Craftsmanship

I have the profound and intimidating honor of being the fifth person to make note in the Wandering Book. To be honest, I'd hoped to be later in line. I'd hoped I could read numerous entries and ponder all the wisdom before it came my turn to write. As the fifth, I have to admit there is already a great deal of wisdom in the book. The four before me are remarkable people. And those who will follow me are surely remarkable as well.

Corey Haines talks about practice and learning. He talks about the path to mastery and ultimately, the role of the master as teacher.

Jason Gorman explains that Craftsmanship is not about practices or membership. It is about caring, learning, and practicing.

Dave Hoover ties the two prior entries together and stresses the need for more people to commit themselves to mastery.

Eric Smith tells a personal story of how the craftsmanship movement rekindled his passion for software development.

I've pondered these stories; these lessons; these words of wisdom. I've thought about my own journey. I've considered what it is that drives me. What it is that inspires me. Why I choose to be a software developer and what is important to me about my craft.

There is a simple, poignant, common thread throughout the book already. Learning, Practicing, and Sharing. Craftsmanship is about continual improvement. Craftsmanship is about applying the craft. Craftsmanship is about being your best and helping others to be their best. Craftsmanship is about the free exchange of ideas.

My journey has been long. I've been in the industry for over 20 years now. And I feel as though I am only at the beginning. But throughout the years, the most rewarding experiences have always been those where I worked closely with an open and honest team. And consistently, it is from those experiences that I learned the most and was able to share the most knowledge with others.

Craftsmanship is Learning, Practicing, and Sharing.