Inspirational people in Software
Recently K. Scott Allen posted on the inspirational effect of books on software developers and so I mentality sifted through my memory in an attempt to find one that I could say really had that effect on me. My first problem was finding a definition for ‘Inspiration’. I am going to take some artistic license here and avoid any accepted dictionary definitions and lean on my own personal experiences to assign a meaning and value to ‘Inspiration’.
In the past when I have been inspired it has always had a cause and effect relationship, I get inspired to *act* for a given cause or outcome. Sometimes this is a private affair and other times it’s a shared experience, nonetheless it’s always rooted in action, the effects of which are distinguished by a *reaction* (hopefully positive) from myself and other people with whom I interact.
There have been a few people along the way during my career in software development that have inspired me, some whom I have had the pleasure to meet and others whose teachings and ideas I have followed. In each case I have indeed been inspired to learn and grow. I have also had the privilege of working in groups where the individuals within were able to inspire each other through sharing a common goal. The latter of these types of experience I have found anecdotally to be increasing in frequency with respect to software development. It goes without saying that when I had a career in music this was far more commonplace.
K. Scott remarked in his post that:
“An inspirational book, in my mind, transcends any specific technology and makes you think differently about how you approach your job.”
a statement that for me rings true for any form of inspiration, whether it comes from books or other sources. I remember in my days as a music recording engineer / producer, I worked with artists and drew on the teachings Constantin Stanislavski (the father of method acting) to provide inspiration for character portrayal in live performance.
So what about you? Who inspires you? BTW, that’s a rhetorical question unless you see fit to share your answer.
