One always needs a role model or, as Yogi Berra said, if you don't know where you are going, you are there. I always wanted to learn more and, fortunately, I was always around people who knew more. I also am not afraid to ask questions and show that I don't know. It is sort of a Venn diagram with known on the inside, unknown on the outside, and the circumference being things you are aware of. The larger the circle, the bigger the circumference. So the influences came from the teachers in school, folks who wrote the books, like Aaron Tenenbaum, Moshe Augenstein, David M. Arnow. Later folks at work who knew all the shortcuts, pitfalls and how to translate the ask into real requirements. Then, back in school, James C. Hall, Kevin J. Wynne, Roberta Cable, and many others that helped me learn and understand. Then there are people on the teams I had the privilege to be a part of, or lead. But most of all, I learned form students in my classes. They helped me hone my skill to listen, understand and explain.