I think Salesforce is an addictive phenomena and TrailheaDX was created to give us our fix!
If you don’t know what TrailheaDX is, it’s like a tiny-Dreamforce that’s focused mostly on development (cool!). In terms of scale, it’s maybe only 5% the size of Dreamforce. But it’s intimate – instead of random people like me giving sessions, you hear directly from the product managers.
In case you’re wondering, it’s worth it to go. It’s not a Dreamforce replacement, but you’ll get your fix!
NOW IF YOU DIDN’T GO THIS YEAR, you missed out on a MEGATON, once in a lifetime event:
Yup, that’s right. I was featured in the KEYNOTE session! I never dreamed I’d make it to the big stage!
Now on to the less important parts of TrailheaDX:
Salesforce DX is here!
A dirty little reputation of the Salesforce world is that it’s not a “true” development platform.
No source driven development? Hmph! The traditional developer scoffs at this!
But that all changes with Salesforce DX. Salesforce DX brings us up to par with the modern development tools used in every other development ecosystem. It’s a 10 out of 10!
To give you a better idea of what this means, here’s the “old” process:
This is the Salesforce DX way:
Trust me on this one, Salesforce DX is the bee’s knees! Join the open beta today!
P.S. Leah McGowen-Hare, mother-hero of all Salesforce developers, nailed the keynote speech of a lifetime on this one. It was magical!
Einstein, Lightning updates, and Platform Events!
Einstein is so big and powerful my brain can hardly wrap itself around it.
But one feature, Einstein Sentiment, really stuck with me! The premise is simple: give Einstein any piece of text, and Einstein will tell you if it’s a positive or negative statement.
EXAMPLE #1: “I failed my recent Salesforce certification.”
EINSTEIN SAYS: This is a negative statement.
EXAMPLE #2: “I have lost literally thousands of dollars on failed certifications and I’m going broke.”
EINSTEIN SAYS: This is an extremely negative statement!
EXAMPLE #3: “You either pass a certification, or you learn… a true champion never quits!”
Learn more about Einstein, Lightning, and Platform Events by watching the keynote!
Swag report:
Super high quality backpack that I’ll actually use for once? CHECK!
Salesforce branded drone? CHECK!
Acorn shaped bluetooth speaker? CHECK!
Fidget spinner? CHECK!
Swag just gets weirder every year… but I like it!
There was a TON more swag you could get. Probably thousands of free t-shirts were given away. But this year I only went of out my way for swag if it was for my baby. He likes the bear =)
On a side note, congrats to everyone who told me the secret code and earned one of the 30 free t-shirts I had! This part is really the best part about Salesforce!
Ahhh! Look who I met at #tdx17…the man, the myth, the legend…@dvdkliu! #fangirling pic.twitter.com/Z7TwlZR1Yv
— Kelly Walker (@HeadInTheClowdz) June 28, 2017
Finally met @dvdkliu in person at #TDX17 . 💁🏻Thanks for your amazing blog. It's the reason that I got 4 certs. Thank you!!! pic.twitter.com/vmnlf4HsMz
— Maha. (@mibu819) June 30, 2017
Mission Accomplished #TDX17 #Trailhead #TrailBlazer pic.twitter.com/VkFahalp9B
— Nitheesh (@TechNinja_) June 30, 2017
@dvdkliu Thank you for your support! I have a small gift for you, details to come soon… 😃 pic.twitter.com/LjygCe6HjQ
— Jesse Grothaus (@GrothausJesse) June 30, 2017
Had a great convo with @dvdkliu over lunch! pic.twitter.com/MPNOAbsMka
— Rachel Watson (@TheRachelWatson) June 29, 2017
Day 2 @ #TDX17 leggo! Also finally got a photo with @dvdkliu so stoked! pic.twitter.com/g2qZ6mLtT3
— Jon Jax (@jonjaxsfdc) June 29, 2017
finally got hold of my #sfdc99 t-shirt from this guy @dvdkliu pic.twitter.com/M8AoUqd0cy
— ☁ Vamsi Krishna ☁ (@krish_vamsi) June 28, 2017
Parting Thoughts
Salesforce really is an incredible platform. I feel privileged to have lucked into this industry.
Because of Salesforce, many of us have been given jobs and lives we would have never dreamed of living. Thousands of dreamers from all sorts of backgrounds, high and low, will also learn Salesforce, find jobs, and live beautiful lives from there.
We are all so lucky to have Salesforce in our lives. I wish only the best to this platform and I hope it continues to grow and expand. Based on what I’ve seen at TrailheaDX and the innovation that has happened in just the past year, the future looks as strong as it has ever been for Salesforce. If you’re on the fence, I sincerely believe that this is the greatest industry I’ll ever be a part of in my lifetime.
Much love to the folks over at Salesforce and the #SalesforceOhana!
Don’t forget PepUp Tech and the Trailblazer Equality Award! That happened too :)
Great blog post DL
Cheers Justice!