Who Is Bill Wake, the Host of XP123.com?

Updated

Bill Wake is an independent consultant and teacher who has worked with XP (Extreme Programming) and Agile software development for many years. He is the author behind XP123.com, a site collecting his essays on XP, Agile, Lean, Scrum, and related software topics. His experience spans domains including financial services, biotechnology, and publishing, and his broader interests include design, games, and mountain dulcimer.

Professional Background

According to the site's "Your Host" section, Bill Wake works independently as a consultant and teacher rather than through a single employer. His Agile involvement is long-running, and his project experience crosses several industries:

  • Financial
  • Biotechnology
  • Publishing
  • Other domains not individually listed

This range matters if you are evaluating whether his writing reflects a narrow specialty or broader practice — the site presents it as the latter.

Books and Writing

Bill Wake is listed as the author of:

Book Co-author
Extreme Programming Explored —
Refactoring Workbook —
Design Patterns in Java Steve Metsker
Refactoring in Ruby Kevin Rutherford

These titles connect directly to the themes on XP123.com: refactoring, test-driven development, and XP practice. The site also notes that some material formerly hosted there has since migrated elsewhere — billwake.com now holds posts unrelated to agile software, and jobaids.info covers how to create job aids.

Where to Find Him Beyond the Site

The site points to several ongoing channels:

  • Mastodon — @[email protected]
  • Twitch — streaming on a varying schedule announced via Mastodon, typically 9 am EST / 2 pm UTC, Monday through Thursday
  • Current project — described as "a breadboard for learning about compilers," with older episodes archived on Twitch

He also mentions a comics series on the site, including "SwiftUI – Data for Views."

Why This Matters for Reading XP123.com

Knowing the host's background helps you calibrate what you find there. The site is a personal essay collection, not a corporate documentation hub, so the content reflects one practitioner's long experience across XP, Agile, Lean, and Scrum. If you want an overview before diving into specific essays, the site's own "Start Here" section recommends pages on Test-Driven Development (TDD), Refactoring, and User Stories.