Warren Moore

Haskell has become the lingua franca of the FP world, so that's the one you learn. IMO, SML has a shallower learning curve.

Like how one reason not to implement Metal is because of the lack of resources available to help you when you're stuck! :)

But also a great reason to learn Metal (if your interest). It's the kind of field where one can become an important expert.

I was on that path, but I got lost. One reason not many people do this is because there is a knowledge barrier to entry.

I have a mental image of myself in a room full of paper crying because I am trying to learn EVERYTHING.

Yeah… but you have a lot of years and there are always new things, so maybe one (or two, or…) at a time :D

I wish someone like @warrenm could make a list of the concepts you MUST be familiar with to learn/understand Metal.

Bottom-up approaches don’t work for first encounters w a subj. Pick a project; run into difficulty; research what tripped you