Remembering Larry Blankenship

I have been part of agile reformation since 2009. I evolved from a voice in the wilderness to part of a growing cohort of professionals who make the world of work better. Unfortunately, this week, our tribe got a little smaller. Larry Blankenship died from a heart attack. I feel compelled to honor the man and his work.  

Like many of us, Larry came to the agile reformation as a frustrated technology professional.  Projects were long, painful slogs that ran over budget and demanded superhuman efforts. So naturally, when someone suggested a better way, people like Larry gravitated toward it.  He preached a common-sense approach to agile and development.  He was mid-western friendly with deep insight into engineering and human nature.  If you started acting smug, you could count on him for some humor and a subtle jab.  

He represents a common theme among the people I know online and in person related to the agile reformation. Each of us has a deep devotion to making work feel less like drudgery and more like a vocation. We are intelligent people who have discovered that many problems in technology are not technology problems but human issues that need addressing.  

Larry epitomized that mindset with wisdom, kindness, and a wry sense of humor.  The agile community is going to be less interesting without him.  Fortunately, more people are coming to join and carry his memory forward.  

Goodbye Larry, we will miss you.