Welcome to 10 Questions With, a blog series where we get to know members of the Xamarin community a little bit better.

In this installment of the 10 Questions With blog series is Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, Lori Lalonde. So without further ado, let's get to it!

1) What's the first thing you do when you start working in the morning?

Technically, the first thing I do when I start work in the morning is hit the power button on my Surface Book :)

2) What superpower do you wish you had?

I wish I could freeze time, so I had uninterrupted blocks of time to geek out on ALL THE THINGS!!!

3) What's one thing that you do when developing software that you know you shouldn't?

There were a lot of times that I would let the unit tests fall to the wayside. I'm not proud of it, but it happens ¯_(ツ)_/¯

4) What makes you happy?

Spending time with my family, walking my dogs, drinking coffee, and coding

5) What first got you interested in software development?

When I was in Grade 6, my parents bought me a Commodore 64. I was immediately hooked. I spent countless hours learning how to program using the manual that came with it. My mom used to scold me that I would never amount to anything by sitting in front of a computer screen all day. Go figure!

6) Where in the world would you most like to live?

Where I am right now! I love Canada, and specifically being in the Waterloo Region which is like our own Silicon Valley. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

7) If you weren't in software, what would you be doing?

When I was younger, I had aspirations to become a famous choreographer like Paula Abdul. Despite never having taken any professional dance training, I still think I could've made that happen.

8) What's the most overrated software skill?

I don't believe any particular software skill is overrated. Any technical knowledge a person has is something that serves as a building block to learning the next thing. On the flip side, I do think that core skills (or soft skills, as we used to call them) are vastly underrated. Learning how to work with a team, demonstrate leadership, deliver a presentation, communicate effectively, negotiate and manage conflicts are all extremely important skills to learn. These skills don't come naturally, and should be a part of every technical person's professional development plan.

9) What music do you listen to while you're coding?

I don't. When I listen to music, I have a tendency to dance. And I can't code AND dance at the same time.

10) What's your motto?

I don't have a particular motto, more of a mindset. I believe that everyday is an opportunity to learn something new and to pass on knowledge that has been learned. It is why I enjoy speaking at user groups and conferences, networking with peers and being involved in my local area User Group.