Guido van Rossum: Python and the Future of Programming | Lex Fridman Podcast #341
Guido van Rossum is the creator of Python programming language. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– GiveDirectly: https://givedirectly.org/lex to get gift matched up to $1000
– Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings
– Fundrise: https://fundrise.com/lex
– InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off
– Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex to get 1 month of fish oil
EPISODE LINKS:
Guido’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gvanrossum
Guido’s Website: https://gvanrossum.github.io/
Python’s Website: https://python.org
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41
OUTLINE:
0:00 – Introduction
0:48 – CPython
6:01 – Code readability
10:22 – Indentation
26:58 – Bugs
38:26 – Programming fads
53:37 – Speed of Python 3.11
1:18:31 – Type hinting
1:23:49 – mypy
1:29:05 – TypeScript vs JavaScript
1:45:05 – Best IDE for Python
1:55:05 – Parallelism
2:12:58 – Global Interpreter Lock (GIL)
2:22:36 – Python 4.0
2:34:53 – Machine learning
2:44:35 – Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL)
2:56:11 – Advice for beginners
3:02:43 – GitHub Copilot
3:06:10 – Future of Python
SOCIAL:
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman
– Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/lexfridman
– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
@lexfridman
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Here are the timestamps. Please check out our sponsors to support this podcast.
0:00 – Introduction & sponsor mentions:
– GiveDirectly: https://givedirectly.org/lex to get gift matched up to $1000
– Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings
– Fundrise: https://fundrise.com/lex
– InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off
– Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex to get 1 month of fish oil
0:48 – CPython
6:01 – Code readability
10:22 – Indentation
26:58 – Bugs
38:26 – Programming fads
53:37 – Speed of Python 3.11
1:18:31 – Type hinting
1:23:49 – mypy
1:29:05 – TypeScript vs JavaScript
1:45:05 – Best IDE for Python
1:55:05 – Parallelism
2:12:58 – Global Interpreter Lock (GIL)
2:22:36 – Python 4.0
2:34:53 – Machine learning
2:44:35 – Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL)
2:56:11 – Advice for beginners
3:02:43 – GitHub Copilot
3:06:10 – Future of Python
@SemyonKalyakulin
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
1:30:00
@fotoluminescencjastudiesai1239
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Hearing more adverts than actual podcast… Impossible to listen
@insist1754
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
A LEGEND, THE GOAT!
@randylplampin1326
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Any person that imagines that one particular computer language will overtake and vanquish every other language simply is not aware of the history of programming and has reduced himself to the status of a jester.
@dauraktv
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Python 4.0 sounds really exciting
@dauraktv
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Maybe he should talk to a star craft pro to have a better understanding of how to implement asynchrony 😂
@vessbakalov8958
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
I was really disappointed they are not using type hints for performance.
Cant wait for Mojo
@richardklemencic
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Watching in 2025 because I am learning (slowly) and incredibly interested in this entire space
@Ayo22210
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Wiki Markup Language should be the first comouter language students learn in middle school
@suspended67
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
3:02 this reminds of how in Japanese loanwords, L’s become R’s
@watson30000
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
You mean Japanese (L and R)
@batissta44
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
45:45
@michaelhollis5749
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
I've come back home to Python after many forays into other languages: C/C++, Java, Go, PHP, C#…I LOVE being able to form out necessary logic without having to wade through syntactic sugar and multiple layers to dive into. Just get it done! Python support in VSCode is also phenomenal!
@mikey_atman
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Even just the intro moved me to tears. Beautiful chaos. 🪷
@dantedt3931
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Python changed my life. From a non-technical job in sales to leading a Software Development department. Thanks to Guido.
@dp-ekat
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Сделай перевод на русский!один из лучших языков программирования!Спасибо Гвидо!
@danewfiehammer
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Another good one lads 🫡🇨🇦
@berealwithraya
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Codecademy also has an excellent course in Python 3 and free courses for Python 2
@realChewky
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
1:28 and the third guy heard about programming but is rummaging through the cooler and eating ALL the sandwiches
@ratedinspirational
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
54:00 that sweet 420 refernce caught me off guard 😂
@SU3D3
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
#haskell since 1998
@SU3D3
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
#ambiguity
@SU3D3
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
JavaScript produces Shakespeare with monkeys, at least Typescript has mathematical meaning. Lex looks dumb.
@hammyCoder
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Glad our guy is a programmer, not a chef.
@hagalaz793
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Python is the easiest way to learn how to code. I always recommend it for beginners. Simple web application? Django. Corporate job? Java. C# is great but it keeps pulling you back into microsoft products/tech which is terrible.
@damaroro
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
programming language is like cooking recipe 4:00
@albertfernandez6315
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
I live in Puerto Rico and they is some people who confuse the L and the R in Spanish because they have French heritage
@kahnfatman
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
One of the last language authors that survive upto now…
Wirth passed on on Jan 1.2024
Armstrong, Apr 19.2019
Ritchie, Oct 12.2011
who is next?
@snowsior621
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Never understand the problem with type and braces)
@itstoxicqt
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
When he brought up the science teacher thing we did that back in 7th grade such a fun day in class if we didnt say set the bread on the table our teacher threw it out into the hall 😂
@AirshipNorway
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
I don't want lex Freeman every night
@emilypapillon
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
This is a gem!
@ndoghouse6853
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Ask Bill gates about his pie. I remember DOS pre 5.0 Lotus 123, and a program called Pathfinder (windows GUI now) which were all monopolized out of existence then Mr. Gates decided to leave his software dream for more money and power for political reasons and screw all the people stuck with his programs because he killed anything in competition. No difference today. what the hell is he doing in the medic field knowing nothing about it. I'm using sharepoint to this day at work not by choice and it sucks. You can't even cut and past on spreadsheet without dropping formulas! I still have to work offline and upload when done. pretty disgusting where that went. I used Fortran IV, Cobal, Unix, Basic and some others and they worked as planned but always was curious about Python. HTML was simple enough until Javascript then Python. yall lost me there.
@JoeCryptola-b1m
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
No they don't let's talk low level languages it give people an understanding of what different or better about higher levels, also helps those who don't know these things but understand binary to machine but don't understand binary to higher level languages
@jaymay7957
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Okay this guy is a fucking robot… 4:20
Put mustard, jelly, meat and cheese on a sandwich?! You sir are not human.
@hamburger--fries
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Enjoyed this guest interview a lot lot.
@StudioMYJ
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
Weird, I was listening to this while sleeping and dreaming that I was playing this as a swimming pool game w other people. lol. I was like , oooh fun game. Till I woke up.
@r.w.emersonii3501
August 20, 2025 at 6:44 pm
In Python, I have stylistic freedom. For example, I supplement indentation with "# {" and "# }" comment lines. I can then use gvim "%" to jump around blocks, functions, classes. In place of "$", I start almost all of my names with a lowercase character — "f" for function, "a" for argument, "t" for temporary (local) variable, "s" for class attribute, "o" for object, "p" for self pointer. I use cryptic 5-character variable names, then document heavily for the benefit of the human. Thank you, GvR! What a clean beautiful language!
Comments are closed.