Thank you for your comment!

You're right, if not implemented properly, the Null Object Pattern can shift issues to another layer. Its advantage lies in making objects reliable by eliminating null as a valid state.

The Null Object Pattern is inherently OOP, using polymorphism to eliminate null as a valid state, centralizing logic and making objects reliable.

Combining it with Result Types (inspired by functional programming) enhances clarity by separating concerns: Null objects provide safe defaults (e.g., NullAddress.Street = ""), while Result Types signal success or failure explicitly (GetCustomer handles errors early).

This approach avoids scattered null checks, centralizes validation (if (customer is NullCustomer)), and reduces duplication. It bridges OOP modularity with functional clarity, creating predictable, maintainable, and robust code.

The goal isn’t to remove checks entirely but to centralize and simplify them, reducing duplication and cognitive load.