Then that flips it back to being very cool that he is putting his energy into carrying a few batons far enough for others to pick them up.

Agreed, I think it's great to have really cutting-edge, highly experimental sort of research languages that explore new paradigms. Doesn't mean you have to like the language, but I think it's good that some people are doing this kind of work as a going concern and not just some repo that was pushed up once somewhere and languishes. He's got some interesting ideas in there related to effects system, etc.

> carrying a few batons far enough for others to pick them up.

I love that metaphor btw. Gonna use that.

> I doubt he's under any illusions that this language, qua this language, is going to see wide adoption or need to have all of its features really ironed out with a fixed/stable API. But I could be wrong!

They have VC funding and employees. I presume he's told investors that it will see at least fairly wide adoption!

Ha! Did not know that. Not necessarily dispositive though. Also, I believe they are a public benefit corporation so that would also cut in favor of my point...I think