Salesforce coding lessons for the 99%Finally, Apex tutorials for point-and-click admins! Written by a self-taught Google engineer.
Salesforce coding lessons for the 99%
YeurDreamin’ 2019 is complete, and I am left in awe at how lucky we are to be in this space.
Is there any other industry in this world where extremely highly paid individuals pour thousands of hours of their time and love to organize user groups and community events? …I don’t think so!
YeurDreamin’ is a shining example of this. In Amsterdam, far from the bustling Salesforce hubs in the USA, Salesforce enthusiasts from 30 different countries gathered to nerd out on the platform that has given us so much opportunity. All thanks to these volunteers who choose to give back.
You have to go to a Dreamin’ event to really understand how important they are. So many lives are changed when people volunteer their time to help others succeed in this industry. You see it especially during Dreamin’ events because they’re so intimate. Very few of us have succeeded all on our own. I really believe we’re part of something special here and I hope it continues.
The craziest part?
I remember when many of these volunteers started learning Salesforce.
Take Sergey Erlikh – Salesforce MVP, Amsterdam User Group leader, Salesforce Saturday organizer, and Salesforce Architect at Bluewolf. Not long ago this guy was working on getting his first job in the industry. Today, Sergey has 13 certs and is the heart and soul of the Amsterdam Salesforce community.
Then look at Jan Vandevelde. He started off as a Salesforce administrator. Then, he taught himself how to code. Since then he has been busy earning 16 certs, helping people pass the Platform Developer I certification, leading the Belgium User Group, and being a Salesforce MVP.
There’s also Daniel Stange. He’s a historian turned Salesforce Architect. 18 certifications, Dreamforce speaker, and leader of the Frankfurt User Group. This guy is about to publish a Pluralsight course more technical than anything I’ve ever seen. Brilliant.
Last but not least is Jurn Douwes Isema. He’s a philosopher who jumped into the Salesforce industry. I still remember sending him a free t-shirt when he started learning Salesforce at an Amsterdam User Group meeting. Today he leads a Salesforce Saturday group and was awarded a Golden Hoodie!
These are all people from humble backgrounds who have since chosen to give back to the Salesforce community. In the process, they’ve become titans in the industry and their regions.
I’m telling you these stories because I believe you can succeed too. You may be a Salesforce beginner today, but tomorrow, you could be that titan in the industry inspiring the next generation, just as these four individuals and the entire YeurDreamin’ staff have.
Anyone can give back, you just have to decide to do so.
Funny enough, it’s probably the best thing you’ll ever do for your career too.
Thank you for an unforgettable YeurDreamin’ experience, for inspiring me, and many others too!
BONUS shoutout to Kathryn Chlosta, Amsterdam User Group leader, Safe Spaces volunteer in the slums of Nairobi, NetApp WIT board member, and the chief coordinator of YeurDreamin’ – none of this magic would have happened without her!
David
Thank you David for coming to Amsterdam and dreamin’ with us. We love you in #DutchSFCommunity for being an example of your dream achievement and inspiring so many people to follow their dreams. Salesforce ecosystem is the dream and we just trying to realise it as much as we can, for many people as possible.
I always say the community success is the hard work of the team. And our team is growing. YeurDreamin’ would not happen without: Andre, Kevin, Paul, Steve, Kathryn, Michael, Michiel, Cornel, Ayako, Bhavna, Lilly, Olga, Gil, Fergal, Gauhar, Mausam, Ana Kelly, Miguel, Frank, Justyna, Manmohan, PJ – you are all rock stars!