Hi 👋, I’m Andrew Connell, the person behind Voitanos. I’ve been helping fellow developers since I started coding! Honestly, it’s how I’ve gained as much experience as I have. I value these questions because it means that I get a peek into the problems that people are experiencing that may or may not be similar to problems I have experienced in the past. Finding and providing the answers exposes me to more problems which gives me more experience.
As an educator, developing a community of people who trust me is important to my success. As my community grows, the number of support questions I get grows as well.
I do what I do (training & educating developers) because, after many years, I found that what gives me energy is helping others. Seeing that light bulb glow when I unblock someone or when they now understand a previously confusing topic is what drives me to do what I do.
Unfortunately, the number of direct questions I receive has grown to an unsustainable level. Direct questions come in via:
- social media DMs such as LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, Reddit, Facebook, etc
- Github @mentions in issues & discussions
- Discord DMs
Direct or 1:1 questions are especially hard because it’s just 1:1 help… no one else benefits from the discussion. LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, Reddit, Facebook, or any other social platform DM’s are the same. 1:1 isn’t an efficient use of our time… someone else could benefit from this discussion.
Do you have a development question? Keep reading…
... but if It's About Something Else
If you have a question about your Voitanos account, interested in a private course, or something that’s not a development question, please use the
contact form or email [email protected] to reach out to us. My team will help you and get me involved if necessary.
In a typical 24 hour period, I receive requests for help from 20+ individuals. Each request could be as simple as “Hey, do you have a link to that blog post about testing implementation details?”, as complex as “Here’s a bunch of code, how would you structure the state here to avoid unnecessary rerenders.”, or someone asking for career advice.
Even if it’s simple requests for links (or questions for which a link to my blog post will suffice as an answer, of which there are many), the time it takes to respond adds up very quickly.
Answering questions all the time leaves me with very limited time to complete my actual commitments. There’s just not enough time in the day so I’m no longer going to respond to direct or 1:1 development questions.
So… You Aren’t Helping Anyone Anymore?
No, let me clarify.
Going forward, I won’t respond to direct or 1:1 development questions on the mediums I listed above.
But if you have a development question I have plenty of options how I can help you that work with my schedule and commitments. Let me explain…
Students of My/Voitanos’ Courses
If you’re a student of one of my courses, if the question is related to a specific lesson in a course, leave a comment on that lesson in the Voitanos Learn site.
Got a question that’s not related to a specific lesson? Use the Discussions & Questions space in the Voitanos Learn site you have access to as a student. I have multiple blocks of time set aside each week to address these questions.
Access your courses, get answers to your questions, attend events, and much more to be the indispensable Microsoft 365 expert to your company and customers!
https://www.voitanos.io/learn/
Or tune into my monthly office hours live stream on my YouTube channel!
Not a Student of One of My/Voitanos’ Courses?
Every week I set aside multiple blocks of time on my calendar to answer questions in my favorite Microsoft 365 developer forums that I listed in the following article:
Discover the best places (and my favorites) to get help with Microsoft 365 development questions, from Microsoft-managed forums to community-driven platforms.
https://www.voitanos.io/blog/developers-where-to-ask-questions-when-you-need-help/
Or tune into my monthly office hours live stream on my YouTube channel!
Got a question about one of my articles? Leave a comment at the bottom of the post to continue the discussion!
Join My Monthly Office Hours Live Stream
I hold office hours at 11 AM ET on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Check list of webinars for the date of the next office hours. These are live streamed on my YouTube channel. Find the upcoming livestream & click the Notify me button to get a reminder when it’s about to start, and view the previous sessions!
Microsoft 365 Development Coaching
If you’re looking for one-on-one or team coaching for Microsoft 365 development challenges, my private coaching is a great fit! Many of my coaching clients find it to be the perfect solution for solving unique problems, reviewing projects with expert guidance!
One-on-one or team coaching for specific challenges related to Microsoft 365 development.
https://www.voitanos.io/solutions-for-companies/private-coaching/
