The MPV Global Summit 2019: Julien Miquel's grand premiere

Our consultant Julien Miquel, MVP, attended the MVP Global Summit durring the week of March 17, 2019 for the first time. This annual meeting is exclusive for experts who hold the prestigious title of “Most Valuable Professionals” and takes place in Bellevue at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

Afin de nous partager son aventure, il a répondu à nos questions:

What is an MVP?

Julien Miquel – MVP is an acronym that means “Most Valuable Professionals”. It is a title awarded by Microsoft to honour technology experts who stand out for their contributions to the community. Sometimes it is because they give some of their personal time by coding for projects, other experts give conferences to share their expertise, or create content, answer user questions, or provide feedback to Microsoft on their platforms.

What do MVPs do?

J. M. – MVPs make it possible for Microsoft to obtain quality feedback allowing us to move in the right direction.  And when an MVP answers a question for a technical support employee, it helps Microsoft by reducing the processing of support requests.

How do I get the MVP title?

J. M. – I am often asked this question!  But there are no predefined standards for achieving the MVP title. There is no way to say, “If you do that, you can become an MVP. ” It would also not make sense for Microsoft to set clear criteria for getting this title. It is a recognition title that indicates that you are doing more than expected, that you are finding time beyond your regular hours to give back to the community.  I would even say that this blur encourages us to tap into our imaginations as a means to surpass ourselves… There are a thousand ways to get involved and do more, depending on the role you have.

How did you become an MVP at 27 years old?

J. M. – I became an MVP after creating a blog dedicated to Microsoft Dynamics 365 in 2016. I wrote blogs that provided tips on how to use the platform, CRM best practices, etc… Also, I answered questions from Internet users. A friend and MVP, Tanguy Touzard, forwarded my application and it was accepted. My blog exploded once I was hired. I did not expect to have access to all this at all.

Were you the youngest of the MVPs at the MVP Global Summit?

J. M. – Yes, we did the math and I was the youngest MPV over there! (laughs) But I don’t know if I’m really the youngest in the entire international MVP community… They are all over the world! Not all MVPs were able to clear their agendas to come to the West Coast of the United States. I was very happy that XRM Vision supported me in this experience.

What was your group life like?

J. M. – I felt very good in this group. There was a real sense of community, even though I did not know many people at first. Each of us knew that we were there for the same reason.

There is no hierarchy, we talk easily: we all have the same desire to share. We are all on an equal footing, even if in another context the titles and statutes of each one differs. In the same room, you can be sitting next to the manager of a large company as well as a developer. But no matter what their daily duties, it is their same passion that unites them and their dedication to transmitting it to the community.

What impressed you most about the MPV Global Summit 2019?

J. M. – What was great was the whole organization of the MVP Global Summit itself. Everything was set up to make us feel comfortable. It was my first time there, I did not know many people except for one former colleague. When we arrived in Bellevue, Washington, there were big posters with welcome words everywhere to greet us. It was special, because we were right in the area where it all started for Microsoft. Over there, in Seattle, it is part of the city’s identity.

What was also impressive for me was to discover the Microsoft campus. It is a forest of buildings in the middle of a real forest and there are thousands of people working there to build the products I have been working with for years.

What were the biggest highlights from the 3 days of conferences?

J. M. – Meeting the people who made the tools I am used to working with! That was great! It was very interesting to meet the product teams and talk with each of their experts. They trust us enormously for everything that pertains to feedback and user feedback They receive our e-mails all year round. Being able to meet them in person added a human touch to it. They are very reachable and attentive.

Did you experience anything unusual while you were there?

J. M. – I participated in a podcast with all of the new MVPs! It was great to share our first experiences.

I also tested the silent disco for the first time. We wore wireless headphones to choose the music we wanted to listen. So, we all danced together, but not necessarily to the same music. There were two DJs and our headphones changed color depending on the DJ we were listening to. It created a small competition between the DJs because sometimes the whole room was the same color. And it also creates a complicity between people on the dance floor, because you immediately knew who was listening to the same thing as you.

And what’s next after your participation in this MVP Global Summit?

J. M. – Having experienced this, and having met these people, gives you a sense of gratitude, you feel that what you are doing has a purpose. The Microsoft team knows how to turn things around to motivate people and make sure we’re moving in the same direction. And they try to provide us with everything they can to help us get there.

Also, being MVP allows you to have access to this incredible network. I have access to answers very easily when I have a question and it allows me to go further!

We are fortunate to have Julien Miquel on our XRM Vision team. We hope Julien will continue to share his passion for a long time! And we invite you to visit his blog (in French) at https://guidepowerplatform.com/.

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