I am a Softie

Softie is internal slang for Microsoft employee.

For a couple of years I have had my own company Avior together with my partner. We had fun times and difficult times, but we did what we loved – developed software. Late September I started talking with Microsoft Denmark about the position as technical evangelist. At first I was reluctant as I was afraid to lose my technical competence and leaving my own company, but I was intrigued. I finally agreed to leave Avior and join Microsoft after a couple of conversations with current and previously Microsoft employees – they all spoke fondly about Microsoft – if I could cope with the politics and ceremony.

What is the job of a technical evangelist?

An evangelist advocates the evangelium, which means ‘good news’. All Latin, nothing religious – but in my case just technical 🙂

It is about connecting people who have problems with a product, technology and knowledge needed in order for them to succeed. In my mind, it is all about authentic content, communication, and community. I wish to spread knowledge and help other developers while keeping my integrity.

Current status

Now 3 months in, I find myself at home at Microsoft, but I still feel like a n00b. There are so many people and internal processes that I need to familiarize myself with that I sometimes feel dizzy and do not feel that I am contributing enough.

Challenges

I am catching up on the Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Azure – which is the new stuff at Microsoft. It is a lot of ground to cover, so I do no longer fear for my technical competencies as I am spending much time studying and helping customers with technical issues.

I wish to engage the community more in the New Year, so I am busy planning talks and the Danish Developer Conference.

One request for you – let me know how I am doing, please.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year.