I highly recommend reading Programming Erlang by Joe Armstrong first. It's a great read, it's quick, and it will make you a better dev, regardless of language. Once you've read it, then go write Elixir. Elixir's syntax and string handling address the primary complaints about Erlang. And, having read the Erlang book, you'll have a better idea of what is going on under the hood. That will will serve you well if you end up off in the weeds, or need to use an Erlang library for something.