In an AI era where answers are available in seconds, why spend weeks preparing for a certification?
I believe the answer is context.
AI is getting better at an incredible pace. At the same time, the technology landscape we work with is becoming broader and changing faster.
That creates an interesting challenge for us as engineers: how do we build our own technical context just as deliberately and efficiently?
AI can certainly help us learn faster. But having access to answers is not the same as having the context to understand them, connect technologies, challenge what AI gives us and make the right engineering decisions.
We need ways to make our learning broader, faster and structured.
For me, certification is one such mechanism. It gives us a defined scope, forces us to explore areas beyond our day-to-day work, and gives that learning a measurable goal.
I started writing certifications when I started with VMware as an intern and continued throughout my career across vSphere, VMC, Kubernetes and VCF technologies.
Even after working directly on these technologies for many years, preparing for an exam still does something valuable:
It exposes gaps in what I thought I already knew.
That learning — not just the certificate — is why certifications have remained relevant to me.
I have shared more about this separately in Why I Write Certification Exams in the AI Era.
Why VCF100?
With VCF 9.0, we are looking at a re-architected, more unified private cloud platform. It is an important opportunity for those of us in the VMware community to step beyond our immediate areas of expertise and build a broader & deeper understanding of the private cloud platform.
I started closer to home by encouraging engineers within my organization to take up VCF certifications.
Along the way, I shared my certification experience, created a VCF 9.x Administrator Preparation Guide, conducted a preparation walkthrough, and started experimenting with how AI can accelerate preparation without bypassing the underlying learning.
As engineers started taking up the journey and becoming certified, I began thinking:
Why limit this to our internal community?
I have been part of the vExpert community for 13 years and have had the opportunity to learn and contribute through blogging, VMUG, VMware Explore and many community interactions.
Recently, while sharing my certification journey at VMUG Bengaluru, a simple idea came to mind:
Can we help 100 community members become VCF certified?
That is VCF100.
One certification doesn’t have to be the end
VCF100 isn’t about one particular exam.
Someone may start with VCF Administrator to build a broad foundation and then choose the next step based on their role and interests.
Interested in Kubernetes? VKS could be the next step.
Working more deeply with automation? Explore VCF Automation.
Others may choose networking, operations or another VCF specialization.
There is no single path everyone needs to follow.
Start where you are. Build the foundation. Then create your own path.
How does VCF100 work?
The idea is simple:
Learn → Get Certified → Go Deeper → Share → Help the Next Person
I have started consolidating the resources I create and use under the VCF Certifications section of this blog, including preparation guides, walkthroughs and certification experiences.
Over time, as more people take different certification paths, I hope we can contribute back what we learn and make the journey easier for the next person.
This is not about shortcuts to passing an exam.
Use AI. Use documentation. Use courses. Use community knowledge. But use the certification journey to actually learn the technology.
Who is part of VCF100?
If this initiative, its resources, a VMUG session or someone in the community helps or motivates you — and you achieve a VCF certification — you are part of VCF100.
Already certified?
Don’t stop because you already have the badge.
Choose the next certification that makes sense for your journey — and help someone else start theirs.
Share your experience. Answer a question. Contribute a useful resource. Present what you learned. Or simply encourage someone who has been postponing that exam.
Got VCF Certified?
If #VCF100, one of these resources, a VMUG session, or someone in the community helped or motivated you on your VCF certification journey, we’d love to hear about it.
Share your achievement on LinkedIn with #VCF100 or let us know through this short form.
And once you’re certified — help the next person
Why 100?
I have always liked the number 100.
100 runs in cricket. 100 km on a cycle. A 100-day meditation streak. There is something about reaching 100 that makes a challenge feel meaningful. 🙂
So when I thought about setting a first milestone for this initiative, 100 felt natural.
But the real opportunity is bigger than the number.
If 100 people build stronger VCF knowledge, some go deeper into their areas of interest, and they start helping others learn, the impact can go well beyond 100.
So, where are you today?
Thinking about your first VCF certification? Start.
Already preparing? Keep going.
Already certified? Choose your next path.
Already experienced? Help someone else.
100 people. Learn. Certify. Go deeper. Give back.
Can we get there? Let’s find out. #VCF100
VCF100 is a community-led learning initiative and is not an official VMware by Broadcom initiative or certification program
Have a question, feedback, or want to contribute to #VCF100? please feel free to DM me on LinkedIn
Vikas Shitole is a Senior Tech Lead at VMware by Broadcom, VCF division, India, where he leads system test efforts—including scale, stress, and resiliency testing—and drives product quality across VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), Broadcom’s flagship private cloud platform. He is an AI and Kubernetes enthusiast, and is passionate about VMware customers and automation around vSphere and VCF. Vikas has been honoured as a vExpert for 13 consecutive years (2014–2026) for his sustained technical contributions and community leadership. He is the author of two VMware Flings, holds multiple industry certifications including VCF admin 9.0, and is one of the top contributors to the VMware API Sample Exchange, where his automation scripts have been downloaded over 50,000 times. Vikas has shared his expertise as a speaker at international conferences such as VMworld Europe and VMworld USA, and was selected as an official VMworld 2018 blogger. He also served as lead technical reviewer for the Packt-published books vSphere Design and VMware Virtual SAN Essentials. Beyond tech, Vikas is a dedicated cricketer, cycling enthusiast, and a lifelong learner in fitness and nutrition, with the personal goal of completing an Ironman 70.3
