Person/Rich Hickey
Rich Hickey
Bio
- Rich Hickey is an American software developer and programming language designer, best known as the creator of the Clojure programming language. He is a prominent figure in the software development community, particularly in the areas of functional programming, concurrency, and software design.
- Hickey has worked extensively on software design and architecture, emphasizing simplicity, immutability, and the separation of concerns. His work has influenced modern software development practices, especially in the realm of functional programming and concurrent systems.
Key Contributions
#Clojure Programming Language
- Created Clojure, a modern Programming/Language/Lisp dialect that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
- Designed ClojureScript, a Clojure compiler that targets JavaScript
- Emphasized immutability, persistent data structures, and functional programming principles
Software Design Philosophy
- Advocates for "Simple Made Easy" - the distinction between simple (unentangled) and easy (familiar)
- Promotes the use of immutable data structures and pure functions
- Emphasizes the importance of separating identity from state
Concurrency Models
- Developed innovative approaches to concurrent programming using Software Transactional Memory (STM)
- Created the core.async library for asynchronous programming in Clojure
Notable Talks and Presentations
"Are We There Yet?" (2009)
- Discusses the evolution of programming languages and the need for better abstractions
- Presented at JVM Languages Summit
- Discusses the importance of thinking and reflection in software development
- Emphasizes the value of stepping away from the computer to solve problems
"Simple Made Easy" (2011)
- One of his most influential talks at Strange Loop conference
- Explains the difference between simple and easy in software design
- Available on YouTube and widely referenced in the software community
"The Value of Values" (2012)
- Explores the importance of immutable values in programming
- Presented at Strange Loop conference
Professional Background
- Worked at various technology companies including Microsoft, Citi, and others
- Founded Cognitect (formerly Relevance) in 2008, a software consulting company
- Served as CTO at Cognitect until its acquisition by Nubank in 2020
- Currently works at Nubank, a Brazilian fintech company
Online Presence
GitHub
Social Media
- Active on various programming forums and communities
- Known for thoughtful responses on Clojure mailing lists and forums
Blog and Writings
- Maintains a blog where he shares insights on software design
- Writes extensively about programming language design and software architecture
Influence and Legacy
- His work on Clojure has influenced the design of other modern programming languages
- The concepts of immutability and persistent data structures have become mainstream
- His talks and writings are widely studied by software developers worldwide
- Has inspired many developers to adopt functional programming principles
Image
- Rich Hickey speaking at Strange Loop conference
External Links