Fred is like a god of technology. If there's a new technology, Fred
not only knows about it, but has likely used it either professionally or
just to gain experience with it. He's constantly learning and keeping
up to date, and his enthusiasm for doing so is infectious. He uses
this knowledge along with his vast experience to apply the right technology
to the given problem space. He consistently has a focus on quality
and doing things the right way. Fred was Agile before Agile was a thing.
The ideas about collaboration, TDD, and delivering thin slices of a
project as working software quickly and with quality have always been in Fred's
repertoire. Most importantly, Fred is a Fred (refer to
http://bristle.com/~fred/MaximizingTheFredFactor.htm
).
He is easily the most generous person I have ever met, and will always
go far out of his way to do for others. He gives of himself financially
as well as with his time, knowledge and compassion. He is kind, patient,
and a great listener. For all of these reasons it's no surprise that
he has amassed a huge network of friends and colleagues who all greatly respect
him and would each jump at the chance to work with him. Finally, Fred
is just a great guy. He is fun to hang out with and talk to, and always
makes you feel welcome and important. I would highly recommend Fred
to anyone for any task, and he'll do it with a smile.
Colleague Gail Rifkin, 3/18/2015
Fred has done amazing work, far beyond merely turning our ideas into software.
He thinks about the whole problem, its context, its implications, and
its future, and builds for the long term. He meticulously documents
the options overruled, and why, as well as the path taken, so nobody wastes
time revisiting settled issues. It's a pleasure working with him. When
I first hired Fred, his references were highly enthusiastic, and now I understand
why: his work is so polished, it's as if we got 2.0 instead of 1.0.
Client Sharon Flank, CEO, InfraTrac, 12/22/2008
BTW, you have done what I wanted to do in the first place but thought was
simply not possible. I like it a lot.
Sandra Stocker, Unix columnist for ITWorld.com, 12/8/2008
Not only does Fred know darn-near everything (or at least it seems that
way) but he brings an unbridled enthusiasm to his work that I have seen in
few others with a comparable depth of experience.
Client Dave Forbes, CEO, Emantix, 1/13/2010
Thanks for the info... I would not have thought of that. I
have a name I'd like to propose for your website/knowledge base... "Stlukapedia".
Just a thought.
Colleague Craig Rothe, 1/15/2010
Fred is one of the smartest and most knowledgeable I.T. people I know.
He has a deep understanding and love of software and an inherent desire
to teach anyone who’s willing to listen. Much like the open source
philosophy itself, Fred values the greater good and is always willing to help
others. On a personal note, you’ll never meet a nicer, more ethical
guy. He walks the walk and elevates everyone around him.
Client John Patriarca, President, Balanced Computing, Inc., 1/13/2012
Fred is a Super Hero of both software and people!
You've heard of Batman and Robin, but have you heard of
Fabulous Fred? You really need to!
Fred can take something complicated and confusing and boil it down
in an understanding way. His positive attitude is contagious,
too! He goes beyond the call of duty. He makes a simple
lunch into a complete and engaging learning session where you are
motivated and encouraged to try new and amazing things! The food
at the lunch is good, great even, but greater still is the content
and conversation from Fred! Fred has the Fred Factor to be
sure! I cannot recommend him more highly. He is a Software
Super Hero after all!
Colleague Bob Shank, 8/3/2018
I have worked with Fred on various projects for over 20 years.
He is always a pleasure to work with. A curious and agile mind,
Fred is not only quick to pick up new technology, he is also quick
to understand its benefits and drawbacks. No technology is
perfect, no matter how hyped it is, and Fred can always help to
find the best path forward. With his long experience, Fred also
knows where all the sand traps are and will always help reduce the
risk of time and cost overruns as well as help curb technical debt
that will build-up with any project. If you have never worked with
Fred and you get the chance, take it...
Colleague Dave Bartlett, 1/6/2019
Fred is a detail oriented developer who communicates well as has a broad
based knowledge of the technical work that he does. He is personable,
incredibly hard working, a good teacher and dependable. We love him.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 7/24/2014
Fred was the undisputed technical lead in the VB space in the company.
He created multiple innovations and extensions to the product, many
of which were considered by Microsoft for adoption. Exceptionally hardworking,
smart and inventive, yet, always helpful and would never make you feel like
you're missing something. And did I mention attention to details and
documentation?
Colleague Alex Yankelevich, 2/21/2015
Last year, I hired Fred Stluka for $1,000 and he saved my job.
Client Jim Blackwood, IT Director, CLSI, 11/29/2012
You are a one-man font of tech wisdom.
Client Dave Forbes, CEO, Emantix, 9/10/2009
Thanks AGAIN for your detailed, thoughtful comments on everything we do
- I am revising, aligning, thinking about follow-up materials, and I am,
as ever, relying on your insights as I do it.
Client Sharon Flank, CEO, InfraTrac, 3/22/2010
You are far wiser do what is best.
Client Dave Forbes, CEO, Emantix, 9/24/2009
By the way, Mal and I both appreciate the time and effort you are putting
into this. But then, I knew you would do a first class job.
Dave Weiss, brother of client Malcolm Weiss, 10/21/2009
Thanks for everything. ... If you ever ... don't
hesitate to ask. I owe you plenty.
Client Dave Forbes, CEO, Emantix, 1/8/2010
A friend
recently gave me a copy of Mark Sanborn's book "The Fred Factor".
Mark's story of the service his postman Fred provided was a great read.
Such service is extremely rare these days.
As I read the story I tried to think
of anyone I know who provides this level of service on a regular basis. A
lot of great folks who provided lots of great service over the years came
to mind. But I wouldn't say any of them were a "Fred".
But after
I stopped reading and starting something else I did think of a "Fred" ---
Fred Stluka. I could totally picture Fred S. worrying more about Mark's
mail more than Mark would.
Fred maintains mailing lists that distribute technical
tips, career advice, and so much more to the folks with whom he's worked
over the years.
He's truly interested in everyone in his wide circle of friends.
He's the type who would do anything for a client or a friend. He
always goes the extra mile. He's fun to be around. He's wicked
smart. He's very organized and definitely thorough.
He's a total "Fred".
Colleague Tim Noon, 5/15/2015
Your notes are incredible for their depth, otherworldly language and communication!
Thanks for your hard work and commitment.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 11/30/2012
You guys are unbelievable....the staff was excited today when we showed it to them at a staff meeting.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 12/13/2012
This is so so exciting! Yay and thanks so very much to you all....as usual making us look great!!!
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 12/21/2012
Fred was the technology guru behind our recently launched mobile site which is a super exciting step for us with lots of potential for use with our patient fundraisers.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 12/22/2012
You continue to amaze. I know this month was not glamorous stuff
but so critical for infrastructure behind the scenes. Thank you.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 2/7/2013
I have been doing user testing on the patient pages and dashboards. There
are no words for how excited I am to roll this out for our patients and staff.
Everything worked 99% seamlessly (reported issues to Janice) and it
was so user friendly and has so much potential to add functionality in a way
that is intuitive, helpful and forward thinking. ... Having tested on
my phone and laptop, I am very mindful of the endless variations on a theme
you had to think through to present this content nicely across various platforms.
Amazing!
It is just a great structure.
I am so excited to meet with the PS managers next week to show them your
progress so they can get their team ready for this transition, which should
be easy given how intuitive the site is.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 8/9/2013
Look forward to celebrating over a cold beverage and good meal, the wonderful legacy that you are making for our organization
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 10/14/2013
Thanks for being so responsive to the crisis last night! And you
should know that the credit cards are up significantly since launching the
new site so perhaps it is because folks are finding it easier to donate.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 10/18/2013
This is very exciting. Well done team and thank you so much. These will
make our patients very happy!
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 10/29/2013
I actually told Lynne earlier that I thought you are one of the most brilliant
developers that I have ever worked with and that we are fortunate to have
you working on our project. I also appreciate your attention to detail. I
thought I was a very detail oriented person until I started working with
you - you actually put me to shame in that area! I look forward to a long
working relationship.
Client Janice Chamberlain, Director of IT Services, HelpHOPELive, 10/31/2013
You have summarized everything so beautifully and thank you thank you for
your hard work on this issue. This is real progress on this issue and great
options. ... The Board was blown away by the beauty and complex nature of
our on line patient pages.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 11/15/2013
Wow HelpHopeLive has updated their patient pages and they seem so much
more informative now!
User Mel Smith on her Facebook page, 12/3/2013
I just wanted to say I really enjoy the new web site. It’s
much more efficient and user friendly. It is so much
easier to use and makes so much more sense. Thank you for all of your
hard work.
User Julie Holtsberg, HelpHOPELive, 4/23/2015
Those first two updates especially are awesome. ... Has saved
my neck a couple of times already this week! ... Keep up the
wonderful work. ... It is making a significant
impact on my work life.
User Emily Webb, HelpHOPELive, 4/23/2015
Thanks for your insights. A man of versatile
skill sets…who would have thought you had so much instinctual knowledge
about marketing and online marketing.
Client Lynne Samson, Executive Director and CEO, HelpHOPELive, 1/3/2014
I am reminded how utterly amazing a job you did.
Client Sharon Flank, CEO, InfraTrac, 5/28/2014
The entire team rocks and has truly made the HHL experience so much better
for our patients! And you have been so patient with me -- this
non-techie has learned so much from you –- your guidance has allowed
me to continue to step out of the box with ways to enhance fundraising possibilities
for all those we serve.
Client Joni Henderson, Director -- Fundraising and Patient Services,
HelpHOPELive, 10/27/2014
Thanks again for the Fred Factor book. I finished reading it last
night. You are the epitome of Fred the postman. I was thinking
of you as I read it… “Fred S. does this… Fred S. does
that…” You
have such passion, enthusiasm, and above all expertise of your craft. I still
remember when I was starting out (1999-2000) and you explained to me about
networking, TCP/IP, routers, firewalls, web apps, windows apps… basically
EVERYTHING because I was in the process of setting up a small office of 10
for my brother in law’s company. You set me on the right path.
I ended up setting up the new office and writing the “back office” software
to track their business, as well as several other pieces of software that’s
still used today.
Colleague Mick Eng, 3/17/2015
Fred is a nice addition to any development team. He is a great team member,
very thorough, detail oriented, and produces excellent documentation.
Client Ami Assayag, Founder and CEO, Visibiz, Inc., 10/17/2011
I find your tips to be very useful and read them all to the
end! I'm relatively new to IT and am nearing on 3 years of total work
experience - I could definitely use any/all pointers available. I'm
so glad I subscribed to your mailing lists as I've learned quite a bit from
them. Thanks a lot for sharing!! ... This is extremely helpful! Thanks
for sending out these great tips, Fred!
Subscriber Nihara Thomas, 2/21/2015, 5/9/2015
I worked in the same group as Fred during part of the time I was at Glaxo
SmithKline in King of Prussia, PA, albeit on different projects. I
was there as a specialist in a relatively narrow field, Fred impressed me
with his breadth of knowledge across a wide range of techniques and packages.
When I was drafted unexpectedly into his group at very short notice,
Fred was always willing to help out while I got up to speed on what was unfamiliar
territory to me. Put simply, the man knows his stuff
Colleague Brian Meadows, 11/22/2011
Fred is one of the good ones in the information technology industry.
He is committed to learning, growing and sharing ideas with his peers
and his customers. His relationship with Genesis and the customers
he has worked with is extremely positive. He is a pretty good golfer,
as well, even using pre-1970 equipment. I highly recommend Fred and
look forward to working with him again at our clients!
Client Mike McKeown, Partner, Genesis Micro Solutions, 6/26/2008
That’s good Fred. I’ve read your emails from this morning and
there is a lot of good info I am looking forward to using and getting more
familiar with. I appreciate your detailed info sharing.
Client Bill Lawson, Project Manager, HelpHOPELive, 5/27/2015
That is a great overview of this -- thank you!
Client Susan Murray, CFO, HelpHOPELive, 6/1/2015
Thanks for all your hard work on all the Website side and the releases.
User Terri Siggs, HelpHOPELive, 11/20/2014
If you're officially on vacation, please let me know and I'll engage someone
else. You're just always quick to troubleshoot issues, so I'm starting with
you.
User Shannon Shensky, HelpHOPELive, 6/4/2015
Fred - My savior! Thank you so much for helping me troubleshoot this unexpected
issue and for your additional assistance with HTML.
User Shannon Shensky, HelpHOPELive, 6/5/2015
I finished reading the latest Steve Jobs biography and there was something
in it that made me think of you. Steve was talking about hiring... "In
most businesses, the difference between average and good is at best 2 to
1. Like, if you go to New York and you get the best cabdriver in the city,
you might get there thirty percent faster than with an average taxicab driver.
A 2 to 1 gain would be pretty big. In software, it’s at least 25 to
1. The difference between the average programmer and a great one is at least
that. We have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the
world. And when you’re in a field where the dynamic range is 25 to
1, boy, does it pay off.” - Steve Jobs
After reading that, first person
to come to mind was you. You are 25 times better/faster than the average
programmer!
Colleague Mick Eng, 5/9/2015
Happy to endorse you as having the Fred Factor. I LOVE the Fred
Factor description. You are the Freddiest Fred I know!
User Rebecca Carr, HelpHOPELive, 6/6/2015
Thanks Fred, you rock!
User Terri Siggs, HelpHOPELive, 8/3/2015
YES!!!!! I have only had maybe 3 dups in the past couple of weeks. So I
figured they did something to correct this issue. GOOD JOB FRED!!!
User Peach Brown, HelpHOPELive, 8/3/2015
Wanted to relay that your idea to have the stakeholders set priorities
on tickets and include that in the stakeholders document was brilliant.
Thanks
for the foresight. I think having stakeholders
prioritize, then repeatedly share that with them really works.
Project Manager Bill Lawson, HelpHOPELive, 9/24/2015
Thanks Fred. You make all of our jobs so much easier.
User Amy Rubinoff, HelpHOPELive, 10/1/2015
I thought of you because during some of our last lunches, I thought it
was crazy the way you did development. As it turns out, you were right!
I have much to learn from you Master Fred!
Colleague Mick Eng, 12/21/2015
I appreciate you prioritizing this. Thanks for all you do, Fred for
HHL and others.
User Julie Holtsberg, HelpHOPELive, 1/14/2016
Thank you for your work on this!! Even with small issues still being
worked out, I just LOVE the way videos can now appear right on a client’s
Campaign Page. This has really been a massive step forward for us in
catching up to some of our competitors’ platforms and interfaces.
User Emily Webb, HelpHOPELive, 1/18/2016
Just heard from one of the Patient Services co-directors that a lot of
our clients are using the new video feature, including clients who have never
before put any new content on their campaign pages. So I just wanted to share
that with you! Thanks for your work on this feature, because it’s clearly
a hit!!
User Emily Webb, HelpHOPELive, 2/11/2016
So many POSITIVE changes with our HHL website! I am so impressed with all
the new features we can use… It’s been really helpful
here with my job. Janice showed
us this morning how to see recurring payments, etc. I get so many Financial
questions and these resources will be so very helpful going forward. ...
THANK YOU --- as usual you are so incredibly helpful.
User Julie Holtsberg, HelpHOPELive, 3/24/2016
Fred, this email has been the most timely and useful email ever! OK, maybe
not... you send many great emails.
Colleague Michael Ma, 4/14/2016
You have been very helpful to me and saved me lots of the frustration I
would have encountered if I attempted the Amazon cloud stuff on my own.
Client John Hewitt, CEO, CRE Precision, 12/2/2009
Fred is exemplary in his attention to detail and standards for excellence,
above and beyond what is asked of him. He gives freely of his time
in many a volunteer effort. You'd never regret adding him to
your software development team.
Colleague Alan Elkner, 4/22/2016
Blog post about Fred::
http://blogger.io/meeting-with-fred-stluka-ceo-of-bristle-com-software-inc/
Excerpts:
Fred is also a career coach and gifted writer as well as loves to
share his career advice and experiences with others.
... We scheduled a lunch.
... While I only expected to have a conversation, this man was a
professional and literally began taking notes, had his laptop out,
writing down meeting minutes. I was not expecting that.
We discussed many things including emerging technologies, legacy
systems as well as interviewing tools, techniques for jobs and my
previous experience building Zosting.com. C2C projects were also
amongst the topic of conversation.
... He likes to help like-minded people with their careers.
He shared articles upon articles, upon articles of success
stories, projects, finding the right job, as well as the art of
negotiation.
He's a very learned and wise man I thought to myself.
After about 2 -3 hours, we parted ways and he said, "I'm going to
recommend you for a job at one of my previous clients".
Many people say they're going to help, but very rarely follow
thru.
However I got a very good gut feeling, Fred's a very
genuine man. That feeling came thru, I received an email from him
while CCing another on a recommendation for a role. WoW.
Thanks, Fred, I really appreciate that.
He carefully composed a letter of recommendation while still
continuing to coach me. This is a very kind man and below are his
kind words about me from our brief encounter together.
Colleague Hemant Kohli, 12/9/2019
Hundreds more coming... Hard to put them here as fast as they arrive. I
have real work to do, you know!