How I became and stayed a Microsoft MVP for 15+ years

I found out yesterday that I have been renewed for the 16th year in a row as a Microsoft MVP. Thank you #Microsoft for awarding me this honor again. It's never a guarantee that you will be renewed so it's always a pleasant surprise when you receive that renewal e-mail.

Over the years, I've had many people ask: What's the secret for becoming and staying a Microsoft MVP? When I get the same question too many times, I either create an article or record a video about it. So here we are ??.

There's already a lot of information from Microsoft's perspective as to what the MVP program is all about so I won't go into any of that.?The purpose of this article is to write down my own thoughts, experiences, opinions and my personal journey of how I became an MVP in 2007 and have kept that designation for 16 years as of 2022. Please take it for what it's worth and remember that your mileage may vary. I hope this article benefits some people out there by providing a better understanding of the program.

The myths

Let's first dispel some common misconceptions about the program. I have heard many people declare that Microsoft awards the MVP designation if they think you're a really smart guy / gal and know a lot about one or more Microsoft technologies. I would disagree.?

It's not about how much you know, it's about how much you share what you know.

Another misconception is that Microsoft MVPs have a monetary relationship with Microsoft. Also incorrect. Neither I nor any other MVPs receive any monetary compensation from Microsoft for being part of the MVP program. We speak publicly and openly about our thoughts on the good as well as the bad decisions that Microsoft makes in terms of strategy as well as product execution. None of us wear a Microsoft badge.

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My pre-MVP journey as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

Before I got my MVP, I went through the process of becoming a MCT. When I applied for and got my Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) award back in 2005, that took a lot of work.

I had to take a bunch of certification courses to first refresh my Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) credential. Then I had to record myself teaching a class. Luckily, I did plenty of that during that time when I was teaching 2, 3-4 day classes in-person every month. After that, I had to write a justification of why I deserved to be awarded the MCT honor, pay the $400 application fee (if I remember correctly) and then cross my fingers ??. That was quite a bit of work at that time to become a MCT.

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The process of becoming an MVP

In contrast to the MCT designation, when I got my first MVP award in 2007, there was no fee involved, no application process either nor any certification courses to take. In fact, I did not even know that I was nominated and I just found out on July 1st, 2007 that I had been awarded the MVP designation. I was humbled and honored.?

I had started contributing to the Microsoft community regularly back in 2005. It was honestly just to offload the information that I was consuming and imparting in my classes that I was teaching. I was getting similar questions again and again in the classes I was teaching and to make it easier for myself, I just went ahead and started creating and posting free articles and videos and then pointing people to that so I wouldn't have to answer the same questions again and again. A large collection of my videos are still on our VisualSP company YouTube channel but all the really old content has since been removed.?

After doing this for some time, it just became a habit for me. I would record videos, publish articles, answer postings on blogs and forums, present sessions at conferences, etc. Once it became a habit, it became who I was instead of something I did.

I have never considered myself a professional writer (as you can probably tell from this article ??) nor have I ever truly mastered video production, but I like to think that I do a good enough job with both to be able to get the information from my head to those who need it - quickly and efficiently. I truly believe that's all that matters in the end anyway in this fast pace world that we live in. I honestly believe that you have to sacrifice perfection and press the publish button often enough to get comfortable with the process.?

Once you become an MVP, you get your own page on the Microsoft MVP domain where it lists your bio and community activities. Here's a link to my MVP profile where I log most of my community activities (although I did get lazy during the pandemic year and didn't log much of what I was doing …). You can see, as a reference, what I have been up to over the past few years. BTW, the activities are culled after a few years so you will only see data for the last 3 years I believe.?

The content production to consumption ratio

I know many smart folks out there who consume a lot of information and seem to know the answer to everything when asked. However, unfortunately, many of them shy away from sharing that information publicly. It is true that when you put yourself out there and share the information through an article, video, webinar or so forth, you are opening yourself up and are vulnerable to possible criticism publicly.

The trick is to always remember the intent of why you are producing the content and that your content will potentially help someone out there. Then also be humble enough to know that you will make mistakes from time and time and someone might call you out. There is no way to avoid that.

Having said all that...?

Increase your content production to consumption ratio and share what you know

If you continuously contribute to the community, the rest takes care of itself.?

Contribute in Your own way

Over the years, I have heard people say that you have to contribute in Microsoft forums to become an MVP. That's false. I have a lot of respect for people who contribute regularly in Microsoft forums. But that's not the only way to contribute to the community.??For example, I usually contribute in the following ways (in the order of preference):

1. Speaking at conferences, webinars and podcasts
2. Creating informational videos
3. Writing articles and blogs
4. Answering questions in forums and Quora

I personally truly enjoy imparting my knowledge to others. It provides me the fulfillment I need. I have created thousands of videos over the years (no joke), have presented hundreds of sessions in person and online and have written hundreds of articles. I personally have benefited myself from every single one of these things and would have it no other way. Even if I don't have the MVP designation in the future, I would continue to do what I'm doing because that's just who I have become.

Having said all that, I would strongly urge you to be yourself when contributing to the community. If you ever feel that you are contributing in a way that's draining your energy instead of pumping you up, you need to rethink your contribution strategy IMHO. The rest will take care of itself. That's the real secret. Good luck ??

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P.S. I'll continue to contribute to this article with additional questions and queries that I get. Let me know if I missed anything.

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FAQs

How would you summarize what the Microsoft MVP award is all about?

I think Microsoft has already done a good job of summarizing the MVP program.

The way I would describe it is that the MVP program is Microsoft's way of recognizing your unpaid contributions and efforts to the Microsoft community.

Are Microsoft MVPs employed by Microsoft?

No. In fact, you cannot be a Microsoft MVP if you are an employee. If you are employed by Microsoft, you have to forfeit your MVP designation.

How can I get nominated as a Microsoft MVP?

The best way to get nominated is to have a community influencer or existing MVP fill out the nomination form for you. It is best that this person knows your activities and can vouch for you because the subjective part of the nomination also goes a long way in my opinion.

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Do you get paid for being a Microsoft MVP?

Not a dime. In fact, you end up paying out of pocket for travel and other expenses when you go to the MVP Summit in Redmond, WA?(at least when we used to have those in person before COVID). Was it still worth going to the Summit at your own expense? Absolutely!?

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When you become an MVP, is that for life?

Nope. You have to submit your activities for the year and you may or may not get renewed depending on the quality of?your non-paid contributions and how many people you reached within the year with those contributions.

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What are the benefits of being a Microsoft MVP?

Honestly, if you're asking that question in your mind, you should rethink about becoming an MVP in the first place. Don't take this the wrong way and yes there are multiple benefits when you become an MVP, but if you want to become an MVP because of the benefits, chances are you will not stay an MVP for too long. As I said earlier, the things you do have to become a habit for you to stay an MVP instead of feeling like you are being forced to do something that you don't want to do.

Having said the above, aside from the recognition of being a Microsoft MVP, which is enough by itself I think, you get invitations to the exclusive MVP Summit and early adoption programs as well as product manager interaction meetings to contribute to NDA discussions. You also get free LinkedIn, Azure and Visual Studio subscriptions.

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