In this episode of the Rebel Devs Podcast, hosts Tom May and Jonah May pull back the curtain on the world of Veeam community programs with special guests Madi and Safiya from Veeam’s Product Strategy Team.

From the fast-paced world of Veeam Legends to the long-standing prestige of the Vanguard Program, Maddie and Safiya share what makes these communities thrive, how they’re evolving, and why both technical pros and everyday users benefit from being involved.

The conversation dives into:

• How Legends and Vanguards differ — and where they’re starting to overlap
• The surprising amount of work it takes to keep a Legend badge
• Why employers should value and support community involvement
• The role of Veeam User Groups in local and global networking
• Real-world examples of how community collaboration has solved urgent technical problems
• The unique culture, mentorship, and career opportunities these programs create

Whether you’re curious about joining, want to understand the benefits, or just love stories from the front lines of IT, this episode offers a candid, inside look at one of the industry’s most active technical communities.

Key Takeaways

• Legends work harder than you think: Frequent, high-value contributions keep them in the program.
• Vanguards influence product evolution: Early access to betas and direct feedback to product teams.
• Community saves time and money: Real-world fixes from peers can be faster than formal support channels.
• User groups are gold: In-person and virtual events connect engineers, partners, and end users for deep technical dives.
• It’s about people, not just products: The Veeam community blends mentorship, shared knowledge, and long-term professional growth.

Links & Resources

• Different Dev – differentdev.com
• CyberFortress – cyberfortress.com
• Veeam Community Hub – community.veeam.com
• Learn about the Veeam Vanguard Program – veeam.com/vanguard
• Explore Veeam User Groups – community.veeam.com/user-groups-98

Sponsors

This episode is brought to you by:

• Different Dev – Helping organizations define, implement, and monitor RTO & RPO requirements with Veeam Professional Services.
• CyberFortress – Your trusted partner in immutable, secure data protection.

Call to Action

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