Miguel Escobar Published July 1, 2020 
Update 5-Aug-2020: Due to the overwhelming support from the community, the MSFT MVP team initiated a new process to reconsider my nomination and on August 1st I was awared the Microsoft MVP award. Read more about this from this new blog post (here).
I’m writing this a few hours after I received an email from Microsoft letting me know that I will not be renewed as a Microsoft MVP for the period 2020-2021. I’d be lying if I said that I was expecting this or was even remotely ready for it.
The Microsoft team doesn’t take the MVP review process lightly. In fact, it is a thorough process that goes through many phases before this email came into my inbox. Thousands of applicants are reviewed every single year, so I am sure that new an amazing MVPs will be filling the spot that I had. To those MVPs, congratulations!
Being dropped from the MVP Program isn’t new to me. I was an MVP for a few years from 2014-2016 and then I just lost the spark and didn’t do as many community contributions. I was subsequently not renewed.
Years passed. It was during that time that I recognized that the MVP distinction doesn’t really make you a better professional in MSFT technologies. You don’t magically become a “Superman” by being in the program. You, as the professional that you are, have to become that good on your own. That’s when I started investing more in myself as in order to become a technical leader, you have to be able to lead yourself.
In 2018, after talking to a MSFT employee, I ended up submitting my first nomination after a few years to be an MVP again.
I was awarded the MVP award for the period 2019-2020 and now I’m back at being dropped from the program. However, the main difference is that I did put a lot of effort this time to not get dropped again – so it hurts a bit knowing that my best just wasn’t enough. It’s a bit demoralizing to say the least. Not a good feeling.
This has led me to reflect on some of the things that I was able to do during the last year or so and what I was able to accomplish.
- Create and provided continuous support on the first ever public forum for the Power BI Spanish Community with over 20K monthly visits
- Migrated my Power BI public forum to become the new official Power BI forum in spanish
- Sponsored and delivered a workshop and talk on the first ever Power BI World Tour in LatAm
- Published ~33 new thorough Power BI articles in Spanish
- Published ~34 new thorough Power BI articles in English
- Added new functionality to Open Source projects
- Had a few online webinars here and there
Most of what you see above was part of a major campaign that I designed in the year 2018 in an effort to push Power BI in LatAm and to create more relevant content for my Spanish-speaking audience. I executed this in a bit over a year and you can check the rest of this website to see how this site provides the most fundamental concepts for Power BI / Power Query to get you started.
I’d like to thank everyone who supported me during this past year and that kept me going during that time to keep pushing more content. Your feedback and support really drove this and I thank you for all your on-going support.
This blog post is more than anything my own way of doing a retrospect of what happened and how I got to where I am, as well as my story with the Microsoft MVP Program in case you feel identified. I am in no way asking MSFT to review my case. I trust the people behind the process and the “ball is on my side” – I need to become a better version of myself. Just need to figure out how.
I will not be pursuing the MVP Program again, but I just want you to know that you as an individual have an enormous value – as Microsoft MVP or not, you have value and you have something to give to the world and your community. Pursue that and add value where you can.
Thanks again and stay safe!
Hola Miguel, en lo personal te he identificado como el referente en Latinoamérica en el tema de Power Query. Creo que tú capacidad y conocimiento está más que demostrado y el título de MVP no es más que una etiqueta y que aunque no se te haya renovado no te resta ni te suma porque tienes lo más importante, el conocimiento y la experiencia que eso sí que no es fácil de obtener.
Gracias, Jaime! 🙂
This is ridiculous, to be honest. I think the MVP program is now a joke. Producing SO MUCH content for free and not being an MVP? GTFO, MVP. Miguel, I hope you don’t feel too bad about it. To me personally, the most important realization came when I saw some Power BI MVPs not being technically competent. MVP = promote Microsoft for free. MVP ≠ subject matter expert.
sadly that is the way … MVP <- less knowledge, but more publicity.
While I don’t agree with their decision, I respect it. This just shows how competitive the landscape is and how many amazing folks are out there.
Hola Miguel, el problema es que quien debía defenderte a lo interno… no lo hizo, si piensas en la relación del crecimiento de los MVP’s Brasil vrs Latam… veras que el primero es creciente mientras que el segundo es decreciente sin razón aparente, quien debía orientarte se limitaba a promover talento de su localidad… mientras que si ves los aportes de otros que se mantienen al día de hoy no son más que payasadas! con conceptos pésimamente mal interpretados y ni que decir como los reproducen y aun así continúan en el programa… la razón no la sé… pero el programa cada vez más se convierte en un “Marketing Value Possibilities” y se va perdiendo el professional pues ya no es de importante si los conocimientos son profundos… importa si estas ayudando a empujar la métrica del Lead o no…
Te deseo la mejor de las suertes… aunque con esos números dudo que necesites suerte
20k visitas mensuales!!! That deserves a great! Fuck!… you Rock man
Mucha suerte
Hola Ricks!
Realmente no te sabría decir la razón por la cual no fui renovado, pero sí te puedo confirmar que no existe la figura de “defensor” en el proceso ni tampoco creo que sea necesaria tenerla.
Durante toda mi vida he tenido que batallar y trabajar muchísimo para lograr mis objetivos. Trato siempre de enfocarme en lo que tengo control y dudo muchísimo que haya algún tipo de malicia o mala práctica por el equipo de MSFT.
Al contrario, pienso que probablemente han encontrado a una persona mucho más capaz y ahora “la pelota está en mi lado” para mejorar y superarme a mí mismo.
El tema es que esto de tratar de ser un MVP nuevamente es un proceso largo y tedioso. Ya pasé por ello 1 vez luego de no ser renovado y te puedo decir por experiencia que es un proceso extenuante.
No puedo creer que algutque nos a ayudado y contribuye tanto con la comunidad en español no lo hayan tomado en cuenta, pero es grato saber que usted está conciente de que a aportado mucho y una distinción no lo hace menos que otros profesionales. Miles de gracias por todo el conocimiento que nos transmite.
gracias a ti, Brian!
Hola Miguel
Al igual que el resto de participantes en este hilo, por lo que a mi respecta eres un referente en todos los aspectos relacionados con Power BI, Power Query, Excel, etc., y además dentro de la comunidad de habla hispana, lo que todavía aporta más valor. Es por ello que tampoco llego a comprender las motivaciones por las que no se ha producido tu renovación como MVP. Quería trasladarte todo mi ánimo y decirte que independientemente estés o no en el programa MVP, sigues siendo una referencia en este campo de la tecnología. Un saludo
Some of your blog posts are the ones that have been the most helpful to me, and I am most thankful and admirative of what you produce. Sad to see your efforts and expertise not recognized by the MVP program, but you have the gratitude of many users like me !
Thanks for the kind words!
Hola Miguel, gracias a Ti, he conocido mucho de Power Query, realmente lamento mucho que no hayas obtenido e MVP realmente pero cuentas con todo mi apoyo y disfruto mucho de leer tu blog, e incluso he realizado publicaciones donde me has ayudado mucho, gracias por todo ese contenido que asi como yo, se que a muchos a si de mucha utilidad. Cuidate mucho te envio un fuerte abrazo!