Celebrating a Seasoned Craftsman of the Developer Community

Every great community is enriched by those who work tirelessly behind the scenes, crafting the knowledge and resources that help others grow. In the InterSystems Developer Community, one such person is @Derek Robinson — a dedicated educator, whose passion for teaching has helped shape how developers everywhere learn to work with InterSystems technologies.

👏 Let's take a closer look at Derek's journey in the InterSystems ecosystem.

Derek's story with InterSystems spans nearly a decade — come May, it will be ten years. Like many at the company, he arrived just as something transformative was taking shape. In those early days, InterSystems IRIS was still being developed internally, referred to simply as "the new product" for months before its name was officially chosen. Derek was there for it all: from that pivotal naming moment to the broader evolution toward containerization and, eventually, cloud services.

Within Learning Services, Derek's most memorable work has revolved around the Global Summits and READY — InterSystems' annual conference. Whether leading experience labs, facilitating pre-conference workshops, or delivering presentations, those moments stand out above all others. The reason is simple: at the conference, the impact of learning content becomes tangible. You get to see it reflected in the faces of customers and partners in real time.

One of the most fascinating challenges Derek has navigated is creating learning content for rapidly evolving technologies, such as cloud services. Unlike traditional product releases with discrete versioned updates, cloud services change continuously, meaning content can become outdated for all users almost overnight. This reality has sharpened his team's instincts: they now look more proactively at areas vulnerable to change and plan deliberately for how content can stay accurate amidst constant evolution.

Derek's connection to the Developer Community runs deeper than most: he was introduced to it when the team that built it was still part of Learning Services. Watching it grow from an early prototype into the modern, AI-enhanced platform has been a source of genuine interest. One feature he particularly appreciates is seeing how quickly Community users get their questions answered, and often by fellow community members outside of InterSystems.

His advice to newcomers carries that same spirit:

"Don't be scared to ask your question! You may see other posts that get really technical, and just because you may not be able to follow the details of those posts, it doesn't mean this isn't the place for you. No question is too simple — everyone starts learning somewhere."

Looking ahead, Derek is excited about a key initiative: improving the onboarding experience for Python developers getting started with InterSystems IRIS. The Developer Community is expected to play a central role in making that journey smoother for a whole new wave of developers.

Outside of work, Derek is a passionate sports fan, proudly following all four major Boston teams. He also writes and podcasts in his spare time, interests that naturally overlap with his professional life. As for finding a way to weave the Boston Bruins into an explanation of InterSystems IRIS — well, that challenge remains delightfully unsolved.

This is the story of someone who has been a witness to some of the most significant chapters in InterSystems history, and who understands deeply that great learning content is, at its heart, an act of generosity toward others.

🙏 Join us in celebrating @Derek Robinson for his dedication, creativity, and lasting contributions to the Developer Community and the broader learning experience it helps create.