Over the course of the past year I have ran into the term “be the worst” several times. First, Dawn Cannan had an article on being the worst in the Agile Record. But I ran into this even before that, when I read Apprenticeship Patterns from Dave Hoover and Ade Oshineye. Recently my paths crossed the principle in some more books as well – unfortunately I don’t remember all of them.

To me, a previous swimmer, ambitious by nature, being the worst means to work hard in order to achieve the current work at hand as well as to improve myself. It’s a constant driver for most of the things I do, to master them.

That said, at some point between the Agile Testing Days and XP2010 I came to the conclusion that it’s time for me to move on. Most of my colleagues are already aware about the fact, that I will leave my current company by the end of this month.

That said, I leave with a crying and a laughing eye. Looking back for the four and a half years that I stayed at my current company, I learned a lot. Initially starting the product development as a software tester, I got appointed a group leader position after one and a half year. Seeing my team’s struggle, I worked with them to improve the situation, thereby diving more and more into Agile software development. We were able to apply what we learned quickly, and continued our journey. Getting the appreciations from a co-worker recently really made me aware that I made a big impression to him – which made me proud.

For the laughing part, I am going to start a position at it-agile GmbH starting from September. Some of my future colleagues I got to know at last year’s XP Days Germany – many of them I admire.

I don’t know what is right in front of me, but I know that the decision for me to move was right. It depresses me a bit that I have to leave my current company. But the warm welcome I already receive from my future colleagues makes me look straightly forward with a smile. I know that I’m going to be the worst among this great team, but I also know that I am set up for the job.

So, I will spend the remaining three weeks that I got with the tasks remaining, talking to colleagues, and reflecting back, but also looking towards a new step in my life.