BEAM There, Done That The Ash Framework: Rationale, Design, and Adoption — with Zach Daniel
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Mar 27, 2026 Zach Daniel, creator of the Ash Framework and VP of Engineering at RemedyMeds, talks about why he built Ash and how it models applications as declarative resources. He explores constraints that boost productivity, comparison to OTP principles, adoption challenges, Ash’s TypeScript angle, AI and policy integration, and practical patterns for real-world apps.
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High School Student Built A CRUD Site In Half A Day
- Alan demonstrated Ash to a high school student and she built a CRUD website in half a day without prior programming experience.
- The DSL plus guided walkthrough made the app immediately understandable and enabled fast, motivating results.
Simple Calculations Hide Complex Resolution Logic
- Simple-seeming features like Ash calculations hide deep complexity: dependent calculation ordering, partial DB vs memory execution, and multi-step resolution.
- Zach finds implementing that resolution logic rewarding and central to Ash's power.
If Abstraction Fails Refactor Upward Not Away
- When an Ash abstraction doesn't fit, step up one layer and refactor the logic rather than abandoning the framework.
- The design supports moving from basic actions to generic actions or full lifecycle control when needed.