A New Beginning — as Cloud Advocate at Microsoft
“It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good” ~ Nina Simone
With these beautiful words from one of the greatest jazz and blues singers in the United States that I start this post! But why?
Because today, March 13, 2019, is the beginning of a new stage of my life. Where I’ll be working on one of the largest technology companies in the world and better part is, a job which I will be totally dedicated to the Technical Community!
Today, I’ll start working as a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft.
But, what does a Cloud Advocate do? What is it? And what changes for me? And at the end of this post, I’ll be doing more, I’ll be giving a super special thanks to some people who’ve helped me a lot in treading this path where I am right now! Let’s go!!!
What is a Cloud Advocate?
A Cloud Developer Advocate aims to be as close as possible to the Technical Communities, to contributing in different ways. For example:
- Participating in Meetups and Conferences: whether in person or online. But especially helping developers wherever they are with Open Source projects.
- Create Technical Contents: by video tutorials, posts and of course: with good documentation. I’ll be even more present collaborating with Microsoft Documentations.
- Take feedbacks from the Community to the Microsoft Engineers: this part is extremely important. Because that’s where we’ll listen more closely to developers for feedback on improvements to Microsoft’s Azure Cloud products and services. Aiming to create a relationship with the Engineering team and of course delivering the best product to everyone in the Community!
So, in short: what I was already been doing as Microsoft MVP will not the end. It will be even better: I’ll be even more present and close to the Technical Communities across the country and especially helping in Open Source projects.
Maybe some people can wonder: But, is Microsoft Open Source?! Yes! Check out more than 15,000 Github project contributors that Microsoft owns. And just to name a few famous Open Source projects, such as: .NET Core, VS Code and TypeScript. If you want to take a look at other Microsoft Open Source projects, you can check the link below:
There are many CDAs spread globally. As you can see in the image below:
If you want to know in which categories are each one of them is, just go to the official website of Cloud Developers Advocates at the link below:
I’ll be part of this Dream Team that has been collaborating daily to help everyone in the Technical Communities in Open Source projects!
There is a video, about 2 minutes long that exemplifies pretty well what we all — Cloud Developers Advocates really do. Watch out below:
Regardless of the framework or programming language you are using, such as: Python, Golang, Node.js, JavaScript, C#, Java, PHP, Ruby … our mission is: to help and empower even more developers to be the best.
In short:
“We want to help and engage every developer in the Open Source Community to make the best use of running Azure services on their applications and projects.”
And this is in line with Microsoft’s mission, which is:
“Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”
And in fact, we can see this clearly in the supporting of many Open Source projects that Microsoft has made and revolutionized with Developer Relations Team (#DevRel). In order to help everyone in the Technical Community, especially with Open Source projects!
Ashley Macnamara, who is also a Cloud Developer Advocate in Golang, explains very well how the entire process for the Advocacy job at Microsoft is. The style of the process was very similar to the one that happened to me. So, in case you want to take a look at the excellent post she wrote, just take a look at the link below:
And now?! What changes for me?!
As I said above, what I already did as Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies will not end. But now on a much larger scale. Since, now, my time will be 100% devoted entirely into generating content, participating in Technical Community events and being most present and close to the Technical Communities, especially in Open Source projects.
My main activity will be in projects focused on JavaScript and Node.js. So, any help or support for Node.js & JavaScript with Azure services, please! Don’t hesitate in contacting me!
But if you need some help with another language? There is no problem! We’ll be helping you too. Remember we have a worldwide team dedicated to helping you all — developers!
In short, I will be more present and close to all of you. And especially in listening all of you!
I will no longer be a Microsoft MVP since I became a Microsoft employee.However, I will be joining the Microsoft Reconnect Program.
The MVP program helped me to significantly increase my participation at events and be closer to the Technical Communities. I owe a lot to the MVP Program! That’s why I really like the phrase below:
“Once an MVP, always part of the MVP Community.”
So, I will miss a lot the Microsoft MVP Program! I’d like to say thank you to Microsoft for the opportunity to be part of such an inclusive program as it had helped me so much! And, for me, the MVP Program was the beginning of everything. Thank you so much!
And to all those who are part of the MVP Program, my special thanks also, to all of you! I’ve met so many good people technically and with a willingness in their veins in wanting to pass their knowledge to help the whole community! The work that we do as MVPs, is priceless. Because there are people there who devote a lot of time and hours of their lives in order to help all the Technical Community. Congratulations to the whole MVP Brazil / LATAM family — you guys are awesome! Now more than ever we will be even closer together to bring more knowledge to help the entire Technical Community Brazil / LATAM! #letsgotogether
Special thanks
Well, this part of this post will be more than special. Because I want to say thank you for two special people who have helped me a lot.
# 1 — Fernanda Saraiva:
Fê, I remember as if it were today. It was October 13, 2016. You scheduled a call with me to talk about the MVP Program — because of the contributions I had made to my Youtube channel. I barely knew about the existence of the MVP Program.
But you, patiently, called me and explained how I could ever increase my audience and impact on social media.
This was, one of the help, that was so valuable that contributed to that photo that I’ve posted. Do you remember?
And yes. I still have that photo saved here with me until today: the date that I received the trophy as a Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies in April 2017. And it was with your help and mentoring Fernanda, that I’ve managed to win this award.
And since joining the Microsoft MVP Program was the ‘start’ of everything, I should say thank you for all your help and mentoring to me. So, thank you very much! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
If you want to follow Fernanda Saraiva by twitter, here’s the link below:
The definition of empowered women must come from this name: Cynthia Zanoni!
Cyn, when I’ve heard your talk about ‘Being a Woman in Tech, being a Woman in Communities’, that helped me a lot. Especially when you started your career in the beginning, you told us in another Tech Talk. It is impressive how similar it was to my early career in technology.
And all aid to be part of the wonderful #powergirls of WoMakersCode team, it helped me a lot in being more present in Technical Communities, meetups and events that are more inclusive and more focused on the female audience, which unfortunately is still a minority in our area.
But, every day, with the help of Communities like WoMakersCode, it has helped thousands of girls to join, empower in the world of technology and play leading roles & jobs in the I.T field.
And, of course, with all of the tips and advice I’ve got with you, they helped me a lot to achieve this goal.
Today, I can say that I’ll be working with a person that I admire a lot and I’m sure that we will be a good team, that everyone around us will remember — of course, in order to help everyone in the Technical Communities!
You are and always will always be my eternal Sensei! Or, Mrs. Miyagi! 😅
So, thank you so much! From the bottom of my heart! I have no words to describe how grateful I am for all your help! And let’s go together, help more people, in particular, even much more women to be empowered in the I.T field, okay ?! 😍 😍 (pls! Don’t cry dawg!!!!)
For those who may want to watch the excellent talk of Cynthia about the theme I mentioned above, check the link below:
And of course, if you want to follow Cynthia by twitter, here’s the link below:
Of course, I could not forget to say thank you to my dad: José Edmilson Lemos and my mom: Jurema Lemos. The two people who, after God, are the most important people in my life! So, mom and dad, thank you so much — I love you so much! ❤️❤️❤️
And also my friends who encourage me every day to be a better person! To mention some of them: Ruan Cordioli, Leonardo Scapim, Gustavo Rodrigues, Ray Carneiro, Jonathan Campos, Gisele Nascimento, Fernandinha, Sara Bruno, Marcela Niejedla, Myriam Musri, Tina Cheung, Armineyde Abtibol, Daniela Bertone, Talita Frizon and many others. Therefore, we need people and true friends to help us constantly where we should improve. And there are no better people than our friends, to help us with this, in being better persons. So, my special thanks to all of you too! I love you all!! 💜 💜 💜
Final Words
In fact, the words of the song: I’m Feeling Good by Nina Simone sums up very well the feeling I’m having right now:
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good!”
Especially the final part: ‘I’m feeling good!’ and very happy to be part of a team where I can be more present in Technical Communities and Open Source projects!
So, stay tuned. Because, from now on, a lot of cool things are coming. Many cool posts, tutorial videos, participation in events and I will be sharing everything with all of you via my twitter!
Count on me — all of you from the Technical Community! And if any of you are at any event, please look for me. We can discuss and exchange photos there!
For those who wish to know more about me, how did the willingness to work in the Development & Engineering area grew, below is my personal website site:
See you guys! See you next time! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
