Our Very Own Magento Master

IronPlane lead developer Kuba Zwolinski has been named a Magento Master for the third time in a row. Many people who are familiar with Magento have asked what it takes to receive a Magento Masters recognition. We’d like to take the time to highlight this top contributor program, why it’s important, and other details that may be of value to those interested in the program.

What Is a Magento Master?

The Magento Masters program empowers the community’s top contributors, recognizing and rewarding those who are most active and dedicated to succeeding within the Magento ecosystem.

The benefits of being named a Magento Master include invitations to special events, event and certification discounts, and involvement in community feedback opportunities. Other regards include:

• Quarterly calls with the Magento team
• Induction into the Magento Community Hall of Fame
• Recognition at key events

Being named a Magento Master even gives you the opportunity to attend and be recognized at the community’s biggest annual event: the Magento Imagine conference. This conference began nine years ago with a vision to connect the world’s eCommerce community, and it’s achieved this vision by bringing together more than 3,000 eCommerce website development experts for one knowledge-packed weekend. When you attend Imagine, you can network with agencies, technology providers, and merchants from over 50 countries.

The Imagine conference aims to inspire with insightful presentations, advance the latest strategies, educate attendees through special sessions, and provide collaborative opportunities with eCommerce visionaries. Imagine is also meant to be a fun experience. Between presentations and sessions, you can enjoy everything from evening social events to exciting poolside entertainment!

According to Magento, a Magento Master is anyone involved in the Magento platform who regularly attends these kinds of events and participates in the community. A Magento Master is also “a good steward of the brand, helps to create a positive environment, and consistently adds value to the community.”

Who Are the Magento Masters?

The Magento Masters program consists of three coveted positions, each of which plays an important role in the eCommerce community:

• Maker
• Mentor
• Mover

Makers are frequent contributors to the Magento community and fellow community members. Magento Makers stay engaged with others by sharing innovations, ideas, and constructive feedback about eCommerce website development. IronPlane’s president of the company’s office in Poland and Germany has been named a Magento Maker for the third time in a row.

Mentors are also top contributors, but their role is in educating the community and developing valuable resources. This emphasis on Magento development means that Mentors have proven expertise worth sharing for the purposes of building successful eCommerce solutions.

Movers are considered the industry’s thought leaders and influencers. This designation includes community members who deliver best-in-class Magento implementations and advocate for eCommerce solutions and the Magento platform at various events. Movers demonstrate expertise in driving the ecosystem’s innovation every step of the way.

How to Become a Magento Master

Each position in the Magento Masters program is highly coveted. Only 20 Magento Masters are named each year. The ones selected are members who regularly participate in the community, help foster a positive environment, act as good stewards of the Magento brand, and consistently add value to the eCommerce community.

Magento Masters are selected through a series of internal nominations. Those nominated are then scored based on their participation in Magento Forums, Magento-centric events, Magento StackExchange, Magento development, translations, and codebase. Magento Masters are chosen annually, and previous Magento Masters must requalify annually. New and ongoing Magento Masters are inducted and officially recognized at the Magento Imagine conference.

2018 Magento Masters include eCommerce evangelists, developer and trainers, founders, consultants, technical leads, software engineers, marketing managers, and CEOs.

The Magento Masters program is run by Sherrie Rohde, Magento’s Community Manager. Rohde is also responsible for Magento Meetups and Magento Forums. She maintains a spreadsheet on community contributions as they are recognized throughout the year and uses a formula to tabulate the input, producing a new list of Magento Masters. Many have speculated on her magic formula, which remains secret, but each Magento Masters position seems to prioritize certain aspects. Here are the keywords to keep in mind:

• Movers
  • Speaking engagements
  • Contributions
  • Community
  • Events
• Mentors
  • Community
  • Contributions
  • Consistently helping others
  • Speaking engagements
• Makers
  • Contributions
  • Speaking engagements
  • Community
  • Organizing

Overall, Movers focus largely on speaking engagements, while Mentors score well on helping others in areas like StackExchange. Event organizers are more commonly recognized as Makers. If you’re hoping to become a Magento Master, it’s important to participate in regular speaking engagements, attend or even organize important events, contribute to the Magento development community, and help others within the community.

Meet Kuba Zwolinski

Given the prestigious nature of the Magento Masters program and its highly selective process, it’s an honor that a member of the IronPlane team has been selected once again.

Kuba Zwolinski is more than a developer and company president. He is a father to three amazing kids, a trail runner, and a kayaker who just so happens to enjoy organizing and participating in Magento development events and eCommerce solutions. Zwolinski organized four editions of Meet Magento Poland, an annual professional meetup that connects enthusiasts from across the globe.

His primary focus is on commerce as it pertains to the Internet of Things. Zwolinski is also a manager and trainer of Magento 1 and 2’s Polish language pack, making him an invaluable asset for the eCommerce website development company.

Zwolinski was selected as a Magento Master Maker in 2016, 2017, and 2018 based on his contributions to eCommerce website development through organizing Meet Magento events. He has also been recognized for sharing his eCommerce solutions and innovations through insightful presentations at important Magento events around the world.

The Magento Masters program reminds community members that they’re not alone. The community’s Mentors, Makers, and Movers are incredibly friendly, helpful people who are not only dedicated to Magento development and innovative eCommerce solutions but are also generous with their time. Whenever you’re feeling stuck on eCommerce website development, then Magento Masters are standing by to help.

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