Teaching as a Learning Hack
I have been a big advocate of this principle forever:
If you want to learn something thoroughly, teach it to someone else.
If you cannot explain it, you probably do not understand it as well as you think you do. Of course, some people can explain things but simply do not enjoy doing so—and that is okay. The ACE Program is not for everyone.
People sometimes ask me, “How do you find the time?”
My question back is, “How do you not?”
I have lost track of how many times I have answered a question on Cloud Customer Connect, only to have the same question come up with a client within the next week. Because I had already researched and explained it, I was primed and ready with a good example and a thoughtful answer.
Similarly, countless times I have been asked for help and I had a link—either my own or someone else’s—ready to share.
“It is better to give than to receive” applies here, too. When you give your time and knowledge to the community, you usually receive something valuable in return: stronger skills, better answers, greater confidence, and a much broader network.
In the Oracle Cloud ecosystem, the pace of change accelerates every quarter. Writing about new features is one of the best ways to stay current and ensure that you are implementing the best leading practices available.
Turning daily work into useful content
How Do You Know What to Write About?
Prospective ACEs often ask me, “How do I know what to write about?”
For me, the inspiration often arrives suddenly, when the time is right.
I may be answering a question on Cloud Customer Connect and realize that I am copying a link to an earlier answer I provided. That is my clue: stop repeatedly sharing scattered posts and take the time to write a complete article.
In fact, that is often the perfect starting point. Take your prior forum posts, emails, chat messages, and even texts from old friends in the Oracle ecosystem, and combine them into a comprehensive article.
Then, when new issues come up that the original article did not consider, build on it with updates or entire new articles.
There are certainly times when I am more productive than others, depending on client and personal commitments. Some weeks, I write three articles. Other times, I go three weeks without writing one.
It evens out. Create a queue of ideas and work through them when you have the time. Similarly, have a list of ready-to-go articles to post on a regular cadence.
The best advice is simply to get started. Develop a habit of educating yourself on new features and participating on Cloud Customer Connect. Write some articles. Do not try to write ten in one day. Set a goal of publishing one per month and go from there.
Build the habit before chasing the title
Practical Tips for Getting Started
Create a consistent professional profile
Create a Cloud Customer Connect profile. Add your company name in brackets and use a consistent profile picture and biography across Cloud Customer Connect, LinkedIn, and your personal website. Revisit this annually; there are few things in life more awkward than a 10-year-old, visibly out-of-date profile photo.
Buy a domain and create a simple website
It does not need to be expensive or complicated, but it lends credibility and can become a huge professional asset. Keep it simple. If your name is available as a domain, buy it. You do not necessarily need to create a separate brand beyond your own name.
Spend time on Cloud Customer Connect every week
Read and learn. Look for new posts with zero replies where you either know the topic well or recognize it as something that would be valuable for you to learn.
Create thoughtful Ideas
Watch for gaps at clients as well as from Cloud Connect questions. Put time into thinking about potential solutions, and how to make it generic enough to apply to other clients who may do something slightly differently. Ensure the idea doesn't already exist, and after posting, use your network of friends and coworkers to secure more upvotes.
Practice learning so that you can answer questions
This is amazing preparation for consulting. It is like practicing a sport before the real game. You can do it for a few minutes each day, and you will be amazed at how quickly your problem-solving skills develop. Clients will see it as a superpower, even if your spouse is not impressed.
Keep a queue of article ideas
When you find yourself answering the same question repeatedly, add it to the queue.
Cloud Customer Connect Recognition Points
Cloud Customer Connect has its own recognition system, separate from the Oracle ACE Program. Members earn points by asking questions, posting answers, submitting ideas, and receiving likes or upvotes.
Current examples include
| Cloud Customer Connect activity | Recognition points |
|---|---|
| Posting a question, idea or comment | 10 points |
| Receiving a like or idea upvote | 20 points |
| Having a comment selected as an accepted answer | 50 points |
The early recognition levels are relatively easy to reach, beginning at 100 points. The very highest level is Tanzanite, at 300,000 points. That's 6,000 accepted answers!
Do not get too excited about accepted answers, though. In my experience, approximately 10% of my correct answers are actually marked as accepted by the person who asked the question.
Some people append a generic statement such as, “If this helped you, please select it as the accepted answer,” to every response to improve those odds. I personally do not. I receive value from providing the answer and keeping my skills sharp, even when it is never marked as accepted.
ACE Contribution Levels
The ACE membership year runs from June 1 through May 31.
A qualitative view of relative effort
ACE Associate
Meaningful contributions, regular blog posts, and frequent answers on Cloud Customer Connect.
ACE Pro
Roughly twice the Associate contribution effort, sustained across more activities and over time.
ACE Director
Roughly 2.75 times the Associate effort, plus an established history of expertise and community leadership, an eligible nomination, and at least one recommendation from Oracle Product Development.
I am writing this from the perspective of a functional consultant in the Oracle Fusion SCM space, not as an exhaustive guide for every type of ACE.
Oracle reviews each contribution individually, considering the activity as well as its quality, depth, reach, and impact.
The point is not doing the bare minimum to earn recognition, but providing truly valuable support for the community.
ACE Director nominees must demonstrate an established history of expertise and community leadership. A Director nomination must be submitted by an eligible current ACE or Oracle employee and must include at least one recommendation from Oracle Product Development.
What About ACE Apprentice?
Oracle also offers ACE Apprentice as a stepping stone toward the Associate level. It provides a structured, time-based path with milestones, access to advocacy training, and the ability to begin participating in the ACE community.
One major benefit is that you receive the structure and tools needed to begin recording your progress. If you instead pursue a direct nomination for Associate, you will need to maintain your own record of contributions and provide those examples with the nomination. Sounds nice, but in practice, Excel works for this, too.
The Apprentice path includes time-bound milestones that arrive more quickly than some expect, so my recommendation is to sign up only when you are confident that you have the time and commitment to complete them.
If you are not ready, practice first. Build the habits of answering questions, writing articles, earning certifications, mentoring others, and documenting your contributions.
If you later discover that you have the time and desire to continue, you can pursue the Apprentice path or build a body of work and nominate yourself for the Associate level.
