Boost Your Sitecore MVP Journey: An Insiders Viewpoint

Technically this is not insider information, but these are going to be some of the methods I use as I start to get back to my contributions in the Sitecore community and it doesn’t feel right, not to share these with the community. As a Developer Advocate at Sitecore, I used a lot of these methods on a daily basis to perform my role, and honestly, for all of these, they are things the community can contribute on.

Plan a Specific Task/Topic and Create Lots of Supporting Content

Before diving into specific types or locations for contributing content, a common question I received from MVPs at Sitecore was: What should I create content about? While aligning with the product is beneficial, you should also focus on topics that you are passionate about or wish to explore further.

You should never set out to write just one piece of content on a topic. At Sitecore, we would plan a topic or goal, like when our team built the Chatbot for the Developer Portal for the internal SCAI Hackathon. From that single topic, we created a lot of content, including Sitecore Search Personalization, XP Pattern Profile cards, and my presentation at SUGCON Europe 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. If you solve a difficult challenge, blog about it, but also tackle related challenges to create more blog posts, videos, and maybe a presentation. This approach helps you turn one concept into multiple contributions for the community. Often, a single medium isn't enough for everyone to learn best, so try various formats for the same content.

Contribute to Sitecore Open Source Repositories

Sitecore maintains many open source repositories, not all of which are content-specific. For example, the Developer Portal is a content-driven site powered by Markdown files. If you want to detail an integration or help maintain the Accelerate recipes, these tasks are also managed via Markdown files.

Another useful open source project is the Migration Advisor (https://migration.sitecore.com/), which I personally worked on and conceived while at Sitecore. Although the future of this tool is uncertain, it still offers opportunities for contributions.

The community has the opportunity to contribute to a greater number of repositories, including Demo projects and XM Cloud Introduction. These contributions can significantly enhance the collective resources available to all Sitecore users and foster a deeper understanding of the platform.

Create Video Content for Discover Sitecore

Did you know that anyone who creates video content can submit that content to what’s left of the technical marketing team to be released on Discover Sitecore? Probably the best place to start is to message Rob Earlam or Tamas Varga on slack to request the ability to post on the Sitecore Discover channel. In the past, there has been many contributions from the community. I would focus on content that hasn’t been covered on the channel yet, such as feature releases for the products or unique ways to use the products for specific use cases.

Work with Product Management

There are several ways, even for those who are not currently MVPs, to work with Sitecore product managers. First, provide feedback if you encounter issues with the products. Second, reach out to request feedback on content areas they’d like covered. Keep in mind that product managers are very busy, so instead of having them do all the work, present options and let them choose which items to focus on. It's always worth asking, as you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Most people do not know who these individuals are in the community. That's why it's important to be on Slack first and foremost. Join channels like Sitecore Connect to quickly identify product managers. Another great option is to attend SUGCONs or Symposiums, as Sitecore speakers are typically product managers. Not all Slack channels are monitored by product managers, but many are. Sitecore employees usually have a Sitecore logo next to their name, which can help identify them. As an MVP hopeful, it's also beneficial to interact with other channel contributors, especially those answering questions.

Cover topics being Released in the Change Log

For those who don’t know, there's now a frequently updated change log available on the Sitecore Developer Portal: https://developers.sitecore.com/changelog. This is an excellent resource to track the latest features being rolled out. Instead of merely repeating the existing information, find unique ways to expand on it. For example, if a new feature like an API is announced, walk users through its benefits, why it was needed, and how to use it. This approach complements many of my other suggestions. You could create a "Top 10 Releases of 2024" presentation for SUGCON or collaborate with product teams to provide feedback and suggestions on new features.

Well that’s it for today, I’m hoping to do more of these helpful suggestion blog posts from someone that reviewed MVP applications and knows what makes a good community contributor in the upcoming weeks, as I start chasing my MVP title.