How do I improve my engagement score?

Question

I totally get the logic behind the engagement score, but for some of us the last minute implementation (a few months before our level expires) has made for a very frustrating experience that really feels like Microsoft wanting to remind you that before you become to dependent on them remember that they will change the terms on you arbitrarily when ever they feel like it. I say arbitrary because the score's opaque nature and the unwillingness to provide practical guidance (vague instructions like revisit your infrastructure) means a startup could invest considerable amount of scarce development time and have no idea of whether Microsoft will judge you as becoming more engaged or not. Microsoft could have at least given existing program participants a time extension and a small boost in credits to be able to keep going.

Based on the Azure services I'm currently using I estimate my future Azure spend to be around USD 10k. Obviously if I increase my 'engagement'. Plus I'm at an early stage and only working with one customer (my business is B2B), so as I secure customers that will increase my consumption. But I need some genuine guidance on how I can do that because time for a small startup is too precious, can you please assist with connecting me with someone who can advise (I've tried to support a few times but they always close my ticket on creation).

If you would you prefer that I instead explore options to migrate off Azure altogether just let me know, as that's beginning to feel like a better use of my time than hoping my actions will boost my engagement score!

Answer 1

Hi James CV,

Thank you for reaching out to us on the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for sharing your concerns about the engagement score and how it’s affecting your business. I understand how these recent changes, combined with the lack of clear guidance, can be especially challenging for startups where every bit of time and resources counts.

Your feedback is completely valid, and I want to assure you that it’s being taken seriously. While the engagement score is designed to help businesses make the most of their Azure benefits, I recognize that it's unclear criteria and the timing of its rollout may have caused unnecessary stress. Given your plans to grow your Azure usage and scale with more customers, it’s crucial that you get the right support and clear steps to align your infrastructure with the program’s requirements.

The Engagement Score reflects how actively you are utilizing Azure and indicates the strength of your partnership with Microsoft. Startups with Azure credits of $25,000 or more will see their Engagement Score displayed in the Founders Hub. For accounts with $5,000 or less in credits, the score will not be shown and will instead display “No score available.” By building and experimenting more on Azure, you can increase your Engagement Score over time.

For more on the Engagement score, see Get More Benefits FAQs

We are sorry to hear that your support ticket is closed.

Please open a support ticket with the Founders Hub support team by following these steps: https://foundershub.startups.microsoft.com/signup?drawer_open=true please click on "Support" on this page to submit support ticket.

Please reach out to us if you have any other queries.

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