How Sharon Weaver and Christian Buckley Help Future MVPs Find Their Path
For many technologists, the Microsoft MVP Award feels inspiring - but also a little mysterious. That is exactly why MVPs Sharon Weaver and Christian Buckley host a monthly AMA (Ask Me Anything) call for aspiring MVPs. Their goal is simple: create a welcoming space where people can ask honest questions, better understand what meaningful community contribution looks like, and feel less alone on the journey. What started as a way to answer the same questions more efficiently has grown into a supportive cohort that helps future MVPs build confidence and momentum. From Curiosity to Community Sharon knows firsthand how often people ask, “How do I become an MVP?” After hearing that question again and again, she realized aspiring MVPs did not just need information - they needed community. “I kept getting lots of people asking me, and I was giving the same answers out over and over and over,” Sharon said. So she and Christian decided to create one place where people could learn together, ask questions openly, and hear practical advice from people who understood the process. Sharon believes that people do not need to become someone else to be recognized as an MVP. “You don’t need to be anything other than who you are. You just need to understand that what you do has value, how to show that value, and then be really good at that and make that visible.” That message resonates because it replaces pressure with purpose. Instead of chasing a checklist or trying to become an influencer overnight, attendees are encouraged to focus on contributions they genuinely enjoy and can sustain over time. “You don’t need to be anything other than who you are. You just need to understand that what you do has value.” - MVP Sharon Weaver The monthly AMA also helps make a big goal feel more attainable. Sharon shared, “Having other people who are not there yet to support you through that journey makes as big a difference as having people who have already been awarded.” Over the past two years, that support has mattered: Sharon said the cohort has helped around 15 people who attended the calls go on to receive the MVP Award. For Sharon, the joy is not in doing the work for anyone else; it is in opening the door, answering questions, and helping others see that their efforts already have value. “One piece of advice from the AMA calls that stayed with me was to make sure your contributions are things you enjoy doing and would do regardless of the MVP title.” - MVP Rachel Sullivan Turning Insight Into Impact One of the biggest myths Sharon hears is that aspiring MVPs need a huge platform to be considered. “Everybody thinks you need to be a speaker or an influencer,” she said. “Pick the things you do, do them well, and be visible.” That advice has helped attendees reframe the process around authentic contribution instead of comparison. MVP Rachel Sullivan reflected, “One piece of advice from the AMA calls that stayed with me was to make sure your contributions are things you enjoy doing and would do regardless of the MVP title.” MVP Karinne Bessette shared a similar takeaway: “The AMA calls made the MVP process feel more approachable because it gave real perspectives from other MVPs and people on the MVP path, which helped fight imposter syndrome.” The monthly calls also help people understand that visibility matters. Sharon encourages attendees to connect with product groups, communicate their impact clearly, and advocate for their work in ways that feel genuine. The path is rarely instant - Sharon estimates many people spend two to three years on the journey - but the combination of clarity, encouragement, and community makes a real difference. Just as importantly, the calls remind people that not receiving the award the first time is not the end of the story. It is simply part of a longer journey of growth, contribution, and persistence. “The AMA calls made the MVP process feel more approachable because it gave real perspectives from other MVPs and people on the MVP path, which helped fight the imposter syndrome.” - MVP Karinne Bessette Why This Matters The value of these AMA calls goes far beyond helping one person earn an award. They remind people that they are not alone, that their voice matters, and that there is space for them in this community exactly as they are. For someone who feels uncertain, overwhelmed, or unsure whether what they do is enough, that kind of encouragement can be transformative. It can spark confidence, create connection, and turn self-doubt into action. When people feel seen, supported, and inspired to keep going, the impact reaches far beyond a single moment - it deepens the sense of belonging that makes this community so special. “If these chats help people realize one thing, I hope it’s that there is no specific checklist of tasks to complete to become an MVP. It can be a very different path for each MVP, because there are countless ways to give back to the community. You don’t need to follow someone else’s formula—you need to find a contribution path that’s authentic and sustainable for you." – MVP Christian Buckley Keep the Momentum Going If you are curious about becoming a Microsoft MVP, consider joining Sharon and Christian’s monthly AMA calls and taking the next step alongside others who are asking the same questions. And if you are already an MVP, think about how you might create a similar space in your own region or community. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is make the path feel more visible for someone else. Learn more from Sharon’s blog post, Navigating the Microsoft MVP Nomination Process: Tips and Insights, and meet these community leaders: Sharon Weaver, Christian Buckley, Rachel Sullivan, and Karinne Bessette. Want to Learn More About the MVP Program? To find an MVP and learn more about the MVP Program visit the MVP Communities website and follow our updates on LinkedIn or #mvpbuzz. Join us for a future live session through the Microsoft Reactor where we walk through what the MVP program is about, what we look for, and how nominations work. These sessions are designed to help you connect the dots between the work you’re already doing and the impact the MVP Program recognizes - with time for questions, examples, and real conversations.From Programmer to Tech Influencer
Zhongke Yang (Zack)'s journey is nothing short of remarkable. As a self-taught programmer without a formal computer science background, he began his career at Shenzhen Kingdee Software Company. Later, he joined a technology company in Beijing that specialized in banking systems. In 2008, he took a leap of faith and started his own business, dedicating himself to IT education. His passion for learning led him to New Zealand in 2019, where he studied for several months. However, the pandemic in 2020 brought him back to China, where he found himself in a small county in Hebei, working as a self-media blogger. Despite the challenges, Zack's spirit remained unbroken. In 2022, he returned to New Zealand, determined to restart the life that had been put on hold. His story is a testament to resilience and the power of continuous learning. Time paused During the pandemic, Zack found himself stranded in his wife's hometown, a remote county in Hebei. For months, he lived the dream life of many Chinese programmers - making money in the big city and spending it in the small town. His years of hard work had accumulated enough savings for him to take a break. However, being a passionate and active person, he couldn't stay idle for long and soon found himself embarking on new ventures. April 20, 2020, was a memorable day for Zack. On that day, he uploaded a video to Bilibili, sharing a website that helps English learning. This system could split sentences and allow users to practice those they didn't understand separately. The video quickly went viral, being recommended to Bilibili's homepage and eventually reaching 1.085 million views. Zack was astonished by his sudden rise to fame. Within days, his followers skyrocketed from a few thousand to over 200,000. His inbox was flooded with messages, and he received hundreds of friends requests every hour. Despite the overwhelming attention, Zack enjoyed the experience. His success was not a mere coincidence. The product he developed was a boon for English learners, and he himself was the best advertisement. In just three to four months, his IELTS (International English Language Testing System） listening score improved from 5.5 to 8. Even English majors might struggle to achieve such a score quickly, but a 39-year-old programmer had done it. Zack believed that language was the first hurdle to living abroad. Chinese people often struggled with "mute English" and "deaf English," excelling on exams but failing to communicate effectively. Zack had faced similar challenges. To improve his listening skills, he tried various methods like "dictation" and "shadow reading," but none were satisfactory. For him, intensive listening was more effective than extensive listening, and the key was to truly understand every sentence, much like a baby learning to speak. At that time, listening software that could split sentences was limited, and Zack's programming skills came in handy. His learning approach proved to be correct, and he later developed a vocabulary software to collect the most frequently used words in English learning materials, making it easier for him to read English technical documents. The popularity of his English website gave him new ideas. Since he couldn't go abroad, he decided to keep himself busy by becoming a tech influencer. He developed various tools, like a light bulb that could automatically adjust brightness to solve the problem of children being afraid of the dark at night and a mobile teleprompter for live classes. He uploaded videos of these projects to Bilibili, captivating even those who didn't understand technology. His rise to fame on Bilibili was not surprising, as he had already mastered the art of attracting attention as a star lecturer in the development field ten years ago. A programmer who can't write code isn't a good coach. Even though he is a self-taught programmer, Zack became one of the top lecturers in the .NET field and he joined the Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) program in 2021. Over the years, he has helped countless people successfully embark on the path to becoming programmers with his insightful and practical content. What sets Zack apart from others is his ability to solve a major problem in development teaching - boredom. As Jack Ma once said, "Today is cruel, tomorrow is crueler, but the day after tomorrow is beautiful. However, most people die on the night of tomorrow." When it comes to learning programming, many people can't even make it through "today." Countless individuals struggle for months with professional terminology, learning in a haze, and exhaust all their enthusiasm while sitting in front of a screen with black text on a white background. Their initial ambition to develop games and websites is often thwarted by repetitive practice of " Pascal Triangle." (Classic Elementary Programming Questions） Zack understands these pitfalls well. Instead of advising people to persevere, he shares his personal experiences to teach them how to learn programming. How did he learn programming? The answer is simple - by playing. In his second year of high school, Zack couldn't afford a computer. He used a computer learning machine to create a Super Mario game, learning programming through play. Years later, he fully integrated this theory into his teaching, developing a game engine. By following his own lessons, “boring code” was transformed into "Super Mario," "Let the Elf Fly," "Collect Coins," "Airplane Battle," and various other fun games. Besides games, there were also features like "Electronic Piano," "Music Player," "Talking Tom Cat," and "Animations." This quick feedback and fulfilling learning mode attracted tens of thousands of fans to Zack. Zack is undoubtedly a skilled learner. He seems to always grasp the operating rules of things quickly. This powerful learning ability is the true secret behind his repeated success. He firmly believes in Sanduo XU's saying, "Don't muddle through life, be careful life doesn't muddle through you." Therefore, he seizes every learning opportunity, working hard once he sets his goals. He chose the wrong major in college, mechanical engineering. He bought textbooks, switched majors, followed projects, and after four years of college, he joined a renowned tech company with the highest score in the job interview. When the media traffic for technical development was bleak, he developed fun small tools, talked about the workplace, shared about life abroad, and became a traffic magnet again. Many people envy Zack's freedom to "achieve whatever he wants." All of this is the result of continuous learning. He never stops learning, constantly updating and iterating himself like a product. During his months of studying abroad, he observed the differences in education between China and other countries. After returning to China, he started a series of videos called "Learn to Learn," believing that teaching people to fish is better than giving them fish. The ability to self-learn and explore is far more important than specific knowledge points, a point he deeply understands. Before becoming a lecturer, he was a senior programmer. While mentoring newcomers, he found that many people lacked the ability to self-learn. When the work content exceeded what was taught in school, many people would just shake their heads and say they couldn't do it. In a rapidly changing industry, such people are not uncommon. Zack saw the opportunity and value in this, so he dedicated himself to sharing technology, eager to use his learning insights to help more people. He found that teaching others brought him immense satisfaction, and it was also one of the most effective ways to improve himself. In June 2022, after more than two years of waiting, Zack and his family finally arrived in New Zealand. He immediately started his new postgraduate life, researching how to write computer knowledge academically in English, planning to publish an English version of his software development book in the future. He gradually regained control over his life. In this uncertain era, learning is the most important thing. Only by truly becoming strong ourselves can we face any challenges without fear.
