DevOps Diaries

How do DORA metrics apply to the unique challenges of Salesforce development? Join Jack McCurdy and Nathan Harvey as they dive into the evolving landscape of software delivery, exploring the intersection of platform engineering, AI, and human performance. They discuss practical strategies for implementing DORA metrics, navigating the shift to agile, and reducing developer burnout. In this episode...

Wade Wegner was a key member of the team that helped reshape the developer landscape at Salesforce. In his conversation with Jack, Wade recounts his journey from navigating the once-dreaded development platform, to spearheading groundbreaking initiatives which we now know as SalesforceDX. He explains how the introduction of Scratch Orgs and a strategic shift to VS Code revolutionized the developer...

Jack McCurdy is joined by Ian Gotts and Jack Lavous from Elements.cloud to discuss the transformative impact of Agentforce within the Salesforce ecosystem. In this episode we explore how Elements.cloud implemented Agentforce internally, emphasizing the importance of well-defined business processes and the role of business analysis in building effective agents. The conversation delves into the Job...

Mitch Spano, Senior Application Engineering Manager at Google, shares his journey in the Salesforce ecosystem and discusses his early experiences with Salesforce, the importance of an engineering mindset, and how to advance your career in tech. He outlines the typical role structures in technology companies, from junior to VP levels, and emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adaptation t...

In this episode of DevOps Diaries, host Jack McCurdy welcomes Paul Battisson to discuss his 15-year journey in Salesforce. They explore the importance of saying yes to challenges, the evolution of the Salesforce platform, and the balance between simplicity and complexity. Paul shares insights on innovation, problem-solving, and the significance of good processes and communication in successful pro...

In this episode of DevOps Diaries we cover some of the outstanding moments from DevOps Diaries in 2024. Hear about everything from artificial intelligence and Salesforce Flows, to Heroku and QA testing. You can expect snippets of conversation with: Julián Duque, Steve Fouracre, Alba Rivas, Dave Carroll, Jon Robinson, Todd Halfpenny and Andy Utkan. Thank you to all our guests this year for sharing...

In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy interviews John Robinson, a seasoned QA professional. They discus the significance of quality assurance (QA) in the Salesforce ecosystem, exploring the evolution of QA, the misconceptions surrounding it, and the necessity for dedicated QA roles within teams. John emphasizes the importance of understanding testing practices at their core, the role of...

In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy speaks with Alba Rivas, Principal Developer Advocate at Salesforce. They discuss Alba's journey in the Salesforce ecosystem, her role in engaging the developer community, and the evolving landscape of Salesforce technologies. Alba dives in to the nuances of artificial intelligence and Salesforce's new Data Cloud. She shares insights on the...

In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy sits down with Dave Carroll, a veteran in the Salesforce ecosystem. They discuss Dave's journey from being a Salesforce ISV partner to a key player at Salesforce for 21 years. Dave's mission has been to help develop the tools and practices that empower Salesforce developers to be successful, and has graciously stepped out of retirement brie...

Todd Halfpenny is a Salesforce MVP, Golden Hoodie recipient, and community leader. His impact on the UK Salesforce community is extensive and far reaching. Todd co-leads the London Salesforce Developers user group, is an organizer of Salesforce community conference London's Calling, and a co-founder of charitable clothing organization, Shirtforce. In this episode Jack and Todd discuss Todd&ap...

This week on DevOps Diaries, catch up on the recording of a game-changing moment in the world of Salesforce DevOps — Gearset has officially acquired Clayton. Join Jack McCurdy as he chats with Kevin Boyle (Gearset CEO and Co-Founder) and Lorenzo Frattini (Clayton CEO and Founder) about their vision for the future. They discuss how this acquisition will transform the DevOps experience for Salesforc...

Andy Utkan is a Salesforce MVP, founder of Flow Canvas Academy, and a Salesforce Flows expert. His newsletter, Salesforce Break, has over 10,000 subscribers. His involvement in the Salesforce community has been profound, providing support and guidance for thousands of professionals brining declarative automation to their Salesforce orgs. In this episode, Andy and Jack chat about the power and pote...

Steve Fouracre is the founder of Self Evolving Software (SES), and Head of Salesforce Delivery at Metacube. Steve started his career in the Salesforce ecosystem as a Salesforce Developer, and grew to managing Salesforce development teams for some of the largest businesses in the UK. In this episode, Steve and Jack dive deep into the merits of using artificial intelligence to support Salesforce dev...

Julián Duque is Principal Developer Advocate for Heroku at Salesforce. His background in Node.js allows him to think objectively about development on the Salesforce platform and how it scales. His work with Heroku gives him a unique perspective on where traditional software engineering, DevOps, and Salesforce development intersects. In this episode, Julián and Jack discuss the importance of commun...

Kevin Boyle, CEO of Gearset, joins Jack on this episode of DevOps Diaries. Kevin’s career has taken him from software engineering intern at Microsoft, to leading one of the most successful Salesforce ISV’s as CEO. His background gives him a unique approach to running a business, with a foundation of great software engineering and product strategy. Kevin & Jack discuss the origin story of Gears...

Jack is joined by Daisy Garcia, CEO and founder of ImagineCRM, and Hannah Kahn, CRO at ImagineCRM. Daisy and Hannah share a love for philanthropy, and driving foundations and nonprofits to success through technology. Their love for their mission is equal to their passion for uplifting women in tech. In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Hannah & Daisy discuss their experiences as women in tech, a...

Over thirteen episodes in 2024, we’ve learnt a whole lot. About Salesforce, leadership, DevOps, and personal growth. To mark the half-way point in the year, Jack has compiled some of the best snippets from all thirteen episodes! Strap in and listen to brilliant nuggets of wisdom from a star-studded line up. There’s something for everyone. Technical advice, how to support your team, artificial inte...

Abi Claus has been in the Salesforce ecosystem since 2011. She is passionate about spreading her knowledge to empower women in technology. She’s grown from a Salesforce admin to a Salesforce platform owner and director, and is now dedicated to sharing her knowledge and wisdom through her new venture as co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of She Makes It Work. In this episode, Abi discusses what...

Jason Lantz is a prominent figure in the Salesforce ecosystem, known for his contributions to Salesforce DevOps and open source tooling. He is the founder and CEO of MuseLab, a company that enhances Salesforce ISVs' product lifecycles, and is the creator of CumulusCI and MetaDeploy. Jason was the Sr. Director of Release Engineering at Salesforce.org, where he led the development of tools that...

Nathen Harvey is Developer Advocate and the lead for DORA at Google Cloud, their DevOps Research and Assessment unit. For ten years Nathen has spearheaded tech communities and authored several reports that now form the industry standard for measuring DevOps performance. He was once a CRM system administrator too — he knows his stuff and the challenges we all face too! Nathen joins Jack on the DevO...

Jolene Mair is a Salesforce Application Engineer at cybersecurity company, HackerOne. She is also a Gearset DevOps leader. Jolene has six-years of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, is 11x Salesforce certified, and brings technical expertise and deep knowledge of Salesforce to an industry where protecting data and creating great user experiences are central to success. In this episode Jack an...

Derek Bisson is a senior technology leader. He’s worked in the Salesforce ecosystem for 14 years, and cares deeply about how he can get the most out of his teams while leaving them feeling fulfilled and motivated. In this episode Jack and Derek dive deep into communication and leadership. They explore the concept of “native genius” and how to create environments where magic can happen by unlocking...

Melissa Hill Dees is an innovator. She is committed to the Salesforce community, no more so than the non-profit community — she shares her warmth and energy with everyone that’s fortunate enough to cross her path. And we’re lucky enough to have her share with us on DevOps Diaries! In this episode Jack and Melissa jump into the world of Salesforce non-profit. They discuss the ways that non-profit o...

Joy Shutters-Helbing is a Senior Manager at CapTech Consulting. She is also a wonderful mom! In this episode Jack and Joy consider where life and work intersect and how the skills we develop in our personal lives are applied to our profession. If you like analogies then this is the episode for you. Hot Wheels, Lego, cars, rocket ships, and flying carrots all have their place here! Filled with laug...

Lauren Krcatovich is CRM Development Manager at Cision. Her journey in tech has been shaped by business analysis and product management before taking the reins for overall Salesforce development. In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Lauren shares why product and design thinking is critical to the success of Salesforce implementations. She uncovers the key stakeholders that need to be involved in pro...