:sophia-velten (category theory, monads, kung-fu)

Summary In this conversation, Jordan and Sophia discuss various topics including Sophia's background, her interest in functional programming and category theory, her experience with Kung Fu and philosophy, and her work at NuBank. They also touch on the challenges of teaching and learning, the importance of creating a supportive environment for growth, and the impact of different cultures on learning and programming. Keywords Sophia Velten, functional programming, category theory, Kung Fu, philosophy, NuBank, teaching, learning, growth, culture Takeaways Sophia's diverse background in programming, philosophy, and martial arts has influenced her approach to learning and problem-solving. She emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive environment for learning and growth, recognizing that different people have different ways of thinking and learning. Sophia's work at NuBank includes the development of libraries like Stateflow and Nodely, which aim to improve code quality and maintainability. She believes in the power of functional programming and the use of monads to separate pure code from side effects. Sophia's experiences with philosophy and Buddhism have shaped her perspective on life and learning, helping her to embrace the limitations of human knowledge and focus on personal growth. References https://github.com/nubank/state-flow https://github.com/nubank/nodely https://peter.gillardmoss.me.uk/blog/2023/10/10/on-forests-and-factories/ Sound Bites "Once you slip monads into things, it's controversial." "The atomic and a lot of our stack is not something that is familiar to many people." "Learning is growth. Growth is uncomfortable. Growth is hard."