Summer Code & Chill: Talks, Books & Dev Deep Dives

Preview text: Open for 3 dev talks to dig into this summer + our top 5 GOTO Book Club book picks + what’s selling out fast.

Welcome to the July Digest

It’s the heart of summer and we’ve got a few things to keep your brain cool and sharp.

This month, we’re sharing:

• 3 standout talks for how we work, think and build as developers.
• A special spotlight on the GOTO Book Club, including the year’s most-watched episodes and book picks.
• A peek behind the scenes at what’s keeping us busy.
• And a little something extra for your summer reading list.

Let’s get into it.

3 Talks to watch while everyone else is getting sunburnt

1. Functional Programming in 40 Minutes - Russ Olsen

A clear, practical explanation of what functional programming is, why it works, and how to apply it. → Why it matters: Makes concurrency safer, testing easier, and your codebase less of a mess.

2. Domain-Driven Refactoring - GOTO Book Club with- Alessandro Colla & Alberto Acerbis

How do you refactor a legacy system without rewriting everything? This session builds on insights from GOTO Book Club’s Domain-Driven Design episode—explore DDD principles, bounded contexts, and modular monoliths vs. microservices. → Why it matters: You'll learn to treat refactoring as strategic—not just cosmetic.

3. Architecture Isn’t Kubernetes - Diana Montalion ion

Diana challenges everything you think you know about software architecture. → Why it matters: Systems are shaped by teams. If you can’t design for that, the tech won’t save you.

Behind the scenes: What a crazy month!

July used to be quiet at GOTO, but not this year. Hundreds of developers overloaded GOTO Copenhagen with questions about masterclasses, group discounts and a record-breaking wave of ticket sales.

• Gregor Hohpe ’s masterclass is sold out
• Kent Beck ’s class is sold out (we’re talking with Kent for a second slot)
• Patrick Kua ’s was so popular that a second session is now available
• Sam Newman is next in line to sell out
• Over 70% of all conference tickets are gone

If you’ve been meaning to join us, now’s a great time to make your move.

Check out GOTO Copenhagen’s speaker lineup and masterclasses

Quick poll: what kind of talk are you craving most?

• A session that challenges how I think
• A super clear how-to I can apply right away
• A heated discussion or panel
• A “just for fun” tech deep dive

Still have a month to enjoy your passion for software?

Why not dive into the most-watched GOTO Book Club episodes - and their books! Each offers fresh, practical insights for wherever your coding takes you this summer.

GOTO Book Club: Most Watched Books & Episode Highlights

• Elixir in Action - Saša Jurić - Kickstart your real-world functional programming journey. Saša’s approach makes Elixir approachable, helping you discover new ways to build scalable, maintainable, and concurrent software.
• Elm in Action- Richard Feldman Unlock reliability and joy in frontend development. Elm’s pure functional style - brought to life by Richard - shows how type safety and simplicity can boost your web apps.
• Clean Architecture - Robert C. Martin - What does sustainable software design really look like? “Uncle Bob” shares timeless principles for structuring codebases that last, featured in heated Book Club debates and reviews.
• Continuous Architecture - Murat Erder, Pierre Pureur & Eoin Woods Build flexible architectures while delivering fast. The authors break down continuous decision-making, real-world tradeoffs, and how to evolve systems without compromise.
• Retrospectives Antipatterns - Aino Vonge Corry Transform your agile retrospectives! Aino’s hands-on guidance exposes common pitfalls and gives you ready-to-apply tips to make every retro count.
• Kubernetes: Up and Running - Kelsey Hightower, Brendan Burns & Joe Beda - Demystify cloud-native infrastructure. This essential guide (and the episode) covers key Kubernetes patterns for running scalable services in production.
• Communication Patterns - Jacqui Read - Collaboration is key. Jacqui’s episode dives into architectural decision records and tech communication practices every developer should know.
• The Debugging Book - Andreas Zeller - From finding elusive bugs to systematic testing, Andreas Zeller’s episode explores professional debugging strategies you can use right away.

Bookmark these Book Club picks-there’s still time to learn something new before September.