrHTJjrpPsnP
Connect with Kimberly:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-erni/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Tristan Kildaire, a systems programmer who works on low-level projects including his own programming language. We explore LoRa radio technology, Reticulum mesh networking, and how Elixir can revolutionize IoT development.
Tristan explains the fundamentals of long-range wireless communication using LoRa, which operates in unlicensed spectrum bands and enables low-power, long-distance data transmission perfect for IoT applications. We discuss Reticulum, a cryptographically-secure mesh networking framework that works across heterogeneous networks from radio to Ethernet, providing resilient communication even in challenging environments.
The conversation covers practical applications in smart metering, home automation, and security systems, along with an introduction to the Nerves project for building reliable IoT systems with Elixir. Tristan shares insights on why Erlang's fault-tolerant design makes it ideal for IoT applications, discusses IPv6 advocacy, and explains how Phoenix LiveView enables web development without JavaScript.
We conclude with a lighthearted discussion about AI-assisted programming and the concept of "vibe coding," imagining a collaborative Elixir project built entirely through AI assistance. This episode provides valuable insights for anyone interested in radio technology, mesh networking, or IoT development with Elixir.
Connect with Tristan:
- Website: https://deavmi.assigned.network/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristan-brice-velloza-kildaire/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Andrea Leopardi, Elixir core team member and author of "Network Programming in Elixir and Erlang." We dive deep into the fundamentals of network programming and how the BEAM's process model is perfectly suited for building robust networking applications.
Andrea breaks down complex concepts like the TCP protocol, the OSI model, and the acceptor pool pattern in clear, understandable terms. We explore how Elixir's message-passing paradigm naturally maps to the world of network communications, making it an excellent choice for building high-performance servers and clients.
Our conversation covers the evolution of HTTP protocols from version 1 to 3, the differences between libraries like Mint and GenTCP, and how to approach scalability challenges in network-intensive applications. Andrea shares insights from his experience creating networking libraries and writing technical books that make these advanced topics accessible.
Whether you're building web servers, API clients, or custom TCP/UDP applications with Elixir, this episode provides valuable perspective on the underlying networking concepts that will help you write more efficient and reliable code.
Resources Mentioned:
- Network Programming in Elixir and Erlang: https://pragprog.com/titles/alnpee/network-programming-in-elixir-and-erlang/
Connect with Andrea:
- Website: https://andrealeopardi.com/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor: https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Chris Nelson, co-founder and principal engineer at Launch Scout, about leveraging AI tools for Elixir development and how these technologies are transforming developer workflows. Chris brings over a decade of Elixir experience to the conversation, sharing valuable insights on how consultancies can integrate AI to dramatically increase productivity.
Chris discusses the inflection point where AI tools became truly valuable for production work, highlighting how features like Claude AI and Cursor's agent mode with test-driven capabilities transformed his team's approach to development. We explore the unpredictable nature of large language models, structured approaches to AI-assisted coding, and how Launch Scout measured a 4x productivity increase on a real client project using these tools effectively. The conversation includes practical examples of how experienced developers can guide AI to create robust, production-ready code while maintaining critical thinking skills.
Our discussion extends to Web Assembly components and Chris's work on the WASM library, which enables Elixir developers to securely run code written in various languages within their applications. Chris explains how WASM leverages OTP supervision for resilient system design and opens up new possibilities for customizable platforms. We also explore the advantages of Elixir and LiveView for rapid application development, comparing it to microservices approaches and reflecting on the remarkable stability of Elixir applications in production.
Whether you're curious about integrating AI into your development workflow or exploring the cutting edge of Elixir's ecosystem, this conversation offers practical insights and real-world experiences from years of professional Elixir development at scale.
Resources Mentioned:
- Launch Scout:https://launchscout.com/
- Cursor:https://cursor.sh/
- Claude AI:https://anthropic.com/claude
- WASMEx:https://github.com/tessi/wasmex
- LiveState:https://hexdocs.pm/live_state/readme.html
Connect with Chris:
- X:https://x.com/superchris
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nelson-038875/
- Website:https://launchscout.com/
- GitHub:https://github.com/superchris
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor:https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with returning guest Daniel Bergholz about leveraging AI tools like Windsurf and Claude to dramatically improve Elixir development workflows. Daniel shares his journey from skepticism to becoming a power user, demonstrating how these tools can help developers build faster without compromising quality.
Daniel walks us through his practical approach to incorporating AI into both professional development work and side projects. He explains how to effectively use features like rules files, web documentation integration, and memory systems to get the best results when generating Elixir code. The conversation covers important nuances about how different programming languages perform with AI tools, with Daniel noting that while JavaScript/TypeScript might get near-perfect results, Elixir requires more guidance but still provides excellent value.
The discussion takes a critical look at the "Vibe coding" trend (generating code without understanding it) and offers a more responsible alternative that we call the "sniper approach" - using AI with precision and knowledge. We explore how AI tools are changing developer roles, potentially transitioning programmers from pure coders to more holistic product engineers who can focus on customer needs while leveraging AI for implementation.
Whether you're an Elixir enthusiast curious about productivity tools or a developer interested in responsible AI usage, this episode provides practical insights on balancing automation with craftsmanship. Daniel's experience demonstrates that AI can be a powerful assistant when used thoughtfully, helping developers produce higher quality work in less time.
Resources Mentioned:
- Windsurf:https://www.windsurf.io/
- Cursor:https://cursor.sh/
- Claude:https://claude.ai/
Connect with Daniel:
- Workflow Blog:https://dev.to/danielbergholz/my-ai-powered-workflow-for-writing-elixir-and-phoenix-with-windsurf-4k8m
- Website:https://bergdaniel.com.br/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor:https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Isaac Tsalicoglou, author of Northwind Elixir Traders. We explore database modeling techniques, working with Ecto, and his fascinating transition from mechanical engineering to Elixir development.
Isaac shares his experience creating a practical guide for database modeling in Elixir, explaining how the Northwind Traders project helps developers understand complex relationships and query optimization. We discuss the benefits of SQLite for learning, how to effectively manage database migrations, and the challenges of schema changes with real-world data.
Our conversation covers database architecture philosophy, performance optimization techniques, and the importance of understanding query execution plans. Isaac also shares valuable insights on self-hosting, data privacy considerations, and the fundamental differences between hardware and software product development.
The episode concludes with a discussion on development principles and startup philosophy, offering practical wisdom for engineers and developers across disciplines. This conversation provides valuable perspective for anyone working with databases in Elixir or considering a career transition into software development.
Resources Mentioned:
- Northwind Elixir Traders:https://leanpub.com/northwind-elixir-traders
Connect with Isaac:
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tisaak/
- Website:https://overbring.com/
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- Elixir Mentor:https://elixirmentor.com
In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with German Velasco, creator of Elixir Streams and Phoenix Test. We explore test-driven development practices, the benefits of pair programming, and consulting experiences within the Elixir ecosystem.
German shares his journey into Elixir development and discusses how adopting test-driven development has improved his coding workflow. He explains the philosophy behind Phoenix Test and demonstrates how proper testing can lead to more maintainable applications while reducing regression bugs.
The conversation covers the important distinction between testing behavior versus implementation, practical approaches to achieving meaningful code coverage, and the collaborative benefits of pair and ensemble programming methodologies.
We also discuss content creation for the Elixir community and how AI tools are changing programming workflows. This episode provides valuable insights for Elixir developers looking to improve their testing practices and team collaboration.
Resources Mentioned:
- Elixir Streams:https://elixirstreams.com
- Phoenix Test:https://github.com/germsvel/phoenix_test
- TDD Phoenix:https://tddphoenix.com
Connect with German:
- Twitter/X:https://x.com/germsvel
- Website:https://www.germanvelasco.com/
SUPPORT ELIXIR MENTOR
- Elixir Mentor:https://elixirmentor.com