I suspect Martin plied me to write this foreword while out one evening during the 2010 Plone Conference in Bristol. Full from an excellent dinner and even better conversation, beer in hand, who could say no?

I've long envied Martin's ability to write. Text and code flow from his fingers at a rate that I can't even begin to emulate. I, on the other hand, have been staring at a blank text editor for two weeks now, hoping for inspiration.

One of my first interactions with Martin was in early 2008. I'd been toying with developing a tool that would dramatically simplify editing Plone's layout, a daunting task for most beginners. In response to an early preview, Martin said, I am also half convinced that this is a cruel joke...But if it isn't, then this could be the best thing for Plone since the invention of Firebug. That comment, more than any other, motivated me to see the project through.

After all, it was Martin who inspired me to create it.

Earlier that year, Martin wrote a blog post titled Pete and Andy Try Plone 4, describing the steps two fictional characters might take to set up and deploy a functioning Plone site in 10 days using an array of new tools that greatly simplify the process. A bold declaration of the roadmap Martin envisioned for Plone, the post prompted a flurry of discussion within the community. Rereading it today, it's easy to see how significant an influence it has been on Plone's evolution. For me, in particular, it sparked an idea and touched off a series of events that ultimately led me to where I am today: Leading Plone's core development team and making sure that each new version puts its predecessors to shame.