Michel de Rooij

(Originally posted February 10, 2022 By ~ Microsoft 365 Insider Engagement Team)

Michelle de Ruy

When I asked computer consultant Michel de Luizi which fictional character he most identified with, he didn’t name a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any other “superhero.”

He chose the titular character, saying, “I think I’d choose MacGyver.” Popular 1980s TV Shows (and recent reboot). “I love solving problems. I love helping people both professionally and outside of a work environment. It’s my hobby. I really enjoy it.”

And while Michel doesn’t use a Swiss Army knife or chewing gum in his day-to-day work, he enjoys coming up with creative tools and solutions to challenges that arise in large-scale Exchange implementations and other infrastructure work. Microsoft MVP Award Every year since 2013.

“I really enjoy automation, so using PowerShell to automate tasks or create project or management tools is one of my favorite things to do,” he said.

Interviewed from his home in the Netherlands, Michel talks about his journey in tech, the challenges of the modern software release cycle, his favorite Office productivity features, and why he’s been an Insider in the first place.

Michel de Rooij at his workbench

How did you first become interested in computers and technology, and how did you end up pursuing it as a career?

Michelle: When I was a kid, a couple of my uncles had early computers, including a Commodore 64. In high school, I started learning Basic from manuals and magazines, and after teasing my parents, I brought home a Commodore 64. I was fascinated by the ability to program these machines. I got into the C64 demo scene, where I would code with people, write music, and create graphics. Then came the Amiga, and soon after that I went to college.

I saved up for a PC because using a PC emulator to do things like Pascal and C assignments wasn’t the best experience. At the time, it was also better suited to get more programming experience for enterprise applications. So I got a bachelor’s degree in software engineering, and after doing a few internships, I got involved in the infrastructure side. I focused on that because it was a little more interesting than the development side.

Eventually, I worked on projects related to Exchange and developed a love for email. The rest is history! Of course, I also do a lot of cloud work now, as my clients often work in hybrid environments. I also work on the client side, such as Outlook and Teams.

Why did you become an Office Insider?

It’s mostly about seeing things first and getting an idea of ​​what’s coming. I try to stay ahead of things and like to explore to find out what’s new.

I was an Insider from the beginning [2016]. And one thing I’ve noticed is that the release of new features seems to be much faster. It’s harder to track. Some customers have a hard time with the cadence of new releases. This isn’t limited to Office Insiders, it’s the entire cloud software model. So being an Office Insider keeps you up to date with all the changes, and that helps customers.

What features or innovations in Office have helped you be more productive recently?

I really like the Dictate feature in Word. When I have an idea for a blog post or something, I just open Word and say “blah blah blah.” The app captures what I’m saying and creates a transcript that I can use as the basis for my document. Of course, it’s not perfect and there are all sorts of things missing, but it gives me a rough outline and helps me get started on my project.

This way, you can create content faster and in a more natural way without worrying too much about typing. Typing and seeing typos can distract you from what you want to say. When you dictate, it’s more natural and less distracting because you’re not focusing on what’s in the document. You can then edit it later, which really helps save time.

Michel de Rooij with Microsoft attire and talent

Can you tell us a little bit about why you created this blog? Eight to one?

The idea behind this was to share issues that I encountered in the field or questions that customers had. By posting this, I hope it will help other customers or people who are having the same problem. This often includes some commands or scripts, which I then post in hopes that it will save people time when they want to achieve the same thing.

If a customer has a question about something, all I have to do is send them a link to the article. It also acts as a collective memory, because sometimes when they search for a solution, they end up on your blog. They think, “I saw something similar a few years ago,” and they search for it, and it’s there.

How would you describe your working style in one word?

“Pragmatic”. (“pragmatisch” in Dutch.) In my work, there is always a risk that the project will stagnate because of the desire for perfection. It is okay to strive for perfectionism, but resources and time are usually limited. This is sometimes a compromise area where imperfect results are “good enough”, because working on the remaining 5-10% requires a proportionately large amount of effort or resources.

In the world of cloud software, this can mean working towards a solution that you already know lacks certain features, but often the situation can be mitigated or made available later through guidance or adoption. Working with this uncertainty allows you to be pragmatic, see the big picture, and worry less about details that might be overblown.

Learn about Microsoft 365 Insider Program And join us Microsoft 365 Insider Newsletter Get the latest Insider features straight to your inbox once a month!