#MVPbuzzChat with Laurent Sittler

[music] Hey everybody, it's Christian Buckley doing another MVP buzz chat and I'm talking today with Laurent. Hello. >> Hello Christian. >> Good to see you. And and Laurent, for folks that don't know you, who are you? Where are you? And what do you do? >> Um, my name is Lauren Citra. I'm a Microsoft 65 architect since um five years ago now and I'm living at Montreal, Canada. >> Very cool. And a little more background like are you independent? You work for a company? >> Work for a company. I was a consultant since there as many as as far as I remember I was always a consultant. uh switch for my new employer as an employee now since five five months ago now and this is my first experience as employee. Uh but I'm still working on Microsoft technology. >> I know that there's a kind of a misnomer out there. People think it's like oh you have to be doing MVP like you know out on your own. I think it's a pretty solid mix of MVPs that I've met that are met that are split between independents like myself and folks that work for consulting companies or big companies. It there's really no requirement there. It's just uh it's usually working for companies that are that understand or are respectful of the MVP program and appreciate, hey, we've got an employee who has really great access into Microsoft. Uh but you know, how how's that how's your company treat your MVP? >> Um before that, they they didn't know about the MVP program. Um I'm just aware them about that and I explain what is an MVP of Microsoft uh what is the purpose on how we can be a MVP uh just uh quite easily and um they're just aware about that but most of my client previously when I was a a consultant more of them we don't care about an MVP because uh they don't know what is the pre value of an MVP and they didn't know what is expecting what what has a skill or VP compared to another kind of consultant today and maybe because um I know uh I knew a lot of MVP and some of my client didn't um directly identify what's the difference between um a usual uh consultant compared to an MVP and it is only when they are be able to work closely with an MVP that will be able to uh really enjoy the difference between an MVP and a simple consultant. because of the knowledge, because of the access, because of the um preview of experience of what Microsoft road map. This is exactly because when you are an MPP, you are compliance with the Microsoft road map and the V overview of Microsoft I want to uh propose or provide to the clients directly. So this is a huge difference between a simple content I think today because you have directly this kind of overview and maybe other things is >> a lot of different kind of uh you know um circle organization when you are in you have a more information compared when you are out so even when when you're working uh as Microsoft consultant you have 20 years of experience that's really really great difference between an experienced consultant compared to an MVP. Even if the MVP has only 10 years of experience, he will have maybe more information compared to the people that have 20 years of experience. We thought to be in the MVP program. This is totally different. Yeah, >> this is a mindset. This is vision. This is an overview. This is uh communication. This is a lot of things like this. And and for folks that again that aren't as familiar with the the the program again to have somebody have an employee who is on phone calls regularly I I mean weekly there are calls going on in multiple product areas where we are uh learning about the new features. We're discussing the roadmap. We're providing feedback on early uh features. In fact, this is uh one of the things that we have to be careful of and that we talk about uh in this this series certainly um is learning about features that are being developed and that might be on the plan to be released by a certain date and and then they aren't released that what decisions for whatever reason Microsoft pulls back on some things or delays the timing of those things and so we have to be very careful when people ask questions. I have to think I know about this. I have to go and look and find out what's actually been released, what's public before I talk about it and share um feedback. But one of the things and I've worked primarily for product companies for ISVS is that I can say even when there is something I'm not allowed to talk about a feature yet. It's not public. It's it's all under NDA I can give feedback back to my product team and say hey here's this direction that we are we're directionally correct in this or I know the strategy with Microsoft is going this direction. we need to go and build in this direction or uh you know modify our our marketing materials in and prep for this next release you know so we can give guidance again in the direction that we that we're aware of with the roadmap we have to be very careful about what we specifically talk about that it is public but we have insights into where Microsoft is going next steps so that's incredibly powerful >> yeah is Exactly what you are saying because you have preview feature that a lot of people already access but when you have some information under NDA this is such as um a bonus because you have a sort of overview of the direction that Microsoft want to go even if you are not really any kind of things because I have a lot of NDA example but I can't talk about that yet but when you know why what Microsoft is preparing on the side you can already anticip ipate some um architecture of your solution because if you are going to something that you know by by NDA uh you know that that will be deprecated in the future because the way of Microsoft is totally different you will have the trend to do not go in this technology because you know you already known or already have maybe you guess that Microsoft would not go uh forward with the kind of technology so you would try to do something else even if maybe just postpone the project why not you can say because you are an MVP you know that Microsoft is preparing something you should wait uh before going forward on this technology or something like this you don't share any kind of NDA you just mention that you shouldn't go there but if the client want to go anyway he can go but you already that maybe it's not a good idea because you know something but even it's not clear crystal clear you already known what you have to mention Yeah. >> So I think as you mentioned this is a real power that you can have because you already have this overview of this kind of information before even compared to another people that do not know that you already know that. >> Yeah. Well, it's why I I think I I've said for a long time I provide advisory services. I don't know if you do something similar where said even just come and and you know hire me for an hour or two have like a a discovery session. let's just you know let me let me provide some advice some guidance on what what you're doing is because we're giving that advice based on that perspective based on that knowledge. So, uh, it can be beneficial, you know, just to have a conversation with an MVP. Not that I'm pitching services. I'm the worst salesperson in the world. That's not what I'm trying to do. But, >> yeah, I think something really different compared because you mentioned sales people. When you are MVP, you have a knowledge about the real use cases compared to sales person that just have the product in mind. So when you are MP you can already present some real use case and uh um present the uh the pros and the cons of the use case why you should do this why you shouldn't do this and you can share it quite easily because you have the community I'm already um I'm very oriented community today I I love to share my knowledge on what I already have the opportunity to do with my clients uh as soon as the client is agree to uh my client agree to share information I'm really glad Glad to just share of the community maybe for the Montreal one uh for the group of usage of Montreal for Microsoft 65. I I'm very glad to be able to share some use case to help each other to go and grown up on the technology of Microsoft. >> Well, Lauren, so you've been uh an MVP for over a year now. You're you're in your second year. You you've been around the system a lot. I still want to know like you know so it's while it's fresh in your mind um of you your origin story of becoming an MVP like what was that process like for you was it were you aware of the program did you have friends that were MVPs kind of how did you find your way in >> uh that's an interesting question they can be long to explain so I will show the the short path um I was when I began uh in Microsoft technology I was student during my training uh information And I was not aware about Microsoft MVP program. I just aware about Sharpon because I began at on Sharpon 23 20,000 um 2003 Sharpoint I began. >> Oh wow. Okay. Yeah. Same same version that I started on. Yeah. >> Okay. This quite long now >> and yeah I didn't know nothing I don't know nothing about Sharpoint. I have to learn fast quick because I was in a huge company with a lot of developer and I don't know nothing about that. So I learned for a couple of year and I I began this uh newware new adventure new journey. It was um I was something such as 25 years old and uh I participate to my first Saturday when I was uh 29 years old. So that means four years later I knew the f for the first time I have the first time experience to a community of Microsoft people. I and I met a lot of people that didn't know and for just for the story because I I think this is quite funny. I [laughter] I love to talk about this uh this story because this is the first time I met someone. Um I will I will say who who is what at the end. uh but I spend all of my day uh between the different kind of room and I was very surprised for me an there are a lot of MVP that you already know such as Vlad and so so many people and I met them for the first time at the end of the day uh I met someone that just in the in the room and say to me u who are you uh how many time you work we are working on Microsoft and I say yeah it's not a lot maybe for four year now and he asked me what do you what do you think about sharp point I said um I'm I came back from a PHP developer first of all or before Microsoft and I said for me Sharpoint is it's a sort of complex platform it's not easy there are a lot of missing features that can be really useful for developer this is quite complicated to have a wall infrastructure to be a developer because you have to have some virtual machine to be able to virtualize because you laptop is not enough powerful. Maybe you have some server just near about you to be able to to develop something. So this this man was very impressed. Not very impressed but very interesting about my feedback. At the end he said he just said he mentioned say okay I have to go I have I have my last presentation for today. Um we can be meet each other later. I say okay. I go to the same room as attendees and he speak he's speaking and my boss uh during this period of time my boss say just asked me do you know who is it I said no I talked with him in the room near about here but I don't know who is it is a f sharp point okay who is a f sharp point Jeff tipper okay I don't know it is I don't know this is kind of natural and After that uh I have some after some research I knew who is uh who is Jeff Taper for the first time and I was really interesting about uh you know this implication of people that should be simple and love to be connected to developer expert uh even if you are a junior or senior in the comp for your technology it was interesting and after that I was more implicated in the community And I I'm um for the first time I heard about MVP program but for me it was inaccessible because for me MVPs was something very expert with a lot of knowledge they are just fantastic people and after a couple of years now that means we are now eight years later I was the first time MVP because mainly because I love to share because I love to be a network I love to be uh with other people that love the same thing that want to share because sharing is caring. I love to be I love to be able to direct in contact with people that already have this experience can share something new uh experience whatever and um yeah this is my uh my experience as MVP and become an MVP for the first time. >> No, it's very cool and I I love the uh Jeff Teper story. I I mean I I first met him while I was an employee at Microsoft and and and and working, you know, in that in that space, but uh no, he it's it's great having leadership who don't just uh um pay lip service to the community, but he he puts in the miles. He he goes to different events. Although I I ran the uh the Utah SharePoint Saturday event or I I I helped run that to clarify because it wasn't a oneperson deal. It was the user group leadership and put that on. But we did that for eight years and we kept inviting Jeff out and it always seemed to conflict with other just the time of year when we would hold it with other events. But uh um yeah, somebody who I I consider a a friend as well as a great leader in the space. So, uh, it's, uh, no, I really appreciate that story, uh, because one, I mean, it shows that I think something that is, um, is certainly true. Um, for folks that are familiar with the MVP program, but think there's no way I could become an MVP, you know, there's all different ways to contribute. In fact, I didn't ask you like what's your fi your primary contribution type? Are you a a writer, a video creator, a you more in the forums? Like what are your primary contribution types? >> Uh my first time mainly developer first of all because I came back from here and after that it was mainly um blog posts. >> Okay. Yeah. It's because that's the other thing where which I think frightens people. There's like, look, I I love sharing what I do, but I don't want to speak in in public and or or I I've never written a blog post in my life and I just want to uh I answer questions in a forum or or I add code bits up to GitHub. Like all of those things are contribution types and there's not any set list of things like you must do these things to become an MVP. Um just find your comfort level. the the ways that you like to give back to the community and just be open to helping people. And it's uh obviously you have to have a certain level of visibility. Somebody has to see it, recognize that Laurent, hey, you've done a lot in this space. And so, yes, I agree you should become an MVP. Um, but that's uh that's something you can all also get help with if you're doing a bunch of things for the community, but just you're not uh don't have that level of visibility. that something where well go and start networking go and talk to other MVPs like what did you do about that for visibility >> yeah that's I think this is a main subject today between if you want to compare some MVP because you have different kind of MVP really before that 10 years ago it was most expert because you're sharing um very complex scenario very complex use case now it's totally different uh you as you mentioned you have MVPs that love just sharing experience some use case quite easy just or you to use PowerPoint. I don't think previously you be uh you can be an MVP of PowerPoint that 10 years ago. >> Oh yeah. No, you could maybe more complicate to sharing something on PowerPoint. Now it's quite easy uh thanks to YouTube play whatever the the media that you want to share is quite easy. So most people are it's more easy today I think to sharing something compared to previously. You can share something quite complex or just a dayto-day trick and chips and I think both of them is totally different but both of them are foring something really important for the community because sometime you're just forgetting basics fundamental of tools but because a lot of people are going to complex most of them now during the period of AI most of people want to afford something new something complex or you can simplify complex process or something like this but most of people just forgetting that you have some basics some fundamental behind all of this. So this is why today being an MVP is is more um waste. You you have a lot of more possibility to be an MVP today compared to previously and different kind of sharing as you mentioned you can just sharing use case by video you can sharing script you can sharing code you can sharing directly complex scenario that you just uh process between different kind of tool of Microsoft yeah sharing is caring can share what you want as soon as something that you be uh comfortable and you are proud of you and You want to share something because this is something that you want. I think this is the most principle point to be an MVP. This is something that I think that not be an effort. This is something in your ADN. You want to share something. You have capabilities, you have experience, you have some use case and you want to share to someone else. So I think this is one of the ADN of an MVP. loving sharing, sharing skills, sharing tricks and I think this is something to begin to be a good MVP. >> Completely agree. It's uh I I mean sharing is at the center of of all the things that we do and uh you know it's it's it's great to go out and create and and uh I think there's a lot of uh you know introverts that just want to hey I just want to work. I want to get the stuff done. I want to I'll share the things that are out there. But there's still introvert or extrovert. You're sharing things out there. You're you're helping kind of pave the road for others that are kind of finding their way. We're answering questions. Whatever that is, we're trying to help in some way is and that's that's at the core of everything that we do as part of the program. So >> whatever the the the number of contribution, whatever the amount of contribution, this is not important. uh because you mentioned visibility you can share only maybe just for for sharing some number you can share only 10 things in there you can be an MVP and you can 100 and you can be an MVP anymore because that will depend on the quality and if it's something really interesting and because this is something that you want to share this is really bas I think on the on the quality on um if it's something that you're just doing for two months and after nothing else or if you are constant in contribution and that that's the pillar of an MVP. >> Yeah, it consistency matters a lot. It's I I always tell people that if you if you're struggling to figure out it's like ah I can't I can't maintain this level of activity. I said well right there is a sign that maybe this the MVP program is not for you because I I don't think of it that way. I I do the things that I do. I enjoy what I'm doing. It's just part of the way that I work that I share out things. So >> yeah, this is why I say this is not a need for this is something that you're already doing. This is just something that you share in the huge huge audience that just your colleague maybe if you're already doing with your colleague with your uh with your employer that can be something that you can share directly on internet rather than just keeping in on your organization if your organization agree with the case of you are sharing something external. So for example the most of uh quite easy way is just the vision if you're just looking for the new feature testing it that's sufficient for the first of all you're already doing it so it's not a real effort to just sharing it on internet because you already do the job so this is some something that you have to push up yourself to be able to do this and that thing I think this is one of the difference between some MVP today uh some of them have the ability by the emperor to do this Some employer are totally aware about what is an MVP and want to push the employee to be MVP compared to some people that want MDP first of all for themsel. That's totally different too. >> Right. >> This is your time. This is personal time after that. Moreover, >> exactly it's Yeah. It's it's well kind of back to where we started. It's like it's great to have a company that supports you. It's it's uh it's almost uh you know to find somebody whose company um doesn't support their activities, their community activities, and yet they still find time, their personal time to go and do those things. Yeah, that it it adds some weight to it as well. But yeah, well, hey, Lorent, really appreciate your time. It it's it's great to uh to to meet you and and get to know you. It it's funny like thinking back of that era, that time, like I may have even been at that event. Um been to a few up there back in that that that era. So used to used to do a lot of SharePoint Saturdays back in the day, but uh yeah. >> Anyway, well, I really appreciate your time and uh hope to connect with you soon. >> Yeah, a pleasure. See you soon. Wow.