EPISODE 047 - Career: What are the advantages of being an MVP?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidel and the second episode of three is about what are the advantages of being an MVP. We had it in the last episode of how to become an MVP. So we have a episode, a topic spanning about over three episodes and we are now in the middle and we talk about all the advantages. No, but the advantages of being an MVP. So the first one is maybe that's a little bit more related to my passion as a speaker, to be honest, but I see it also from others. So the first one is that I think that it's much, much easier to be accepted as a speaker on conferences as an active MVP. Okay. So. MVP and now I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about the MVP's. MVP might stand for a profession, MVP might stand for specific acceptance, specific, some kind of quality. And of course, all those people who are arranging those tech conferences are interested on having MVPs because they might sell some more tickets, they might sell some more sponsorships and they might attract some more attendees. So as an active MVP, my opinion, but I think it's really the fact I haven't done any conference as I haven't been an active staff member of a conference. don't know exactly what's in the back and how conference is arranged and everything.

Michael Seidl: when you see those tech conferences and they do the advertising and see, we have that amount of MVP's or we have this MVP about that topic and whatever. So that might be a factor that they hope to sell more tickets, to sell more sponsorships and everything. So if you're an active MVP, might be, or it is, in my opinion, definitely easier to be accepted as a speaker. And maybe some background information. We as an MVP or we as tech speaker have to...

Michael Seidl: We are not automatically invited for, I don't know how many sessions and conferences to be a speaker. We have to write a proposal. It's called call for speaker call for papers. So we have to think about what kind of topic we want to talk. We have to think about the title, the description. how difficult it is, maybe prepare the sessions before and everything and presentation. So we have to write the proposal and then we might be accepted or we might not be accepted. Okay, so there is no automation that every MVP is just on every conference. No, we have to apply to speak. And that's what I think is easier as an MVP that you will be accepted for specific sessions of for specific conferences. And that's what I like, for example, because I like to do speaking and tech conferences and the traveling and everything. So that's maybe I think a big advantage. that I get a lot of speaking slots as an active MVP. The second one is a lot of goodies or other things. And maybe here's maybe some wrong opinions in the community out in the IT community. And I want to say it loud and clear, mostly clear. MVPs does not, and I repeat, we do not get any money from Microsoft or anyone else as an MVP. Okay. So we do this for the joy of the community because we love to work with the community. Of course, we might also love to be an MVP. Yeah.

Michael Seidl: But mostly everyone loves to do the community work. Is it speaking? Is it book writing? Is it blog posting? Whatever. So we repeated one more. An MVP does not get any money from Microsoft or other companies. Everything is done on the patience and love for the community. So the only good is we get is. Maybe some hoodies, maybe some sweaters with the MVP badge on it. I got a backpack 10 years ago and unfortunately it's now broken, I think a few months ago and now I'm really sad because I really love those backpack. But that's the only thing. We got some merchandise, some swags. I got an MVP coffee mug two years ago. And funny thing, Sometimes we have to pay for this, but we have access to it. But different, different way, a different topic. from the Microsoft side directly, what we get is a little amount of Asia credits per month, but those are very, no complaining, but just to be honest, it is very low. So it's not about I can run my Asian environment for my company for free. No. It's about, I think, a hundred US dollars per month. it's only, it's defined to be for us to test something, to have an environment to talk about and everything. So that's the idea. So we don't get the money, we just get some Asia credits. We get some E3 licenses, but for the same to test and see and talk about. I think that's it from the Microsoft side. I think you get some GitHub license, GitHub pro license, I think, but I'm not sure. But also for the same to test, to see and to, it's nothing to where you really can save money. Yeah. So, so no worries. We are not having any licenses for free. Okay. It's just for testing and to, work with those products a little bit, but it's not.

Michael Seidl: have anything for free. And also other companies, Microsoft related companies, give away some test licenses for free for active MVPs. So for example, I'm using Exclaimer that's putting the signature automatically on your emails, on the outbound emails. And as an active MVP, you get some licenses for this. And of course we at Automator give away a free license for active MVPs. And of course the idea of those companies is that the MVPs talk about the right blog posts and everything or use it and demos and whatever. Okay. So that's a win-win situation. But once again, we don't get anything for free. We don't save any money. It's just about testing different products. Okay. That's the good as we get from Microsoft, from third party. companies and some goodies as I said, coffee mugs, something like this. And once again, and I can't repeat it too often, we don't get any money from Microsoft. There is no money from Microsoft for this. We do this on our own, on our own expense, at our free time, on our own expense, on our own money. And just we love it. That's it. Okay. And the third one, the third big advantage is business-wide. MVPs can... No, no, no, no. Don't get me wrong. I just added this point because it maybe affects me as I have my own company. I work with Microsoft products. I sell my product. I sell my consulting. So... That's the reason I wanted to add this point. For all those who want to be an MVP because they now can have more business. Nope, that's not, that's definitely not the case. If now there are MVP's out there who disagree with me, let me know. Maybe I'm too stupid to do it, but the MVP title has no advantage when it comes to business side.

Michael Seidl: Okay. You can't double or triple your hourly rate. There is no automatic lead inbound magnet as an active MVP. No. I'm doing consulting since I think 25 years right now. Yes, I'm that old. I've been an active MVP since nearly 10 years. I think had three or four customers in that time being an MVP who actively noticed that I am an MVP. At least they noticed it. But I think it's around 0 % who decided to work with me only because they see that I am an MVP. zero. So as I said, if there is an MVP out there who disagrees with that, let me know. Maybe I'm just too stupid to use it. That's fine. But at least I talk with other MVPs and what I see and heard from them. There is no advantage when it comes to business side. So for those guys out there who wants to be an MVP because they can double and triple their hourly rate and their product or consulting is now selling automatically, I have to disappoint you. It's not. So the advantages is what I see that and there might be a lot of more, but when I see the time, are also again over 10 minutes right now. So what I see as an advantage is Of course, the speaking that you get easier speaking slots, that you get some goodies. And maybe something very important I haven't mentioned yet is that you are allowed to travel to the MVP Summit once a year. So that's a conference from Microsoft arranged where all MVP's coming to Seattle to talk to the broader groups to get sessions.

Michael Seidl: from the broader groups, but on their own expense. So Microsoft is not flying us in in first class. Don't be jealous. No need to be jealous. They are arranging the conference. They give us the possibility to talk to the broader group directly. We also can do this during the year. But we have to pay the hotel. We have to pay the flight. We have to... stay out of our business for that week. that's it. Yes, it's a big advantage to talk to the product groups. Don't get me wrong, but there is no money directly or indirectly from Microsoft for anything. We have to pay for it on our own. have to pay the hotel, the flights, everything. And maybe one business related advantage is that you have access to the product groups where you are in. So in my case, I'm a graph API. Now it's a little bit direction co-pilot and PowerShell and formerly system center. So had a direct contact. Now we have a direct Teams channel with the product group. So we can ask them questions. It shouldn't be much and of course, no stupid questions or easy questions. But they're here to help and answer if we struggle with a very, maybe, bug or very tough topic. Or we can ask in the name of the customer, maybe, what about this? What about that? And that's, I think, one of the biggest advantages that we have. And that's maybe business related. But that's also... depends on the product team, on the product team lead, on the relationship you have. There is no guarantee that we get an answer. We have the persons, we can write them on Teams, also via email, and they will get a different flag as an active MVP. But there is no guarantee, there is no SLA, whatever, that you get an answer. But we have a line to say to the product group. And that's, from the business perspective, is

Michael Seidl: very big advantage. Okay. So maybe that, that, that one was very important. Nearly had forgotten it, but good. And the last one is, yeah, you get some MVP swag. That's nice. And one more time to make it really clear. We do not get any money from Microsoft. Okay. We just love community work. get the title and we just love the community work and we get some goodies and some, some. some stuff, but definitely no money and no other monetary advantage in any kind of way. So no direct or indirect money from Microsoft or anyone else. No. Okay. So second part is done. I wish you a nice weekend. I wish you a nice Monday. I wish you a nice week. Stay productive and see you next time. Bye bye.