Video summary
In this episode of MVP Buzz Chat, Christian Buckley interviews Sergio Sisternes, a software engineer and architect based in London who recently earned his status as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). With over 16 years of experience in consultancy working primarily with .NET and Azure, Sergio has shifted his recent focus toward authentic Software Development Life Cycles (SDLC) within the GitHub ecosystem. His primary areas of contribution include writing technical content, delivering speaking sessions at public events, and actively contributing to open-source projects like Agent Pack Manager under Microsoft's Open Source organization. He aims to solve complex challenges in scaling SDLC by applying software engineering principles to manage AI agents, create skilled prompts, version them effectively, and establish necessary governance structures for these emerging technologies.
Sergio shares his journey of becoming an MVP, noting that while he had admired the community for years, it was only recently that he dedicated specific time to blogging, speaking, and open-source work after realizing the need to communicate his learnings more broadly. When asked about what makes a high-impact contribution, Sergio emphasizes leading by example in fast-moving fields like AI rather than simply following trends; however, he acknowledges that code contributions are often weighted heavily by Microsoft evaluators compared to blogging or video content. He advises aspiring MVPs not to view the process as additional work but rather as an extension of their natural operating style, stressing that genuine enjoyment and passion for one's topics are essential because if the journey is not fun, it may not be worth pursuing regardless of the title achieved.
To keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology and Microsoft's changing MVP categories, Sergio relies on a strategy of continuous learning through reading podcasts and practicing hands-on implementation rather than just consuming information passively. He highlights the utility of AI as a research companion for generating creative ideas for titles and meta descriptions to improve SEO visibility without relying on it entirely for content creation. Regarding gaps in the community, he points out that while specialized areas like OneDrive have stiff competition due to many existing experts, new spaces created by the explosion of AI offer significant opportunities for those willing to learn quickly and lead charges in developer productivity or traditional machine learning fields.
Looking ahead, Sergio is excited about upcoming engagements including a presentation on Agent Pack Manager at an FSI community event in London this week and hopes to secure a session slot for GitHub Universe later that year, which would take him back to San Francisco where he has maintained the tradition of running across the Golden Gate Bridge upon arrival. He clarifies that while speaking at events is not a strict requirement for MVP status, it provides invaluable networking opportunities and helps build thought leadership visibility. Ultimately, his message to anyone considering this path is to focus on what they love doing—whether writing, coding, or teaching—and let their contributions speak for themselves without worrying about quotas or specific categories, as the community values diverse forms of engagement equally.
Read the full video transcript
[music]
>> Hey everybody, it's Christian Buckley
doing another MVP Buzz Chat and I'm
talking today with Sergio. Good
afternoon or evening to you.
>> Hi Christian, good good evening here in
London.
>> It's great to see you.
Stay safe with the hot weather that's
going on out there. I always like to
start out for people that don't know who
you are, who are you, where are you?
You've already said London, and what do
you do?
>> So, I'm director. I'm working for EPAM
Systems, which is a is a leading
consultancy and engineering company um
based in the United States, but I'm I'm
I belong to the UK operations. I'm part
of the Microsoft business group. Yeah,
but I'm software engineer by an
architect by trade. I've done a lot of
.NET, Azure throughout my career,
pre-sales, deliveries. I've done a bit
of anything and everything in in more
than 16 years I've been in consultancy.
>> Very cool. Well, I know with with MVPs
and you're a brand new MVP, so thank you
for joining the series. It's cuz I
interview people that have been MVPs for
decades and brand new and I ask the same
questions. I always like the same to get
the same background. Um but uh
it seems like or not it seems like it is
true that the two biggest buckets of
MVPs are under the M365 umbrella and of
course that encompasses a lot of
products or Azure, which encompasses a
lot of products. And you're a developer
technologies MVP and I'm not talking to
many of you anymore. So, what's what's
your primary focus? What's your kind of
claim to fame in that space?
>> So, um
I'm focusing more and more in recent
years in authentic SDLC, especially on
GitHub. So I've been focusing more and
more on how we can take this new thing
with this GitHub Copilot and start
applying it to software engineering,
which is what my original background.
And then I've been more and more
exploring that in more depth, working
closely with GitHub and working closely
with Microsoft. And then in the last 6
months as well, I started contributing
to an open source project called Agent
Pack H Manager under the Microsoft Open
Source organization. So yeah, trying to
solve the complex problem on how we can
scale authentic SDLC in organizations.
How can we bring software engineering
principles to manage agents, how we can
create a skilled agent prompts, pack
them, and then version them, and put
some governance around it because I
think I've had the same problem with
everyone with this I'm copy-pasting all
the time and I'm a software engineer
architect, so So I think that's
basically what I've been up to.
>> No, it's interesting to see like the
the changes in this space. The you know,
the the you know,
developer services,
you know, engineering services, the old
software configuration management tools,
and it kind of lead into the model
modern like observability tools on one
side of it, the actual code management
platforms.
You know, one of the things that for
folks that aren't aware is that
Microsoft constantly evolves and changes
the buckets of MVPs. Like I started as a
SharePoint MVP, I got moved into an
Office 365,
and then we're apps and servers and apps
and services then, and then it's back to
M365
and with the concentration on
SharePoint. You know, it's it's changing
all the time. I think the same thing is
happening in developer technologies. You
might see since a lot of it, like I'm
surprised there's not like a you know a
like a GitHub bucket that or or
something yeah that
I don't know. Maybe that maybe that is
developer technologies where kind of all
those things are concentrated. But like
you're focusing on like agentic systems
and all of that stuff. There's there's a
lot that's happening in that space.
>> And it's moving so so fast that we can
keep up with all the changes and news
and yeah.
>> Well, that's why I like to ask how do
you keep up?
>> [laughter]
>> So how I do keep up? So I've
reading a lot, listening a lot to
podcast, I'm trying to practice as much
as talking as low as low as as to to to
practice, right? Because in the end for
me the most important thing is is put
things in practice and learn by doing.
>> Yeah.
Well, that's a a
you know great advice. You know what one
I mean favorite channels, find voices
that you trust that that you enjoy their
content and and kind of rely on the
community to help fill in the gaps
because yeah it it
it's almost every day that you have new
releases, new announcements. There's
always something. Like cuz none of us
are just focused on one category, one
technology. We're involved in a dozen
different places and so to keep up with
all those signals and all those
announcements
>> Yeah.
>> it's just not possible for one human.
>> Exactly. And there's a lot of
cross-pollination in AI because in the
end is is AI applied to SDLC but a lot
of the principles that you're learning
for software development applies to
other other areas of AI or other other
other parts of the Microsoft
capabilities. So yeah.
>> Yeah. So tell me about your your journey
to becoming an MVP. It was that like you
mentioned before we start recording like
you've known MVPs for years but like
what specifically when did you start on
this path and what what kinds of
things did you do to earn the MVP award.
>> So yeah, that's a very very good
question.
As you said, I
I've known MVPs for a very long time. I
always admired the the
the work that MVPs are doing and I
always wanted to become one, but I never
took let's say the let's say the focus
and the time that it requires. So in the
last year, I started to focus in more
and more on
writing blog posts,
speaking to public events,
start trying to
take my curiosity, my learnings into
something that has valued and try to
communicate that to others because it's
the best way to consolidate learnings as
well.
And then I think my my work into
contributing into APM had something to
do as well.
So yeah, I think in the last year, I
just said, "Okay, I'm going to focus on
this. I'm going to work on it." And then
I've been starting all the work the prep
work and that that it requires to submit
the yeah, the candidacy.
>> Well, I think you officially just kind
of yada yada yada
All right.
It's where you gloss over the detail and
that's the detail that people actually
want to know.
Yeah, no, it's no, it's just making a
joke there. No, the and it's now it's
not funny cuz I just had to explain it.
So it's all right.
>> Yeah, it's all [laughter] right.
>> Which is funny in itself.
No,
so I mean people are always interested.
I'm interested in knowing like what are
your the contribution types? Like I'm a
writer. Number one, I love writing. If I
could give up everything else I and and
not speak at and produce other video
content, I would just write things cuz
that's what I enjoy. But I do a mixture
of of things. So what kind of what what
are your contribution types?
>> So it's writing, it's speaking sessions,
and then it's open source contribution.
I think it's the main three areas that
I've been actively working.
>> That's great. And
I I another question that I'm asked a
lot, maybe you have advice on this cuz
you know, people that are interested in
becoming MVPs often ask like, "What
what's the most impactful thing that I
could do?" And from what you just
described, I mean, all things have
impact, but probably the code
contributions have the biggest
uh
you know, a benefit or or get most
noticed by Microsoft. Those kinds of
contributions. It's just it's a fact. I
think they're weighted more heavily
than blogging or creating video content.
>> Yeah, for me I think it's
uh is leading leading the chart, right?
Surfing the wave is being ahead of of
the pack and
communicate your learnings, guide people
in what's coming next. And yeah, and be
and be be different in some way from
from others. So, what is what that makes
you unique and is putting you ahead of
everyone else and try to leverage that
to your benefit to try to
contribute to an open source, do
speaking sessions, or something that
you're interested, or write blog. But in
the end is trying to
raise awareness and lead and help others
to follow you and in this journey.
>> Yeah.
I know there's some people that swear by
using AI now to analyze, okay, what are
all the sessions that are being
presented? Well, you know, what are what
against what are my skills? Here,
recommend let's create give me some
creative titles of things that I could
be speaking on based on things that are
accepted. There's definitely It's like
having an SEO strategy for speaking.
>> Correct. Exactly. And this uh and in the
end AI can help us to research and and
structure our work in a much faster way
that we could do before. It's a very
good help. I would say don't rely on AI
to do everything, but it's a good
researcher, it's a good companion in
that journey. So, absolutely, that's a
very good strategy. Yeah.
>> That's what I say, it's a fantastic
ideation tool.
Very rapidly, here here's the ideas out
there. And I find you usually when I'm
doing that um like I'll I'll write an
article and then I'm just like I I'm
burned out on trying to write a title
for this thing and say here's the
article that's about to post to my blog.
What should I call this thing?
And so I do titles and meta descriptions
for SEO in the background and it's just
it's fantastic. I'll say give me 10
ideas.
And sometimes I'll read through the 10
and be like, "No, it's just not Give me
10 more."
And like, "Ah, number There's one. That
that's the one."
>> Mhm. Correct. That's a very good use
case, yeah.
>> And then I just regret it the next night
and be like, "Ah, I shouldn't have
called it that." But that's all right.
>> [laughter]
>> But yeah, boundless ideas. Well, very
cool. Well,
I'm I'm always I always like asking
another question in areas that are not
my own as a non-developer
uh another question that I hear all the
time though in the advisory group that I
I co-run where we uh we coach people
that want to become MVPs, uh we've got
our call that's the first Wednesday of
every month. So, um
you know, one that's that's coming up
here pretty quick.
Um is uh as people say, "Well,
would I have greater impact in one area
over the other?" Do you from your
perspective
I don't know how long it took you to get
in since when you submitted or started
trying to become an MVP to when you got
through
if
you have any advice like that there's
gaps or areas that you think are
underserved by the MVP community?
>> Any gaps or areas that are underserved?
Well,
yeah.
>> Yeah, and
>> might you might not know. It's it's
something to think about. So, I get that
question you know all the time. And so,
again, I think that it's probably
um there's not there there are not
quotas out there.
So, not to say you can't if you're
specialized in
you know, in one drive and that's what
you want to focus that there are uh you
can be MVP in that area. But,
>> Yeah.
>> the competition is going to be stiffer
because there's a lot of people that
have that that background.
But, there are other areas that
there are fewer MVPs with that
concentration.
>> Yeah. Yeah, I think Yeah, I'm just
listening to the question.
Uh
So, right now I think as AI is moving so
fast, it's creating a lot of new spaces
really quickly. So, anywhere in the AI
space right now,
um
I think areas where there's a lot of
opportunities for people to jump in,
learn quickly, lead the charges I was
saying earlier, and then jump in. Can be
developer productivity, can be foundry,
can be more traditional ML. There's a
lot of I think a space right now that's
being created in the in the in the AI
space. But, for me, the most important
thing and the the advice to anyone that
is willing to go into this journey is
just
enjoy the ride, right? It is not to just
to become the an MVP, it's just enjoy
what you're you're doing, enjoy what
you're talking about, enjoy your topics.
And I think the rest will come on its
own. You know, this year
a year after.
But, it's just focus on what you love
and focus on on the on the things that
you want to do as well as as MVPs. As
you said earlier, it can be writing, it
can be blogging, it can be anything.
>> Yeah.
>> And there's something that when we I was
going through the onboarding uh the
teams highlighted to us is there's no
right way to be an MVP, just do what you
love. We're not going to value one thing
over the other, just keep your
contributions you're doing today.
Um but everything will be fine. So, it
would be my my advice to people.
>> Yeah.
Well, I
you know, I I've spoken to people that
have said like oh, it's been all this
additional work to try to become an MVP
and I've said well,
I I don't think of it that way. There's
a There's a lot that that you do.
There's a lot of contributions, things
that are out there, but this is This is
the stuff that I was doing before I was
an MVP, I'll do after I'm I was an MVP.
I I will
This is just part of how I operate. So,
I don't think of it as additional work.
It's just what I do, just the way that I
work. And so, that's something maybe
that, you know, if you're considering it
to ask yourself honestly, if it feels
like more work,
maybe it's not for you. I'm not saying
you can't think that way and not still
become an MVP,
but it's not going to be as much fun.
>> Correct. It's enjoy You have to enjoy
the ride. If you're not enjoying it,
it's not worth it, right? You have to
enjoy it.
>> So, you're speaking at a lot of events
and things or what's what's kind of your
schedule? Do you have anything else
scheduled the rest of this year?
>> So, yeah, this week I was in open source
in London presenting APM to the
FSI community here in London. Um smaller
events here in in the UK.
Um and hopefully, fingers crossed, I
made my submissions to GitHub Universe,
so
>> Huh?
>> let's see by end of July one of my
sessions is selected and I
I can go to San Francisco late October
and then present in Universe to the
amazing developer community in Silicon
Valley, which is always a really nice
experience.
>> Nice. Have Have to San Francisco before?
>> Yeah, so in the last
uh yeah, 3 years I've been going to a
universe
uh regularly, so yeah.
>> Born born and raised in the Bay Area, so
I I don't get as excited as others to go
back there, so.
>> Yeah, and I have this this is
>> rest- I know where the restaurants are.
I have family I can stay with. I just uh
>> [laughter]
>> And I have this this is small this is
small tradition now, which is every time
that I go to San Francisco, I cross the
the Golden Gate running, so it's like
from my hotel is 20K from the bridge.
Yeah. So I I like to go there as well to
do to do this tradition now, so yeah.
Looking forward to it this year as well.
>> Do you So do you do you go any further
than that? Do you go up into the the
headlands up in Marin County and
I mean
>> No.
>> There's some beautiful areas around cuz
the Muir Woods are just beyond then and
there's uh
I see a lot of people cycling not
running as much on up there, but
>> Yeah, I think when you get past the
Golden Gate, you have to be cycling to
be honest than rather than running.
Yeah.
>> Yeah, yeah, that's true. It gets a
little sketchy over there, but
>> Yeah.
>> But well, fun.
Well, um I know that it's a uh
again with the event cycle. I was in an
discussion with somebody um
who was insisting that you know, they
were not an MVP trying to become an MVP
and and they're like they swear that
somebody told them like you know, you
must be speaking at events to become an
MVP. I'm like Nope, there's no
requirement for that, but it's a uh I
mean it's something I really enjoy doing
it. There's no better networking
opportunities than going and being a
speaker and
and attending those events if you're
able to do that, so.
>> Exactly. It gives you visibility and
again, it it helps you to build the
thought leadership and the what you need
to build to become an MVP. So it's a I
think it's a very good way, but it's not
the only way. Yeah.
>> Right.
>> Well, very cool. Well, Sergio, uh uh I
really appreciate you taking a few
minutes this in your late afternoon
evening to to chat and it's great to
connect. For folks that want to find out
more about you, like where are you most
active out in the social sphere?
>> So, you you can easily find me in
LinkedIn. This is my main, let's say,
net social network right now and then on
GitHub you can follow me there. You can
see my my work in GitHub as well.
>> Excellent. Well, of course we'll have
links to all Sergio's sites and profiles
that he has public out there out in the
blog post and on YouTube. And so,
Sergio, really thanks thanks a lot for
your time. It's great we were able to
finally connect and thanks everybody for
watching.
>> Thank you Christopher for having me. A
pleasure and yeah, keep in touch.