The Intelligence Age

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/106

• Personal and professional background – growing up in Detroit, taking up computer science, working at Siebel, etc. 
• Upcoming speaking engagement at a conference on digital inclusion 
• Journey to working with Microsoft 
• Career highlights in the past 14 years 
• Being a woman in tech: changes she has seen, her thoughts on the topic 
• How she encourages open-mindedness when people don’t come from a highly diverse background in a corporate team 
• About #DotheThing – what it is, her principle 
• Thoughts on encouraging students about the future possibility of careers that don’t even exist 
• The meaning behind #NinjaCat 
• Releasing code to the Insider Fast ring – wanting to have in cocreating product and making a better world using technology. Is it starting to flow over into other technology areas inside Microsoft? 
• Building a 16.5-million-people community – keeping the communications and the engagement level up; how they maintain the momentum year in and year out 
• Dona’s Ten Commandments for Community 
• Thoughts on the future of the Windows Insider Program 
• Advice to teams wanting to kick off a program from 0 and build a tech community 

Books Mentioned

• #DotheThing by Dona Sarkar – https://amzn.to/2J5DBhb 

Resources

• Windows Insider Program – https://insider.windows.com/en-us/ 
• Ghana Digital Roadmap Conference – https://microsoftcaregh.com/2019/05/16/ghana-digital-roadmap-conference-microsoft-windows-insider-chief-dona-sarkar-shares-simple-yet-often-overlooked-insights-on-digital-inclusion/

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/105

• Background – being a Microsoft MVP for 13 years, living in York, UK, interests outside of work, home life 
• How David started in Dynamics CRM – IT training on Microsoft technologies, etc. then moving to Dynamics CRM 
• Running his old company, Excitation, and being purchased by Core Technology Systems 
• Knowledge and experience with Dynamics CRM 1.0 
• Running the sales side of his business 
• How much the XRM story play into the projects that they’re doing early on in Excitation 
• Experience being purchased by Core Technologies 
• About David's blog and as a prolific blogger 
• How the changes in Dynamics has affected what David does today 
• Thoughts on the statement: “Anything you can build in Dynamics, I could build in SharePoint” 
• How to have a conversation with SharePoint people to get to a decision around which technology to use 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/104

• Personal background – living in Kirkland, WA, interests, being fanatical about wine 
• Professional background – current role at InsideView, responsibilities 
• About InsideView – what they do and their services 
• Industries that commonly use or geographies where there’s a greater demand for InsideView’s technology  
• Current trends in the B2B businesses and how they adapt to technology 
• Recent changes that Microsoft implemented in relation to InsideView and the confusion that resulted after it’s no longer subsidised by Microsoft 
• Assessing an AI opportunity if an organisation wants to go down that path 
• How InsideView addresses low-quality data sitting in people’s systems, and is there a demand for it? 
• What InsideView is doing differently as an organisation, being involved in the AI discussion going forward 
• Journey on being an ISV and partnership with Microsoft 
• What is the new ISV program and Heidi’s thoughts on it 
• Thoughts on old ISV’s concerns about the new ISV program around revenue sharing 
• Knowledge about the existing AppSource marketplace that we have at the moment, experience on the quality of leads that have come through from the AppSource 
• What it takes to be a successful ISV 
• What ISVs need to build into their business as part of their business model for success 
• Recommendations to ISVs that want to move their product into the global market 
• Managing relationship with Microsoft as an ISV – how to maintain a good relationship with the product team, etc.
• Effective ways for engaging the Microsoft Partner Network  
• SIs that do things differently that move ISV products more, their patterns in their business that cause them to recommend an ISV’s solution more 
• Effectivity of exhibition space, how to go to events and be effective as an exhibitor 
• Brand awareness – what works effectively in engaging people, training staff to engage with people 

RESOURCES

• InsideView Insights – http://www.insideview.com/insights 
• Battlecard for Microsoft CSM's and SI partners – https://view.highspot.com/viewer/5ce5fd72a4dfa036dfc84d3b 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/103

• Personal and professional background – family, working in London, 12 years working with Dynamics 
• Living in England and growing up in Devon, popular places to go and dishes in Devon 
• How he started working in Dynamics 
• Perception on Microsoft partner ecosystem, especially in the UK 
• Pivoting to a different role – from a developer to solution architect to a “translator” role 
• How upskilling to prosci has impacted the way he worked or engaged in projects and with customers 
• What “doing the work before the project” means 
• Thoughts on what other people say about change management 
• Being one of the top 10 Dynamics influencers according to klear.com, contributions to the community 
• Steps Andrew takes to do more community work 
• Being an independent contractor  
• Being an MVP and how it has affected his marketability as an independent contractor 
• MVPs that have influenced Andrew’s career 
• Doing it all again, would Andrew have pivoted to Dynamics in his career 
• Words to give to people wanting to make a career shift to Dynamics 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/102

• Journey across the Dynamics ecosystem over the years 
• Being the author of Dynamics CRM Unleashed series, thoughts on authoring books  
• Being a Microsoft MVP 
• Interests outside of work 
• Experience starting a Dynamics practice – building a company (Webfortis) and going through the acquisition process 
• Thoughts on consolidation in the market and does it create white space for new players 
• Is Microsoft supporting the ability to really push deeply into the SMB space? 
• Marc’s latest pursuits and his plans going forward based on market assessment, getting back in the game 
• Partnering with partners 
• Being 100% “born in the cloud” – Do we see it as the days of swapping software out that does a core bit of business functionality is going to go away? 
• The specific segment that Marc is going to target – specific industries that they’ve got success in already or horizontal offering 
• Types of business that want a lightweight ERP – Are these businesses that already exist, or are these more startup type business that needs to put an ERP system? 
• What made him get back into the game – the big motivator 
• Two key things that partners haven’t done well, thoughts on marketing and getting that part of the business right when you’re a practice 
• How long they have been running and what kind of traction they are getting 
• Groth aspirations in the coming years 
• Thoughts on the Microsoft partner relationship model going forward – Is it changing? How is it maturing? 
• Thoughts on Microsoft encouraging global SIs – Are they competitors to what Marc is doing? 
• MCS – Microsoft Consulting Services 
• Possible changes in the Microsoft consulting part of the business – Will they see partners as allies and not augmented headcount? 

Books Mentioned

Dynamics CRM Unleashed series – https://amzn.to/2WtyCMb 

Resources

• Cowry Solutions – https://cowrysolutions.com/ 
• Microsoft Business Central – https://dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us/business-central/overview/ 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/101

• Personal background – living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the local food scene 
• April's focus on the Microsoft Business Applications arena – PowerApps and Flow 
• Has Flow replaced the former workflow tools that were in SharePoint? 
• Professional background – working on InfoPath 
• Thoughts on PowerApps and Flow replacing old InfoPath form 
• How PowerApps compares to InfoPath around the native functionality to print a document, and thoughts on Microsoft addressing this issue 
• The main thing that April thinks is necessary for the print functionality within PowerApps 
• Experience attending the MVP Summit for the first time 
• Building apps in Azure SQL and SharePoint 
• Thoughts on Common Data Service playing into the future of what she does  
• Being one of the MVPs that is also a business owner – about ThriveFast 
• Her #1 tip for picking up customers for a consulting business 
• The meaning behind her titles SharePoint Siren, Automation Princess, and Karaoke Queen 
• Being a music fan and interests outside of singing 
• Journey to becoming a Microsoft MVP, being mentored by Melissa Hubbard and other MVPs 
• Where she sees PowerApps and Flow are going in the near future 
• Thoughts on AI and where she thinks it is going and whether it’s going to impact our lives more 
• Thoughts on how AI will affect her job or personal role 5 years from now – building the right code, understand business models, create new ways of looking at them and developing technology 
• Training resources for somebody to get up to speed CDS and the model-driven side of things 
• Advice to people become effective at public speaking and talking about IT-based topics 
• Tips for public speaking – preparation, creating content, presentation/demo 

Books & Other Resources Mentioned  

• ThriveFast.com 
• InfoPath Forms Services 
• Microsoft Docs PowerApps 
• Shane Young YouTube channel
• Line of Business (LOB) Apps with Canvas, PowerApps, and Flow (Pluralsight)

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/100

The Microsoft Business Applications Summit will be happening in a few days. In this special podcast episode, I am joined by none other than Steve Mordue to talk about what to look forward to and share our thoughts on some of the key things around the Summit.
We're all excited, so here are some of the things we discussed about this upcoming two-day event:

• Looking back to the first Business Applications Summit in 2018 
• What’s exciting about Business Applications Summit compared to other Microsoft events 
• Thoughts on the Summit – It's not long enough! 
• Observation on the significantly higher number of sessions for Flow, PowerApps and Power BI than there are for Dynamics 365 in the coming Summit 
• Internal competition between releasing a platform vs first-party apps? 
• Guest speakers – Alexis Ohanian, James Phillips, Alysa Taylor 
• Business Applications Summit 2019 LIVE STREAM  – Subscribe and hit the bell to get notified when we go live! 
• Our goal for this podcast and the live streams 
• Summit agenda and partnering with Microsoft for the live streams 
• Comments on the expo floor and exhibit hall during the event 
• Sessions and speakers listed in the community section – who are coming and who are MIA 
• Topics we are eager to hear about during the Summit, especially AI 
• The pre-day event, Hack4Good by TDG and Microsoft Community – Register here!! 
• Networking events and having fun before and during the Summit 

RESOURCES

• Business Applications Summit 2019 Live Stream – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xIihZ3UKNk 
• Dynamics 365 Is Dead – https://www.nz365guy.com/dynamics-365-is-dead-long-live-the-microsoft-power-platform/ 
• Keynote Speakers: 
  • Alexis Ohanian – https://twitter.com/alexisohanian 
  • James Phillips – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmalcolmphillips/ 
  • Alysa Taylor – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysa-taylor/ 
• Summit Sessions – https://bascatalog2019.azurewebsites.net/ 
• Hack4Good Hackathon by TDG and Microsoft Community – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hack4good-microsoft-business-applications-summit-tickets-60940325153 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/99

• Personal and professional background – growing up in Australia, hobbies outside of work 
• Career journey, joining Microsoft product team, working on PowerApps and working with the original team at Canvas Apps, starting as a Microsoft Partner before joining Microsoft 
• Key pillars/various moving parts of the Power Platform team 
• Owning the UI, holding the constraints of the upper-level nav and the left-hand nav of the system and what the maker has control over 
• What is the App Experience and what the team think about when designing the App Experience for the makers 
• What the App Experience team looks at when it comes to guiding principles 
• Tidying up old legacy versions – is it part of the transition to Power Platform? 
• Microsoft’s key focuses in the Power Platform moving to the end of 2019 
• Possibility of PowerApps becoming unrecognizable as a Microsoft software, especially with PCF coming to market 
• Thoughts on the possibility of creating any type of business application in a white-label experience  
• Why isn’t React supported in PCF? Why Microsoft didn’t just go and support some third-party control framework 
• Making theming and branding easier in PowerApps 
• Type of use cases of unique controls where there’s no need to shift to the platform 
• What’s new in model-driven maker experience 
• Creating a new field on the fly to be included in the maker experience 
• Reusable Canvas Apps components – background and thoughts around it 
• How the team is bringing Canvas Apps and model-driven apps together 
• Intent to provide URL and put off creating a top-level nav in Power Apps 
• What’s coming up in the next release notes 
• Thoughts on Microsoft’s goal of 10M active users on Power Platform 
• Offline access – what to look forward to 

RESOURCES

• Make PowerApps – https://make.powerapps.com/ 
• PowerApps admin centre – https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/ 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/98

• Personal background – living in Finland, family 
• A bit of Finland and Nordic geography, length of winter in Finland, local delicacies 
• Organizing Dynamics 365 events in Finland – Finland Dynamics User Group and Dynamics 365 Saturday 
• Favourite part of the Power Platform 
• Being one of three Microsoft MVPs in Finland
• Is Project Service Automation dead? 
• What's happening with PSA, PSA's capabilities becoming a core part of Dynamics 365 for Sales and Customer Service, the possible future linkage between PSA and Azure DevOps. 
• Journey to become a Microsoft MVP
• Is it worth it becoming an MVP? 
• How becoming an MVP enhanced Antti’s career. 
• Value-added to the company for having a Microsoft MVP in the team – Does your company know how to leverage your status as an MVP?
• Approach to being an MVP – technology vs business value 
• Advice to people wanting to become an MVP – actions one needs to take to become nominated to the MVP Program 
• The importance of having a niche, a core pillar of strength as a consultant – being a T consultant 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/97

• Purvin’s role in Microsoft when it comes to the Microsoft MVP Program 
• What the MVP Program is from Microsoft’s perspective 
• What is “MVP for life”, and is there such a thing? 
• How one can become an “MVP for life.”
• MVP Award vs Inner Circle Award – what is the difference between individual and company awards
• Purvin’s passion and motivation for the Business Apps MVP program, what turns his wheels 
• What Microsoft MVP aspirants need to start doing to be nominated into the program 
• Types of contributions that Microsoft is looking for from an aspiring MVP
• Types of contribution that Microsoft wants to see more of
• Where the different types of contributions are heading, especially the new generation of contributions
• How long should an aspiring Microsoft MVP be doing a certain contribution before seeking nomination
• Examples of MVPs creating outstanding content 
• How changes in Microsoft (specifically around Power Platform) affect the MVP program, particularly what Microsoft is looking for in future generation of MVPs 
• What types of fan products Microsoft is looking for 
• Number of new MVPs that Microsoft is interested in taking on in the PowerApps space

Resources

• Andrew Ly, 365lyf
• Elaiza Benitez, What the Flow
• Joel LIndstrom, CRM Audio
• Jerry Weinstock CRM Innovation Blog 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith