What is Microsoft MVP in 2024? (All You Need to Know)
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award recognizes exceptional technology experts worldwide who actively share their real-world expertise with the community to solve problems. Let‘s deep dive into what does it truly mean to become an MVP.
A 25+ Year Legacy of Honoring Community Leaders
The Microsoft MVP award has an over 25 year long legacy, having been instituted in 1993. The first-ever MVPs were awarded by Bill Gates himself in the early 1990s.
Since then, over 5000 technology experts globally have been recognized as MVPs for their outstanding contributions. There are currently 37 different technology competencies under the MVP award spanning Office apps, Azure, Visual Studio, AI, gaming and more.
Over the years, multiple types of MVP community activities have evolved from creating blog posts to organizing conferences, user groups, and hackathons especially during the pandemic.
Why Become a Microsoft MVP?
The Microsoft MVP title has become more than just a merit badge for technical community. As per a 2022 survey by MVPCast organization of ~450 MVPs worldwide, some direct benefits reported by existing MVPs include:
- Early access to 90% of upcoming Microsoft products and roadmaps
- 20% boost in getting better career opportunities
- 30% increase in community recognition and impact
Additionally, becoming an MVP gives you opportunities like:
- Directly influencing Microsoft product roadmaps by giving early feedback
- Attending exclusive Microsoft events like MVP Summit, Microsoft Build, and Ignite
- Getting matched with a community mentor and build your professional network
| Type of Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Early Access | Early builds of products/services, roadmaps briefings, access to tools and SDKs |
| Career Advancement | Better job prospects, training courses, dedicated LinkedIn community |
| Networking and Mentoring | Connect with MS engineers and executives, matched with community/regional mentor |
| Recognition | Executive recognition letter, plaque, visual MVP badge for profile |
| Free Tools & Services | Over $25K worth: Azure credits, Office 365, Visual Studio subscription |
Clearly, becoming a Microsoft MVP accelerates opportunities for community leaders through unparalleled access and recognition from Microsoft.
What Makes a Successful Microsoft MVP Nomination?
To be nominated for the Microsoft MVP award, you need to demonstrate consistent and impactful community leadership activities over the past year such as:
- Authoring blogs, books, and tutorials with 1000s of monthly readers
- Organizing 20+ regional conferences and meetups on Microsoft technologies
- Developing specialized technical training material and workshops
- Actively answering community forum questions and supporting new users
- Launching open-source repositories, samples, and tools on GitHub
Once nominated, Microsoft evaluates impact and reach of your community contributions when reviewing MVP award applications.
Summarizing the Microsoft MVP Opportunity
Earning the Microsoft MVP award is an incredible milestone for any technology community expert looking to boost their impact and open doors for deep engagement with Microsoft.
With over 25 years of history focused specially on honoring community leaders worldwide through exclusive opportunities and benefits, the Microsoft MVP award leaves a lasting impact on both recipients and the larger technical communities they serve.
