Farewell John Kordyback

Joanne Molesky

creator of “Lean Enterprise”, John’s spouse

My first profession was in well being care. I left that area within the early 1990’s because of the 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 discover ways to use electronic mail and train others the best way to use it. From there, he continuously inspired me to maintain going and decide myself up and transfer on once 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 instances by vouching for me in stretch roles that grew to become accessible. I might by no means have been thought-about for them if he hadn’t executed that. He advised me as soon as it wasn’t as a result of we have been married, it was as a result of he knew I may do a very good job and I might not fail. He has a beautiful present to assist folks see the brighter aspect of life and provides us hope that we are able to do a great job regardless of the quite a few boundaries that have to be overcome.

Like many people of a sure age who’ve labored in tech, John by no means acquired 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, check and perceive techniques. Earlier than John began working in Tech, he labored with disabled individuals in group houses. He has quite a lot of compassion for the much less lucky on the planet and would stand as much as bullies when he noticed them behaving badly in direction of the susceptible. He talked about that moderately than confront and punish, he would use constructive reinforcement behavioural coaching methods with drawback folks at work so they may turn out to be a productive a part of the staff. I believe these years working with disabled folks (enormously underrated and underpaid work) paid off in spades later in his profession.

Ian Robinson

creator of REST in Observe

Jim Webber and I labored so much with John, in Calgary, over 2007 and 2008. We went from a one-week troubleshooting gig to a big change programme nearly in a single day. I believe John had a tolerant skepticism in direction of our massive 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 offer a gentle counterweight, working in his affected person, humble method to set up belief and credibility by educating 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 area for younger, upstart concepts and enthusiasms, and by having enjoyable.

When it comes to affect on my profession, I believe there was a sensible affect then, and an affect now, as I proceed to work out how I would stay a major skilled life. Someday within the early 2010s, I assumed I wished a “identify” for myself in our business. Someday later, I noticed I didn’t. I’d had mayfly ambitions: John’s lengthy profession confirms for me now {that a} vital skilled life shouldn’t be a once-and-done affair. Each engagement is firstly an engagement with a recent 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 as we speak’s approach of working collectively. There needs to be a powerful core of compassion and openness, of here-and-nowness, for somebody to take care of that potential to construct staff 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 so much – 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 light-weight contact of endurance 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 affect on my profession, and it’s straightforward to tease that affect out of all of the silliness that we take care of as consultants. It’s laborious as a result of it feels so flawed to be saying goodbye. It’s far too quickly.

John is a storyteller, and he has a approach of utilizing tales to attach and convey out the very best in folks. I keep 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 nervous that I’d mess up as a result of I didn’t know “Agile.”

I ended up on his staff 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 adjustments in expertise swirled round us at a blistering tempo.

What strikes me is that I keep 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 venture particulars, as a result of they weren’t that essential. Know-how 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 individual 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 wish to describe the best way by which he dealt with a (typically troublesome) staff. He was not the kind of one who would both dominate conversations and current himself because the authoritative chief of the group, nor was he the kind of one who would sneakily “seek the advice of” his method to the fitting conclusion.

As a substitute, John simply spoke clearly and actually. A standup with John was all the time a kind of palate cleanser, irrespective of how troublesome yesterday had been. His sense of humour was typically the key sauce that helped a staff 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 a substitute of pushing or pulling, he would calmly step in — like an skilled gardener — to information and defend the youngest amongst us as we found out what the heck it was we have been actually doing. Generally this steering was technical and inside, typically it was political and client-facing. Generally it was only a hug when somebody clearly wanted one.

On a for much longer timescale, John’s mentorship meant educating 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 certainly 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 staff. At one level throughout my very first day on the venture, QB jumped out of his chair, yelled ‘Dopio’ and walked out of the room. I had no thought what was taking place however then all the TW staff 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 approach of claiming ‘Come on staff, let’s go for espresso’. That could be a very fond reminiscence of mine.

James Pickett

John and I labored carefully collectively in 2018 by way of early 2020. Throughout that point, I believe John and I had extra meals collectively than I did with my household! After I joined Thoughtworks in 2017, I used to be each a lateral rent and an individual with abilities/expertise that have been “non-core” to Tw on the time. I rely John as one among a handful of Thoughtworkers that basically helped me discover a method to have an effect for our purchasers 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 understanding you!

Evan Bottcher

John was a presence in Thoughtworks from the time I joined in 2006, a kind of voices within the noise inside our mailing record, who when he spoke up you listened to what he needed to say, as you would 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 grew to become 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 check 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 special period of improvement.

Aleksandar Serafimoski

John was an incredible pal, mentor and an incredible human being. He all the time cared about folks, and approach out of his method to really feel folks heard, acknowledged and really feel as a part of the staff. His information and expertise with legacy modernization and testing has been invaluable. He was all the time keen to share his perspective and to assist folks once they have 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 associates since they have been right here on project in Melbourne. One of many issues that basically stands out to me about John is his potential to actually really feel the enjoyment in (nearly) any scenario and to wish 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 sensible. Although I’ve solely seen him sporadically prior 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 function. 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 moderately than run or conceal 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 executed. He taught me to chortle on the day by day tribulations moderately than turn out to be burdened by them. He helped me suppose not nearly expertise, however the best way to implement expertise by way of folks, and the best way to keep resilient when the challenges felt overwhelming. John did way over assist me turn out to be a greater technologist and a greater chief; he helped me turn out to be a greater individual.

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
constructive impression on the folks round him. How he approached
structure and software program supply tied to legacy techniques 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 techniques and
purchasers.

Martin Andersen

After 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 have been all younger, it was considerably unhinged, and it was a number of enjoyable. Sooner or later I heard there was some pleasure that we’d managed to rent this senior man from TransCanada, older and extra skilled. I may see the worth in that, however to be sincere I actually wasn’t wanting ahead to it. I felt just like the temper would shift, get extra critical and boring. After all as soon as he arrived it didn’t take lengthy to comprehend this wasn’t the case. John was all the time an extremely youthful individual. He was enthusiastic and curious and all the time filled with power. And he beloved each the issues most crucial to make this business work its finest: expertise and folks.

I used to be all the time impressed by his potential to stay excited about 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 all the time wished to be near the steel. And whereas it’s not unusual for folks to wish to stay concerned, in an business all the time altering as quick as this has, so many don’t sustain. However John did. He by no means bored with studying, and you would all the time see clearly his pleasure about no matter it was he was pursuing.

I used to be extra impressed, although, along with his curiosity in and concentrate on others. Once you have 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 all the time moderately be smiling, which he normally was. All over the place he went he made associates and put folks comfortable. 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 appear to be work, transactional, however I by no means obtained that sense with John. It felt like he really did simply get pleasure from making connections. Actually, he had the identical enthusiasm and curiousity concerning the folks he labored with as he did concerning the issues he labored on. He made all of it appear enjoyable. Greater than that, he made it truly enjoyable. It nonetheless makes me chortle that I ever thought he is perhaps some gray stultifying presence. I’m glad I had the possibility to spend as a few years round him as I did. I’ll miss him.

Ranbir Chawla

SVP Engineering, RB World

I met John throughout a Challenge Discovery whereas I used to be working at Thoughtworks, and I used to be instantly impressed along with his potential to take heed to the purchasers, ask perceptive questions and attain a fast understanding of the deeper below-the-surface points at hand. John all the time displayed a deep empathy for folks, and on the identical time a really sensible mindset that helped us all see how we may break down a big drawback, perceive the human features and the way they intertwined with expertise issues. He was a improbable communicator, in a position to break down a fancy resolution into one thing very comprehensible by the viewers he was with. He and I used to joke that one of the best ways to ensure you understood an issue was to elucidate it to your mom first, and if she get’s it, nicely then you should perceive it as nicely; so now you might be outfitted to assist take your purchasers on a journey to their finish targets with out dropping them in some deeply technical presentation or planning cycle.

With that degree of practicality and communication John and I have been in a position to associate with our consumer leaders to point out 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 saved smiling, joking, and taking folks on that journey in his personal particular approach.

Most of all, John made that fixed on the street time away from dwelling 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 beloved that we named The Kordy Shack. His humour, empathy, and skill 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 similar to you sir 😊”.

Vanessa Towers

I first labored on the identical account as John in 2013 after which afterward in 2020. John was a standout in each cases, shortly incomes a powerful fame as a technical chief, modernization guru and all-round sort hearted human. John’s humor obtained everybody by way of probably the most difficult instances throughout bold consumer engagements. John’s dedication to our purchasers 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 crucial conferences and dealing classes presently, with a number of cups of espresso wanted to maintain us going by way of the early hours. John’s dedication to rising the subsequent technology of Thoughtworks leaders was an unimaginable present to these round him. John was an inspiring colleague, pal, gardener, prepare dinner, father and devoted husband to Joanne. He shall be enormously missed by his associates and colleagues at Thoughtworks.

Miguel Enriquez

Principal Software program Engineer at Subsequent Knowledge

Like many others, I met John at work throughout very troublesome instances 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 all the time had these pearls of knowledge to
share with me concerning expertise, management and, extra importantly, private
relationships.

I all the time puzzled why he all the time would transfer between conferences with executives to
our little struggle 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, by way of conversations that I keep 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
keep in mind him fondly, smiling all the best way, 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 identify on inside mailing lists. His contributions all the time felt well-balanced and considerate, contrasting with a few of the heated debates on a software program improvement record. When he posted, his phrases appeared to maneuver folks, and folks actually listened to him.

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

In management circles, you typically hear the saying, “On the finish of the day, folks gained’t keep in mind what you stated or did; they are going to keep 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. Although my venture solely lasted a couple of 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 staff that had introduced in Thoughtworks for what was alleged to be a quick “consulting and technical” steering engagement. Simply prior, I keep in mind feeling moderately drained from continuously being pulled into non-technical areas of staff 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 alright to be wizened, quirky, politely irreverent and unapologetically technical. I ultimately grew to become John’s colleague and teammate at Thoughtworks Calgary, and I can say with full confidence that a few of my most essential profession choices and trajectory forks are laced with a little bit of his particular salt.

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

Kelly Cronin

I solely labored on one venture with John, about 3 years into my tenure at TW, however he and the actual foxhole we have 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 a couple of 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, as a way to perceive, and assist inform the story of, what we have 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 purchasers when all they may see was a legacy spaghetti diagram; for serving to them discover a aspect door out of the technical corners they’d painted themselves into.

He had unimaginable endurance for that kind of dialog. He gave me diagrams explaining some fundamental information precepts and defined a few of the steps the consumer was going to should take alongside the best way to the transformation they wished; then gave me the fact of what they have been prone to do once they ran out of time and money, and the place that will doubtless land them. He helped me fill in a giant hole in my understanding of information platforms broadly. I won’t ever discover ways to hear like John, however I definitely discovered I ought to hear to him. I won’t have had the abilities to acknowledge how deeply his information truly rooted, however even I may inform the person was seeing the forests, the bushes, and all of the leaves and bugs and sub-bark phloem and xylem that saved 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 a great dad joke, and his utter graciousness within the face of this unfair, infuriating prognosis and sickness. To have such a person be reduce quick is definitely tragic; for him to be praising his luck on the best way out, for the remedy he acquired and the assist of his household and associates, and the care of his medical staff, and the life he obtained 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 best way with realism and peace. We who knew him have been fortunate; and we might be fortunate to face what he did as he did, with vulnerability, equanimity, and take care of these he left behind. It was one more hole in my information that he stuffed for me, and I really like him for it.

Michelle D’Souza

John and I labored collectively in 2008 for plenty of 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, along with his massive and reassuring smile (the factor I’ll miss probably the most about him), made me really feel like I used to be able to something.

He was a powerful believer in recognizing an individual’s strengths and amplifying these. He was one of many first few folks to point out me the significance of the human aspect of expertise. Regardless of how busy he was, he regularly 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 keen to hear. He shall be dearly missed…..

Nick Thorpe

The primary time I met John Kordyback, he swept right into a consumer we have 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 thought what he meant, however as we grew to become associates, I got here to grasp it meant “influencing folks many ranges up from what you see out of your vantage level”.

John was all the time involved about folks, however he by no means purchased into bullshit. Afterward, we have been speaking about how a few of our colleagues have been deriding the venture as “waterfall”. I had no thought 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.

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 constructive impression on his colleagues, associates, and purchasers. I actually appreciated his relaxed angle, even when issues obtained “fascinating”. I’ll miss him

Tom Clement Oketch

I had the wonderful privilege of working with John extensively at a consumer in Houston from 2018 to 2019. His information of enterprise structure, testing in all its kinds, mainframes, and legacy modernization was unmatched. His potential 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 endurance and empathy with which he handled everybody round him.

It’s not typically that somebody as sensible and excellent as him can be keen to put apart their lofty accomplishments to have deeply impacting conversations about all the things from work and profession, to household and the goofiness of American versus Canadian tradition, to random conversations concerning the wonderful images he had taken of his cat. I learnt so much from John, and for that I’m deeply grateful.

Relaxation in peace, sort pal.

Ben Escudero

I’ve nothing however fond recollections of John’s prolonged tour of Australia that go nicely past studying about how watching ice hockey will be thought-about a marital exercise in Canada. All the time keen 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 staff, you all the time knew that each single member of that staff would have him looking for them, supporting them, encouraging them to contemplate a special perspective to the scenario at hand. This went approach past being beneficiant along with his time, John merely embraced the concept that offering pastoral care was in line with the years of expertise that he introduced to each interplay.

Listening to John specific his timeless love for his gal, normally 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 have been lucky sufficient to have had his assist on the robust 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 venture collectively, and by gosh I really like that fella for it.