Farewell John Kordyback

Joanne Molesky

co-author of “Lean Enterprise”, John’s spouse

My first profession was in well being care. I left that area within the early 1990’s as a result of stress of regularly working in underfunded situations (to not point out diminishing alternative for work). As I looked for a brand new profession, John inspired me to learn to use e mail and educate others the best way to use it. From there, he continuously inspired me to maintain going and choose myself up and transfer on after I stumbled and had doubts that I used to be sensible sufficient and adequate to work within the Tech business. He caught his neck out many occasions by vouching for me in stretch roles that turned obtainable. I might by no means have been thought-about for them if he hadn’t achieved that. He advised me as soon as it wasn’t as a result of we had been married, it was as a result of he knew I might do a extremely good job and I might not fail. He has an exquisite reward to assist folks see the brighter facet of life and provides us hope that we will do job regardless of the quite a few obstacles that should be overcome.

Like many people of a sure age who’ve labored in tech, John by no means obtained a proper coaching in software program improvement or administration. His diploma is in Philosophy. He took some stats programs at college. He taught himself the best way to code, take a look at and perceive methods. Earlier than John began working in Tech, he labored with disabled individuals in group properties. He has an excessive amount of compassion for the much less lucky on the planet and would stand as much as bullies when he noticed them behaving badly in the direction of the weak. He talked about that reasonably than confront and punish, he would use optimistic reinforcement behavioural coaching methods with downside folks at work so they may turn out to be a productive a part of the workforce. I believe these years working with disabled folks (tremendously underrated and underpaid work) paid off in spades later in his profession.

Ian Robinson

co-author of REST in Observe

Jim Webber and I labored rather a lot with John, in Calgary, over 2007 and 2008. We went from a one-week troubleshooting gig to a big change programme virtually in a single day. I believe John had a tolerant skepticism in the direction of our huge principle and broad-strokes consultancy: whereas many people misplaced ourselves for some time in an abstracted, considerably confused, big-picture tackle proceedings, John sought to supply a gradual counterweight, working in his affected person, humble option to set up belief and credibility by instructing and inspiring good practices within the engineering groups on the bottom.

John understood that software program is a social exercise, and that change is commonly finest rooted in day-to-day actions and habits, in belief, and will be most enduring when it emerges from the bottom up. He led by doing, by being candid about experiments and errors, by creating house for younger, upstart concepts and enthusiasms, and by having enjoyable.

When it comes to influence on my profession, I believe there was a sensible influence then, and an affect now, as I proceed to work out how I would dwell a major skilled life. Someday within the early 2010s, I assumed I needed a “title” for myself in our business. Someday later, I spotted I didn’t. I’d had mayfly ambitions: John’s lengthy profession confirms for me now {that a} important skilled life shouldn’t be a once-and-done affair. Each engagement is before everything an engagement with a contemporary group of distinctive individuals. Success, belief and respect don’t simply roll over from one engagement to a different – each interplay begins afresh to construct at present’s means of working collectively. There must be a robust core of compassion and openness, of here-and-nowness, for somebody to take care of that capability to construct workforce foundations time and again, over a few years – and John had that core.

Apart from our software program pursuits, we shared a number of touchpoints round British comedy and science fiction, and we laughed rather a lot – largely at ourselves, which I believe is the kindest laughter. I believe that characterises John’s skilled life: an effortlessly inclusive interaction of concepts and actions carried out with a lightweight contact of persistence and humor – he was a humble however vastly influential instructor, chief and pal.

Sharlene McKinnon

This memorial was each straightforward and laborious to write down. It’s straightforward as a result of John had such an enduring influence on my profession, and it’s straightforward to tease that influence out of all of the silliness that we take care of as consultants. It’s laborious as a result of it feels so mistaken to be saying goodbye. It’s far too quickly.

John is a storyteller, and he has a means of utilizing tales to attach and produce out one of the best in folks. I bear in mind assembly him in 2008. I went to a consumer website on my first day at Thoughtworks, and I used to be so inexperienced. I anxious that I’d mess up as a result of I didn’t know “Agile.”

I ended up on his workforce and the very first thing he stated is, “Don’t fear about that stuff. Crucial factor is to get folks speaking to one another.” And, that’s what we did. We spent months simply specializing in strengthening the human connections whereas modifications in know-how swirled round us at a blistering tempo.

What strikes me is that I bear in mind the human parts from that point—the laughter, John’s tales, his knowledge and real want to assist. And I’ve forgotten the tech and mission particulars, as a result of they weren’t that vital. Expertise is fleeting and like a high-speed practice that strikes at an unmanageable tempo. It was the conversations and connections that we had on that practice that glued us collectively and made the journey memorable.

One of many issues that John used to say to me was, “That particular person is caught within the weeds. Go assist them see the forest.” I’ve constructed a profession out of serving to folks get out of the weeds. This was one thing that John acknowledged and fostered in me in these early years (I didn’t see it). I really feel blessed to have identified him.

Steven Deobald

It’s been over a decade since I labored with John, and I don’t have any particular anecdotes to share. Nevertheless, I did need to describe the way in which by which he dealt with a (generally tough) workforce. He was not the form of one who would both dominate conversations and current himself because the authoritative chief of the group, nor was he the form of one who would sneakily “seek the advice of” his option to the fitting conclusion.

As an alternative, John simply spoke clearly and truthfully. A standup with John was at all times a form of palate cleanser, irrespective of how tough yesterday had been. His sense of humour was typically the key sauce that helped a workforce gel.

He was a really pure mentor and chief, in that he would largely stand apart and let folks develop on their very own. As an alternative of pushing or pulling, he would calmly step in — like an skilled gardener — to information and shield the youngest amongst us as we found out what the heck it was we had been actually doing. Typically this steerage was technical and inner, generally it was political and client-facing. Typically it was only a hug when somebody clearly wanted one.

On a for much longer timescale, John’s mentorship meant instructing others to be mentors. Not by teaching or operating seminars, however by his personal instance. Sadly, a big a part of what I loved a lot about working with John is ineffable. However everybody who had the privilege of working with him has absolutely felt it.

Mike Jones

My very first introduction to “QB” (a nick-name for John) was previous to my TW employment. I used to be an integration developer co-located with a TW workforce. At one level throughout my very first day on the mission, QB jumped out of his chair, yelled ‘Dopio’ and walked out of the room. I had no concept what was taking place however then your complete TW workforce additionally popped up and walked out of the room. I used to be caught off guard however they motioned to me to affix them and I shortly found that ‘Dopio’ (double espresso) was QB’s favourite drink at Starbucks. Proclaiming ‘Dopio’ was QB’s cryptic means of claiming ‘Come on workforce, let’s go for espresso’. That could be a very fond reminiscence of mine.

James Pickett

John and I labored intently collectively in 2018 via early 2020. Throughout that point, I believe John and I had extra meals collectively than I did with my household! Once I joined Thoughtworks in 2017, I used to be each a lateral rent and an individual with abilities/expertise that had been “non-core” to Tw on the time. I depend John as one among a handful of Thoughtworkers that basically helped me discover a option to have an effect for our shoppers and the corporate. We additionally had so many conversations about so many matters past Thoughworks (household, youngsters, tech business, and all issues Canada!). Relaxation in peace John. We’ll miss you, and we’re all higher for figuring out you!

Evan Bottcher

John was a presence in Thoughtworks from the time I joined in 2006, a type of voices within the noise inside our mailing checklist, who when he spoke up you listened to what he needed to say, as you possibly can inform it was reasoning from a large expertise base and a excessive mind. I inherited him as one of many “elders” one among whom I felt that I turned later in my time at Thoughtworks.

I believe the factor I might spotlight was his expertise in working with groups making use of agile strategies to mainframe improvement, together with take a look at pushed improvement. I do know for a number of years afterwards I might join John with Thoughtworks groups everywhere in the world once they would stumble upon this bizarre world of mainframe and wanted somebody to assist in giving them the ‘Rosetta stone’ to have good conversations and affect with them. John would graciously take the calls and supply that bridge to a unique period of improvement.

Aleksandar Serafimoski

John was a tremendous pal, mentor and a tremendous human being. He at all times cared about folks, and means out of his option to really feel folks heard, acknowledged and really feel as a part of the workforce. His data and expertise with legacy modernization and testing has been invaluable. He was at all times prepared to share his perspective and to assist folks once they had been struggling. I’ll undoubtedly miss him at TW and in life! Relaxation in peace John.

Angela Ferguson

I had absolutely the privilege of counting John and Joanne pals since they had been right here on task in Melbourne. One of many issues that basically stands out to me about John is his capability to essentially really feel the enjoyment in (virtually) any state of affairs and to need to share that pleasure with others, whereas concurrently not hesitating on calling bullshit when it must be known as. His want to take colleagues alongside on his skilled journey, to champion for them and to assist them to additionally see the enjoyment in working with nice folks was good. Regardless that I’ve solely seen him sporadically up to now years – and I really feel very fortunate to have been in a position to see him this previous September – I, like many others, will miss having him right here.

Brandon Byars

creator of Testing Microservices with Mountebank

Everyone wants a mentor once they transfer right into a stretch position. The primary time I took on a management place at scale, I used to be lucky to have John Kordyback mentor me. He taught me to “lean in” to issues reasonably than run or cover from them. He taught me the significance of strolling the halls and speaking to folks, as a result of working at scale meant constructing and relying in your community to get issues achieved. He taught me to snort on the each day tribulations reasonably than turn out to be burdened by them. He helped me suppose not nearly know-how, however the best way to implement know-how via folks, and the best way to keep resilient when the challenges felt overwhelming. John did excess of assist me turn out to be a greater technologist and a greater chief; he helped me turn out to be a greater particular person.

Stefania Stefansdottir

I had the fortune to very briefly meet and work with John in 2020 at
Thoughtworks. John was an individual that in some way managed to depart such a
optimistic impression on the folks round him. How he approached
structure and software program supply tied to legacy methods was in some way
so tied to empathy for the folks working with it and understanding
the worth of the system that it nonetheless stays with me 4 years later and
has influenced how I work together and work each with legacy methods and
shoppers.

Martin Andersen

Once I met John I used to be working within the Calgary workplace, which on the time was the epitome of TW’s “like school however with cash” slogan – we had been all younger, it was considerably unhinged, and it was a number of enjoyable. Someday I heard there was some pleasure that we’d managed to rent this senior man from TransCanada, older and extra skilled. I might see the worth in that, however to be trustworthy I actually wasn’t wanting ahead to it. I felt just like the temper would shift, get extra critical and boring. In fact as soon as he arrived it didn’t take lengthy to comprehend this wasn’t the case. John was at all times an extremely youthful particular person. He was enthusiastic and curious and at all times filled with vitality. And he cherished each the issues most crucial to make this business work its finest: know-how and folks.

I used to be at all times impressed by his capability to stay keen on and focussed on detailed technical issues. Lots of people age out of this as they shift or drift extra into management and administration, however John at all times needed to be near the metallic. And whereas it’s not unusual for folks to need to stay concerned, in an business at all times altering as quick as this has, so many don’t sustain. However John did. He by no means uninterested in studying, and you possibly can at all times see clearly his pleasure about no matter it was he was pursuing.

I used to be extra impressed, although, together with his curiosity in and deal with others. If you had been with John he was with you. He was and engaged. He had a wry, playful sense of humour. May very well be critical as wanted, however would at all times reasonably be smiling, which he often was. In every single place he went he made pals and put folks comfy. He’d land at a consumer website and have all of it mapped out earlier than you knew it, joking round with VPs and junior devs alike. Some folks make forging these enterprise relationships seem to be work, transactional, however I by no means bought that sense with John. It felt like he actually did simply get pleasure from making connections. Actually, he had the identical enthusiasm and curiousity in regards to the folks he labored with as he did in regards to the issues he labored on. He made all of it appear enjoyable. Greater than that, he made it truly enjoyable. It nonetheless makes me snort that I ever thought he may be some gray stultifying presence. I’m glad I had the prospect to spend as a few years round him as I did. I’ll miss him.

Ranbir Chawla

SVP Engineering, RB International

I met John throughout a Undertaking Discovery whereas I used to be working at Thoughtworks, and I used to be instantly impressed together with his capability to hearken to the shoppers, ask perceptive questions and attain a fast understanding of the deeper below-the-surface points at hand. John at all times displayed a deep empathy for folks, and on the similar time a really sensible mindset that helped us all see how we might break down a big downside, perceive the human elements and the way they intertwined with know-how issues. He was a improbable communicator, in a position to break down a posh answer into one thing very comprehensible by the viewers he was with. He and I used to joke that the easiest way to be sure to understood an issue was to clarify it to your mom first, and if she get’s it, properly then you should perceive it as properly; so now you might be geared up to assist take your shoppers on a journey to their finish targets with out dropping them in some deeply technical presentation or planning cycle.

With that stage of practicality and communication John and I had been in a position to accomplice with our consumer leaders to indicate the worth of small-batch work, frequent deliveries of software program to their product groups (weekly vs. quarterly to begin) and ultimately modified throughout the group how software program was delivered, dragging their different consulting corporations into the method. All of the whereas John stored smiling, joking, and taking folks on that journey in his personal particular means.

Most of all, John made that fixed on the street time away from residence enjoyable and cozy. I’ll treasure the straightforward dinners on the native Indian restaurant in Spring Texas, or burgers on the native bar and grill he cherished that we named The Kordy Shack. His humour, empathy, and talent to climate no matter storm hit us left an timeless impression in my soul. As an older man solely 3 years youthful than John, I nonetheless would inform him “Sometime I’ll develop as much as be identical to you sir 😊”.

Vanessa Towers

I first labored on the identical account as John in 2013 after which in a while in 2020. John was a standout in each situations, shortly incomes a robust popularity as a technical chief, modernization guru and all-round sort hearted human. John’s humor bought everybody via essentially the most difficult occasions throughout bold consumer engagements. John’s dedication to our shoppers was second to none, engaged on a distributed account at scale from the US West Coast meant John and I might typically begin our working day at 5am, with John sometimes taking cost of driving vital conferences and dealing classes presently, with a number of cups of espresso wanted to maintain us going via the early hours. John’s dedication to rising the subsequent technology of Thoughtworks leaders was an unimaginable reward to these round him. John was an inspiring colleague, pal, gardener, prepare dinner, father and devoted husband to Joanne. He will likely be tremendously missed by his pals and colleagues at Thoughtworks.

Miguel Enriquez

Principal Software program Engineer at Subsequent Information

Like many others, I met John at work throughout very tough occasions each private
and professionally. Like many technologists I knew from that point, I used to be very
obsessed with a number of matters however John at all times had these pearls of knowledge to
share with me concerning know-how, management and, extra importantly, private
relationships.

I at all times puzzled why he at all times would transfer between conferences with executives to
our little battle room downstairs with a smile that was contagious. Everybody was
virtually smiling and laughing every time we noticed him stroll the hallways. I slowly
realized, via conversations that I bear in mind fondly, that he was a superb
human being and he cemented this with nice talks about tech, smart banter, nice
e-book suggestions, a shared love for cats, and particularly a contagious sense
of humor. I’m at a lack of phrases about all good the issues he was and I’ll
bear in mind him fondly, smiling all the way in which, as a mentor and fellow technologist.

Patrick Kua

Founding father of the Tech Lead Academy

John confirmed me early in my profession what on a regular basis management appeared like. I first noticed his title on inner mailing lists. His contributions at all times felt well-balanced and considerate, contrasting with a few of the heated debates on a software program improvement checklist. When he posted, his phrases appeared to maneuver folks, and folks actually listened to him.

I understood this extra whereas engaged on an task in Canada. We labored on the similar consumer, albeit on totally different initiatives, so I lastly bought to place a face to the title. Though we labored on totally different initiatives, we sat in the identical cubicle space. I bear in mind he would at all times greet me on arrival, say goodbye earlier than leaving, and, regardless of his difficult mission, at all times had a smile or a joke to share. Extra importantly, I found I might at all times flip round and ask for enter when not sure about something. He at all times made time to fastidiously pay attention and noticeably pause and suppose earlier than responding.

In management circles, you typically hear the saying, “On the finish of the day, folks received’t bear in mind what you stated or did; they may bear in mind the way you made them really feel.” John made everybody really feel listened to. Since you felt listened to, you additionally listened to John when he stated one thing. Regardless that my mission solely lasted just a few months, his role-modelling underscored how everybody can present management with out being a proper chief.

Amit Uttam

Earlier than becoming a member of Thoughtworks full-time, I had the great fortune of being a part of a workforce that had introduced in Thoughtworks for what was purported to be a short “consulting and technical” steerage engagement. Simply prior, I bear in mind feeling reasonably drained from continuously being pulled into non-technical areas of workforce and enterprise administration, whereas nonetheless making an attempt to maintain my ever-fading technical embers alive and stoked.

It was in that temporary engagement that I met John Kordyback, and he confirmed me that it was okay to be wizened, quirky, politely irreverent and unapologetically technical. I ultimately turned John’s colleague and teammate at Thoughtworks Calgary, and I can say with full confidence that a few of my most vital profession choices and trajectory forks are laced with a little bit of his particular salt.

I’m a greater particular person for having identified John, my pal.

Chirag Lakhani

I take into account myself extremely lucky to have had the chance to collaborate and work intently with John on current mission collectively. Our in-person interactions throughout a current mission had been invaluable, as John proved to be not solely an distinctive workforce member but in addition a mentor and coach to me. His steerage on main classes and public talking was significantly enlightening. John’s insights reworked how we approached consumer issues, urging us to suppose outdoors the field and embrace risk-taking and speedy iteration. Outdoors of labor, our conversations over dinners supplied glimpses into his passions and his love for his household. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his long-awaited bike, ordered amidst the challenges of the Covid period. He needed to get pleasure from his bike rides throughout his sabbatical. Even throughout his sickness, John’s resilience shone via. Our Zoom conversations had been at all times stuffed together with his unwavering positivity, and he took delight within the medical care he obtained. Regardless of dealing with powerful days, he made time for us. We performed New York occasions puzzles (Wordle & Connections) on a regular basis and his aggressive spirit thrived. We cherished sharing scores day by day with one another on our personal Wordle channel. The current absence of his scores in our Wordle channel serves as a poignant reminder that issues won’t ever be fairly the identical with out him.

Relaxation in peace, John. Your presence is sorely missed.

Blanca Lopez

I bought the chance to collaborate with John after I got here again from maternity go away. I used to be overwhelmed by this new stage in my life as I used to be looking for stability between skilled life and my new position as a mother. Kordyback was not solely an excellent colleague who helped me discover my means again to work, he was a tremendous human being who additionally shared parental suggestions, beer and meals suggestions.

He was a pure chief with excessive values, a sort smile, dad jokes in his pocket and an ideal option to discover alternatives to share his admiration for Joanne.

Kelly Cronin

I solely labored on one mission with John, about 3 years into my tenure at TW, however he and the actual foxhole we had been in there left an enduring impression on me. My first assembly with him was, delightfully, within the bar colloquially identified account-wide because the Kordy Shack, the place he grinned a welcome at me, handed over a menu he didn’t want, and made just a few suggestions, ones which I used to be silly sufficient to not take.

Over the subsequent few months, as a “pre-technical” addition to a really technical technique group, I made an insane pest of myself badgering everybody for particulars on the whys, with the intention to perceive, and assist inform the story of, what we had been doing there. Anybody coming into our communal convention room in between grueling consumer conferences was instantly waylaid and set to narrating my more and more unreadable whiteboard diagrams. However John had a present for clarification, even when explaining to somebody as hard-headed and pre-technical as me; a present he’d honed by way of lengthy years of seeing round corners for his shoppers when all they may see was a legacy spaghetti diagram; for serving to them discover a facet door out of the technical corners they’d painted themselves into.

He had unimaginable persistence for that form of dialog. He gave me diagrams explaining some primary information precepts and defined a few of the steps the consumer was going to need to take alongside the way in which to the transformation they needed; then gave me the truth of what they had been more likely to do once they ran out of time and money, and the place that might seemingly land them. He helped me fill in an enormous hole in my understanding of knowledge platforms broadly. I won’t ever learn to pay attention like John, however I definitely realized I ought to pay attention to him. I won’t have had the talents to acknowledge how deeply his data truly rooted, however even I might inform the person was seeing the forests, the bushes, and all of the leaves and bugs and sub-bark phloem and xylem that stored the entire rattling factor alive.

That is to say nothing of his dry Canadian wit, his willingness to be foolish, his abiding love of an absurd headline or dad joke, and his utter graciousness within the face of this unfair, infuriating prognosis and sickness. To have such a person be minimize quick is definitely tragic; for him to be praising his luck on the way in which out, for the remedy he obtained and the assist of his household and pals, and the care of his medical workforce, and the life he bought to guide up till…. that’s to his core the person that he was: following hope the place it led down an arduous path, then gracefully bidding hope adieu to stroll the remainder of the way in which with realism and peace. We who knew him had been fortunate; and we’d be fortunate to face what he did as he did, with vulnerability, equanimity, and look after these he left behind. It was yet one more hole in my data that he stuffed for me, and I like him for it.

Michelle D’Souza

John and I labored collectively in 2008 for various years on my very first account at Thoughtworks. It was a big and nebulous account and more often than not I felt I didn’t know what I used to be doing. However John, together with his huge and reassuring smile (the factor I’ll miss essentially the most about him), made me really feel like I used to be able to something.

He was a robust believer in recognizing an individual’s strengths and amplifying these. He was one of many first few folks to indicate me the significance of the human facet of know-how. Irrespective of how busy he was, he steadily popped by our cubicles to share a random bicycling story or to speak about consumer technique or the brand new hotness in tech.

He was a mentor not simply to me however to anybody who was prepared to pay attention. He will likely be dearly missed…..

Nick Thorpe

The primary time I met John Kordyback, he swept right into a consumer we had been working at. It was my first job, and I used to be nervy. I requested him what he was doing there. He pointed on the sky, and stated “Air Cowl”. I had no concept what he meant, however as we turned pals, I got here to know it meant “influencing folks many ranges up from what you see out of your vantage level”.

John was at all times involved about folks, however he by no means purchased into bullshit. In a while, we had been speaking about how a few of our colleagues had been deriding the mission as “waterfall”. I had no concept what to say to that, as a result of it was true! He put his hand on his mouth in mock horror, after which got here that wolfish Kordyback grin. “Inform ‘em to recover from it”. He stated.

Christopher Hastings

I met John on one among my earliest TW initiatives. He was sort and heat, but in addition had a tremendous perspective on what was vital. As a current rent, I used to be nonetheless making an attempt to kind via the best way to method working with shoppers, and John was at all times a gradual hand to deal with what was vital. He was sort to swap tales of carpentry and different initiatives, as properly. He’s already missed.

Lejo Varughese

John was a guiding gentle in my private {and professional} journey. As a mentor, he performed the position of the smart ‘grownup’ throughout vital phases of my profession, providing steerage, and a gradual hand via life’s ups and downs. His kindness, knowledge, and dedication will proceed to encourage and information me as I navigate the trail forward. Relaxation in peace, expensive pal and mentor.

Jez Humble

co-author, Steady Supply, Lean Enterprise, The DevOps Handbook, Speed up

John was an exceptionally skilled and skillful chief and problem-solver who efficiently guided groups and initiatives to success in essentially the most complicated and ambiguous conditions. I bought to know him due to his work serving to a workforce at a big insurance coverage firm implement steady supply practices on mainframes. You’ll be able to see the wonderful discuss he gave on this matter at a convention I organized in 2013. I should have proven excerpts from this discuss over 100 occasions over time.

What actually made John a particular particular person for me was not simply what he did, however how he did it. He mixed being tremendously laid again with caring an excellent deal for the folks round him. He would at all times lead with an enormous hug and checking in on everybody, and softly throw in some zingers to spice issues up. He made everybody round him really feel like their perspective had been invaluable, and that they had been cared for. His deep observe of empathy and loving-kindness was not less than as vital as his technical talent in making the folks he labored with profitable, and I realized an excellent deal from his instance. I’ll miss him very a lot.

David Robinson

I had the privilege to work with John Kordyback on 3 events throughout my tenure at Thoughtworks. I’m a greater human and a greater advisor due to him. I aspire to be the type of Thoughtworkers he was. His humility and kindness made a optimistic impression on his colleagues, pals, and shoppers. I actually appreciated his relaxed angle, even when issues bought “fascinating”. I’ll miss him

Tom Clement Oketch

I had the superb privilege of working with John extensively at a consumer in Houston from 2018 to 2019. His data of enterprise structure, testing in all its varieties, mainframes, and legacy modernization was unmatched. His capability to command respect and restore calm to chaos in a room filled with executives was magical. Nevertheless maybe my favourite trait of his was the persistence and empathy with which he handled everybody round him.

It’s not typically that somebody as sensible and excellent as him could be prepared to put apart their lofty accomplishments to have deeply impacting conversations about all the pieces from work and profession, to household and the goofiness of American versus Canadian tradition, to random conversations in regards to the superb photographs he had taken of his cat. I learnt rather a lot from John, and for that I’m deeply grateful.

Relaxation in peace, sort pal.

Ben Escudero

I’ve nothing however fond reminiscences of John’s prolonged tour of Australia that go properly past studying about how watching ice hockey will be thought-about a marital exercise in Canada. All the time prepared to inject his rascally humour and a depraved smile into an interplay, John introduced a deep sense of humanity and social connection to all of his technical engagements.

If John was on the workforce, you at all times knew that each single member of that workforce would have him looking for them, supporting them, encouraging them to think about a unique perspective to the state of affairs at hand. This went means past being beneficiant together with his time, John merely embraced the concept offering pastoral care was in step with the years of expertise that he introduced to each interplay.

Listening to John categorical his timeless love for his gal, often within the presence of stated gal, was a lesson within the energy of vulnerability, of the enjoyment of being in love, and the significance of expressing gratitude for all that life has to supply. John helped form and information many technologists who had been lucky sufficient to have had his assist on the powerful issues that wanted to be solved. His considerate, loving care for everybody inside his orbit stays with me even after a decade of our final mission collectively, and by gosh I like that fella for it.

Jonathan Kohl

I met John over twenty years in the past after I was in my first company IT atmosphere as a software program tester. John had been requested to try my work, and supply steerage and suggestions as wanted. I used to be a child operating with scissors writing Ruby scripts for take a look at automation, and management felt that it’d assist to have an grownup within the room. I used to be nervous after I confirmed John what I had been engaged on. My code solved the issues I wanted it to unravel, nevertheless it was easy. I used to be additionally utilizing a precursor to what turned the Watir automation instrument, and he was enthusiastic when he noticed what I used to be doing. Not solely did he praise my work and stated sort issues in regards to the code I felt so self-conscious about, he had every kind of nice concepts for enchancment. He helped me promote my concepts to the remainder of the workforce, and was so optimistic about properly, nearly all the pieces.

Someday, I used to be upset and John got here by to see how I used to be doing. I had been requested to digitize an info radiator that I’d created, however the stipulation was that I needed to create it in Excel. Once I fumed to John that it was not possible to create the reporting dashboard we required in Excel, he stated: “You are able to do something with Excel should you actually need to.” He was proper, and he taught me the best way to make API calls and leap via every kind of hoops and awkwardness in Excel to unravel the issue. It labored, and the managers I labored with had been happy. Through the years, he would convey it up, grinning, with a gleam in his eye. “I advised you, you may make Excel do something, even should you shouldn’t.”

John felt that there was extra to discover than having a sober second take a look at my automation work, so as a substitute of him reviewing and advising, we began to actively work collectively. We began pairing to see how testers and builders might collaborate on Check Pushed Growth for software program initiatives. We found out one of the best areas for a software program tester to contribute, and we additionally found out a number of practicalities about having two folks with totally different talent units pair programming collectively. That wasn’t sufficient although, John needed me to be taught and personal TDD myself, so from then on, we might pair and I realized the best way to write take a look at instruments utilizing TDD, one take a look at at a time. Once I moved on to turn out to be an unbiased advisor, these hours spent with John actually paid off. I had important expertise, a greater command of crucial instruments, and the affect of his optimistic angle and unflappable presence, irrespective of how chaotic the atmosphere was. I used to be additionally in a position to write articles and converse at conferences on matters we had skilled collectively, all as a result of a sort and beneficiant man noticed one thing in a brash child, and hung out instructing and inspiring me.

Apart from the technical facet of his affect, what I’ll bear in mind essentially the most is John the particular person. After I moved on and we didn’t work collectively anymore, we nonetheless stayed in contact. He was a improbable particular person to bounce concepts off of, or to ask recommendation after I skilled tough conditions as a advisor. If my concept was half baked, he’d let me know, nevertheless it was at all times a optimistic expertise. John would additionally problem my concepts, and information me in the direction of different views, all with out me feeling challenged or interfered with. Later, after I was on the street myself, I appeared ahead to our paths crossing if we occurred to be in the identical place on the similar time. Assembly John like this meant I used to be in for a night of excellent meals, nice dialog, sharing battle tales, tons and many laughter, and luxury.