Kent Beck, born on March 31, 1961, is an American software engineer and entrepreneur who is widely recognized as the founder of [[Extreme Programming]] ([[Extreme Programming|XP]]). He has made significant contributions to the field of software development and is considered one of the pioneers in agile methodologies. Beck began his career as a software developer at Xerox in the 1980s. During this time, he developed a testing framework called SUnit, which later became the basis for unit testing frameworks in various programming languages. He also co-authored the book "Smalltalk Best Practice Patterns," which focused on object-oriented programming. In the late 1990s, Beck formulated Extreme Programming as an alternative to traditional software development methodologies that often faced challenges with changing requirements and slow feedback loops. XP emphasizes values such as simplicity, communication, feedback, and respect among team members. It promotes iterative development, continuous integration, pair programming, test-driven development (TDD), and customer involvement throughout the process. Beck documented his ideas on XP in his book "Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change," published in 1999. The book became highly influential and served as a guide for software teams looking to adopt agile practices. It presented a set of principles and practices that aimed to improve productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction. Throughout his career, Beck has worked with numerous organizations as a consultant and coach. He has helped teams transition to agile methodologies and has provided guidance on implementing XP practices effectively. He also co-authored several other notable books related to agile development and software engineering. In addition to his work on XP, Beck is known for his contributions to various software development practices such as TDD (Test-Driven Development) and CRC (Class-Responsibility-Collaboration) cards. He continues to be involved in the software industry through consulting work, writing books/articles, speaking at conferences, and teaching workshops. Kent Beck's innovative ideas have had a profound impact on the software development community, changing the way teams approach and deliver projects. His work has helped foster greater collaboration, flexibility, and customer satisfaction in the software development process.