Kyle Rosenthal will be sharing tips and tricks for navigating this year’s event in November
Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has named Learn on Demand Systems’ director of business development Kyle Rosenthal one of the 10 Microsoft Ignite Community Reporters for 2019. As part of his role, Rosenthal will be sharing tips and tricks for navigating this year’s event in November.
In a recent interview, Rosenthal outlined what the role means to him and his career has led him there.
What drove you to pursue a career in technology?
I always had an interest in technology, although I started off with a Radio Shack MC-10 computer with a tape drive attached to it! I liked taking things apart, seeing how they worked and then putting them back together and learning about the next thing. While I began taking physical things apart, now I take them apart metaphorically, breaking down technology to understandable components and then building up the bigger picture.
How long have you been a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP)?
I have been awarded 13 years now! Each and every year is a surprise and an honour.
What does the role of Microsoft MVP mean to you?
Being an MVP is not something that you can study for, it is something that you earn and are awarded. To me, it is recognising something that I truly work at – giving back to the community has given me so much in return!
You’ve received one of only 10 coveted roles as a community reporter. What are you most excited about?
It is a new role for me; it will push the boundaries of my comfort zone in some ways but I am really looking forward to meeting new people, having new experiences and being able to show the world all of Ignite. It will be a new way to be able to give back to the community and hopefully introduce new concepts and allow me to learn new things!
Is there anyone you would really like to interview?
There are so many people in our industry that have had an impact on my career, but I would particularly love to interview Mark Russinovich. He is a true rock star in the IT world.
Has there ever been a moment when you’ve thought “hmm maybe I’m not as technical as I thought I was”?
So many times! I only recently learnt the name for it – ‘Imposter Syndrome’. I have that in spades a times. I surround myself on a weekly basis with people who are specialists in their field, so I know I am not as technical as I may have thought. However, it has its advantages because I can learn from the real experts.
What was your most embarrassing moment in technology?
I once spent 30 minutes trying to get a mouse to work on a desktop computer. I uninstalled drivers, reinstalled drivers, did some troubleshooting, rebooted, unplugged and plugged in the mouse – all with no success. Then I bumped the other mouse that was on my desk and realised I was using the wrong one. I learned a key lesson from that though – always check your surroundings for success.