What has changed since becoming AWS Community Builders

This is the English version of the article I recently contributed to.

I was recently selected as an AWS Community Builders for the third year in a row.

The first time I was elected was in 2022, and at that time, with the new coronavirus spreading, I was mainly organizing online workshops. I was selected in the area of Front-End Web & Mobile, partly because of a joint project with the LINE Developer Community in that area.

Before I became an AWS Community Builders, I was a speaker at a 24-hour event called JAWS Pankration 2021. This event involved AWS user groups from all over the world and was a JAWS-UG event that was regarded as crazy even from overseas, held in a follow-the-sun format.

And now, for the first time in three years, it will be held in the form of JAWS Pankration 2024, and in applying for the Call for Proposals, I have decided to write a summary of the AWS Community I wanted to summarize the differences between before and after I became an AWS Community Builders.

I also decided to apply for the CFP for 2024 AWS Community and Career Day Taiwan, which was guided at the 2024 AWS Japan Community Leaders Meetup at 22/6/2024, with the same theme. There are 18 Community Builders in Taiwan, and we would like to encourage our user group members to become the next Community Builders.

What is AWS Community Builders?

The official website introduces them as follows and the AWS Community Directory. (120 are Japanese) have been published as of 6/6/2024. Builders who have already been selected must submit their activities on the annual renewal form, and if their activities are not recognized, they will not be selected for the next year.

The AWS Community Builders program offers technical resources, education, and networking opportunities to AWS technical enthusiasts and emerging thought leaders who are passionate about sharing knowledge and connecting with the technical community.

Throughout the program, AWS subject matter experts will provide informative webinars, share insights — including information about the latest services — as well as best practices for creating technical content, increasing reach, and sharing AWS knowledge across online and in-person communities. The program will accept a limited number of members per year. All AWS builders are welcome and encouraged to apply.

The official website describes the benefits of becoming an AWS Community Builders as follows.

Members of the program will receive:

• Access to AWS product teams and information about new services and features via weekly webinars
• Learning from AWS subject matter experts on a variety of non-technical topics, including content creation and support for submitting CFPs and securing speaking engagements
• AWS Promotional Credits and other helpful resources to support content creation and community-based work
• Some surprises!

Why did I decide to apply for AWS Community Builders?

I am a core member of JAWS-UG Kanazawa Chapter. While serving on the executive committee of AWS Community Day Kanazawa and JAWS DAYS 2021, I was asked by an AWS Community I decided to apply for the AWS Community Builders program after being invited by AWS employees in charge of AWS community and influenced by Mr.Masayuki Kato and Mr.Michael Tedder, who had already become AWS Community Builders.

Since AWS Community Builders is an application system, I had to enter my own activities in English through the form, and I was not selected in FY2021. The reason was that I could not appeal our activities in a way that a third party could understand.

I continued our activities for six months without giving up, and by reviewing our appeal methods, I was successfully elected in 2022.

About the changes after being selected as AWS Community Builders

I realized the following 4 points.

Being exposed to the latest information

Meetings for AWS Community Builders are held online, and I can get in touch with the latest service information.

Due to the time zone, the meetings are held in two parts, often at 1:00 am and 7:00 am Japan time, making it difficult for AWS Community Builders in APAC (Asia Pacific) to participate in the real meetings.

However, it is very stimulating to see the excitement of the chat through real participation.

Resistance to English is somewhat eased

As I can see in "the You Belong Here video", I can barely speak English. Because of this, I have attended re:Invent in Las Vegas twice, and both times I experienced considerable difficulties due to my inability to speak English after getting into trouble at the hotel.

All AWS Community Builders announcements are communicated in English on a dedicated Slack workspace, so I am forced to interact with English to understand the information.

Fortunately, only the lang-japanese channel is in Japanese, so I can get help from AWS Community Builders in Japan if I have trouble understanding the details.

Since we don't usually speak or write in English, this is a good opportunity to ease our resistance to the language.

Experience AWS re:Invent 2023

As described in my first self-funded re:Invent experience in 5 years, I attended AWS re:. Invent 2023 made me realize how different it was from AWS re:Invent 2018, which I went to before becoming an AWS Community Builders.

Partly because I have a greater understanding of AWS and more members to get involved with through the community, but also because I was able to network with people I would not have come in contact with had I not become an AWS Community Builders.

The information that comes in through connecting with other people can be quite different. Since I do not have any strengths in the technical area, the information and ideas that come in from newly connected people are often things that I am not exposed to on a daily basis, and this motivates me to make changes.

Interaction with AWS Community Builders

While overseas connections are the best part of being an AWS Community Builder, we try to actively interact with domestic members through domestic events.

Last year's efforts included AWS Summit Tokyo 2023 and JAWS Festa 2023, we organized the AWS Community Builder Meetup, a social event exclusively for AWS Community Builders.

Each of them has their own technical strengths, but the fact is that there is a lot to learn from the words that come out of these people who are supporting the community.

Changing Consciousness

In addition to JAWS-UG activities, I am involved in several community activities. One of the major concerns that I have with my community activities is why I invest my time and effort in these activities.

I feel that the larger the events we hold, and the fewer the core members, the greater this feeling becomes.

It is often said that people gather where there is a high level of enthusiasm and where people are having fun, and by working with people like the AWS Community Bilders, who have high centripetal force, I have found the answer to the question of "why invest my time and effort in our activities".

Summary

If you are a regular user of AWS technology and like output activities, just taking one step forward can make a world of difference. If you are interested in trying it through what you have seen, please apply JAWS Pankration 2024 and 2024 AWS Community and Career Day Taiwan.