The Bold Path of a Microsoft Advocate with Reynald Adolphe - E10

Across such a journey, he’s seen the industry shift massively and pursued innovation from the moment he discovered his passion for technology. Now a Senior Developer Advocate, he shares the highlights and takeaways from a fascinating perspective on this week’s Great Software People.

This episode covers:

What drove Reynald to undertake a masters, and the opportunity that made him quit it early Lessons from early roles in consultancy Why you should never get too comfy in your company Asking for something that’s outside of the box Reynald’s everyday advocacy role with Microsoft

Episode highlights

“My friend in tech was flying around as a consultant. Life was good, he was getting paid all this money, and I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I used to like computers once upon a time’. I immediately signed up for a master’s programme.” - 2:55 - Reynald Adolphe

“So throughout my career, I’ve worked on a lot of different platforms. I remember I started working with PHP and working with XML.” - 19:30 - Reynald Adolphe

“No matter how good a company is, never get too comfortable there, and if you come up with ideas that you’re truly passionate about, you’re better going independent to do them.” - 23:40 - Reynald Adolphe

“There’s several people that I followed that were advocates. One of them was Scott Hanselman. I tweeted him and he responded like, I just saw a bunch of your videos. Have you ever thought about working for Microsoft? Oh, this is not the direction I was thinking - I only tweeted him to talk about comedy!” - 40:30 - Reynald Adolphe

“That’s one of the beautiful things about our type of work, that you can be remote. There was never any reason that you had to be at the office. I really hated people that forced people to be there. It’s like, do you need to physically touch me? Are you a masseuse?” - 54:00 - Reynald Adolphe

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[00:00:13]

Rich: Welcome to another episode of Great Software People! Today, I’m excited to be joined by Reynald Adolphe, an author, technologist, and .NET developer with over 10 years of experience in website consulting and development. Reynald is currently a full-stack bootcamp instructor and Senior Developer Advocate at Microsoft.

Reynald: Hey Rich! Thanks for having me.

[00:00:54]

Rich: Let’s start at the beginning, as we always do. What did you want to do as a kid?

Reynald: Well, I really wanted to play video games! A friend of mine had an Atari 2600, and I was fascinated by it. I begged my dad to get me one, but instead, he said, “Let’s get you a computer,” and got me a Commodore 64. At first, I wasn’t thrilled, but it turned out to be life-changing. While I started with games, I stumbled upon programming with BASIC on the Commodore 64. It sparked my interest in tech, even though I didn’t see it as a career back then.

[00:02:42]

Rich: So initially, you were heading in a different direction—entertainment?

Reynald: Exactly. I thought about getting into film or TV production. But after a short stint in advertising, I had a friend in tech who was making great money as a consultant, flying all over the place. That made me think, “Wait, I liked computers once upon a time!” I signed up for a master’s program, but I quickly realised I was learning more on the job than in school. I got a work-study job in tech support, and within three months, I was offered a full-time role. I quit the master’s program and never looked back.

[00:05:00]

Rich: Was your early programming on the Commodore 64 helpful later on?

Reynald: Definitely. It gave me the confidence to explore new technologies without fear. I didn’t get deep into game development, but I developed a mindset of curiosity and learning. That stayed with me throughout my career.

[00:06:42]

Rich: You mentioned working in tech support at DePaul University. How did that lead to your first big career move?

Reynald: At DePaul, I handled both hardware and software troubleshooting. I learned a lot, but I noticed that contractors hired by the university were earning four times my salary, and some weren’t as skilled as I was. That was a wake-up call. I realised I could become a contractor myself. So, I put together a resume, and within a week, I got hired by Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). It was a massive leap for my career.

[00:12:00]

Rich: What was working at Accenture like?

Reynald: Incredible. I started in tech support, but after a year, a consultant named Stan Telford suggested I try programming. He referred me for an internal consulting role, and I transitioned to SAP and ABAP development. Accenture also put me through a bootcamp where I learned Java and Visual Basic, then had to teach the bootcamp to new consultants. Teaching others helped me solidify my knowledge and planted the seed for my future interest in education.

[00:15:18]

Rich: After Accenture, you moved around a bit. What brought you to Tribune?

Reynald: I took some time off to explore TV writing and media production in LA. But after a year, I wanted to save money again, and Tribune caught my eye as it combined software engineering with media. At Tribune, I worked on applications for newspapers and TV, but two big lessons stood out:

1. Never get too comfortable in a job.

2. If you have a big idea, pursue it independently instead of handing it to your employer.

[00:23:00]

Rich: Can you share more about those lessons?

Reynald: Sure. Tribune had massive layoffs, and I got caught up in them. I realised I had focused so much on their technology stack that I hadn’t kept up with industry trends. I also had an idea to use Tribune’s unsold ad space to promote startups in exchange for equity—like Shark Tank but with media. I even got a co-founder of Apartments.com on board, but the idea was dismissed internally. That was a turning point for me: I decided never to gift big ideas to a company again.

[00:30:00]

Rich: After Tribune, you transitioned to teaching. How did that come about?

Reynald: While working at Logix Federal Credit Union, I was learning new technologies through Pluralsight. I became fascinated by their instructors and decided to audition for Pluralsight myself. I didn’t make it, but someone suggested I try LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com). I auditioned, got accepted, and ended up creating 17 courses on topics like design patterns, Angular for .NET, and C# algorithms.

[00:39:27]

Rich: Did your work with LinkedIn Learning lead to your role at Microsoft?

Reynald: Absolutely. Scott Hanselman, a senior advocate at Microsoft, saw my LinkedIn Learning videos. He reached out after I tweeted him about comedy—of all things! At the time, I wasn’t ready to join Microsoft because I didn’t want to give up creating LinkedIn Learning content. But a few years later, I circled back, and here I am.

[00:44:00]

Rich: What does your role as a Senior Developer Advocate at Microsoft involve?

Reynald: It’s about promoting Microsoft products in a creative way—through tutorials, TikToks, YouTube videos, presentations, and blogs. My team focuses on VS Code, but we also collaborate across departments, which has been eye-opening. For me, it’s the perfect blend of tech and media. It even feels like a stepping stone to my dream of creating a tech-focused TV show.

[00:50:12]

Rich: You mentioned bootcamps earlier. Any thoughts on how we can better support new developers, especially in a remote world?

Reynald: I think the fundamentals are the same, whether remote or in-office:

1. Study your environment: Identify colleagues who are willing to help and understand their work styles.

2. Leverage resources: Use external tools like Google, Stack Overflow, and ChatGPT, as well as internal documentation.

3. Ask for help strategically: Be mindful not to burn out your colleagues with constant questions.

Also, honesty is key. If a task will take longer than expected, communicate that upfront rather than missing deadlines.

[01:02:00]

Rich: Where can people find you and your work?

Reynald: You can find me on:

LinkedIn

Twitter

I’m also working on a unique bootcamp, Full Stack Lab, that integrates teaching, brand building, and project creation to help students stand out.

[01:03:22]

Rich: Reynald, it’s been fantastic having you on Great Software People. Thanks for sharing your journey, and best of luck with your future projects!

Reynald: Thanks, Rich. It’s been awesome. Let’s do this again sometime!