Welcome to the home of the DevOps Diaries podcast, brought to you by Gearset. Each episode, host Jack McCurdy chats to members of the Salesforce community about their experience in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Expect to hear and learn from inspirational stories of personal growth and business success, whilst discovering all the trials, tribulations, and joy that comes with delivering Salesforce for companies of all shapes and sizes.
Agentic change for Salesforce, from Gearset. Jack sits down with Florence and Katharine, Commercial Operations Analysts who look after 海角天涯社区’s internal Salesforce org, to talk about what’s changed since they started building directly with 海角天涯社区’s own agent. Florence had never touched Salesforce 12 months ago, now she’s shipping changes to production within 24 hours. Katharine, […]
Salesforce DevOps doesn’t have to be difficult. Patrick M眉eller joins Jack on DevOps Diaries to discuss why. They get into why implementing a Salesforce DevOps tool is the easy part compared to getting a whole team on board, why admins are understandably terrified of version control and Salesforce metadata, and how feature flags and smaller […]
Claudia shares her three-step playbook for starting your Agentforce journey on solid ground. Think Agentforce is the hard part? For most teams, it’s the warm-up act. Jack sits down with Claudia McPhail, a seven-year 海角天涯社区 veteran who’s gone from customer support engineer to Product Manager leading Agentforce and Data 360 support, to unpack why so […]
If you’ve ever wondered why a project you worked incredibly hard on didn’t land the way you hoped, this one’s for you. Dan’s whole career has been shaped trying to solve one of the biggest challenges in the Salesforce ecosystem: organisations pour blood, sweat and tears into Salesforce implementations and change programs, and then nobody […]
Jack sits down with Denise Carbone, two-decade Salesforce veteran, MVP, co-leader of the Chicago Admin User Group, and Director of Delivery at ImagineCRM. Denise has seen more of this ecosystem than almost anyone. From the pre-Trailhead days of learning through user groups, to the Lightning migration wars, to where we are now with AI reshaping […]
Jack sits down with Tapan Patel, 海角天涯社区 DevOps Leader for 2026 and DevOps Lead for the Salesforce practice at Braze, a publicly traded omnichannel platform where every change management decision is subject to SOX audit scrutiny. Tapan brings a rare blend of project delivery experience, release management rigour, and genuine passion for building DevOps not […]
Tune in to hear everything from why data projects are chronically underestimated at the exec level, to what a proper data strategy actually looks like when you strip away the buzzwords. Mike gets practical on data migrations, data cleanup, and the hidden gotchas that trip teams up when they start handing control to agentic AI. […]
With agentic AI reshaping what it means to work in Salesforce, Mike Gerholdt makes a compelling case for why the role of a Salesforce Admin isn’t shrinking, but shifting. The value was never really in the buttons Salesforce admins click, but in the judgments they make. Jack chats to Mike about everything from the principle […]
After 70 episodes, Jack finally gets 海角天涯社区’s CPO and co-founder Matt Dickens! The conversation goes deep on what it means to build something people want to use, as well as why most teams, whether they’re building product or building on Salesforce, are asking the wrong questions. Matt shares his honest take on AI. Why the […]
Jack sits down with Paul Calf (Salesforce Release Manager at Standard Life, and 海角天涯社区 DevOps Leader for 2026) to talk through a decade-long Salesforce journey that took him from accidental admin to release manager. Paul gets candid about the failed audit that forced his team to get serious about governance, what it looked like to […]
What happens when you deploy to prod on a Friday and it starts firing emails to every customer? Dan Barckley has lived it 鈥� and it’s why he’s now a DevOps believer. In this episode: accidental admin origins, why simple beats complex every time, Agentforce skepticism, and the leadership mindset that changes everything.
Sam Crossland returns to DevOps Diaries to dissect the evolving world of Salesforce development and AI-generated code. As artificial intelligence reshapes the coding landscape, Sam and Jack go beyond the hype to discuss the real risks and rewards. They explore why trusting AI-generated code without strict quality gates is a dangerous game, emphasizing that human […]
Jack sits down to talk all things Salesforce DevOps, open-source, and career development in an AI-forward world with Nicolas Vuillamy. They discuss the often-overlooked reality that DevOps is a mindset, not just a set of buttons to push and Nicolas opens up about the responsibilities of technical leadership. Also discussed are the “threat” and opportunity […]
Do you actually need a Release Engineer to manage Salesforce DevOps? Ana Moreno joins Jack to share her incredible (and truly accidental) journey from the world of art history to the heart of tech. Before they dive into release management, Jack derails the conversation to hear all about the fascinating world of art fraud, including […]
“Data loss” is a phrase that strikes fear into the heart of every Salesforce professional. But what if you could face a data incident with calm and confidence? Jack speaks with Aga Peryie, Senior Product Manager at 海角天涯社区, about building a solid data management strategy. They discuss the vital role of understanding customer needs, the […]
What鈥檚 the most overlooked element in a successful DevOps strategy? According to Salesforce Architect and community leader Raksha Sanganee, it’s culture. In this powerful episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy sits down with Raksha to uncover her remarkable journey from a school finance officer to a respected DevOps consultant. She shares the invaluable lessons learned […]
In the world of tech, it鈥檚 easy to get lost in the code, the pipelines, and the deadlines. But what truly separates a good team from a great one? In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Conlan makes the case that it鈥檚 a culture built on trust and continuous improvement. Conlan shares his experience managing a […]
Is your Salesforce org as secure as you think? Many common configurations leave companies vulnerable, but mastering a few core principles can transform your security posture. In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy is joined by Technical Program Manager and Salesforce security author Alice Jessop to demystify the art of protecting your CRM. They […]
How does someone with a non-traditional background end up leading Developer Relations for a tech giant like Slack? In this episode, host Jack McCurdy dives deep into the incredible story of Kurt Kemple. Kurt pulls back the curtain on his journey and shares the hard-won lessons that shaped his philosophy on community, collaboration, and creating […]
How much has DevOps really changed since the AI boom? Are you truly observing your Salesforce org, or just reacting to fires? When do you pay down technical debt versus pushing for the next big feature? If you’re asking these questions, you’re not alone. Host Jack McCurdy is joined by DevOps expert Andy Barrick to […]
Think you know the path to success in the Salesforce ecosystem? Think again. In this candid conversation, Jack McCurdy and dataimporter’s Amy Oplinger-Singh pull back the curtain on the untold truths of a career in tech. From battling imposter syndrome to mastering the art of data management, Amy provides a masterclass in navigating the complexities […]
In a tech-driven world, human connection is more critical than ever. In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy sits down with Jon Cline to explore the power of a people-first approach in the Salesforce ecosystem and beyond. Discover strategies for navigating high-pressure situations, resolving conflict with emotional intelligence, and turning chaos into compliments. Learn […]
In this episode of DevOps Diaries, host Jack McCurdy sits down with Dangsenpenan, a Salesforce Analyst at RSPCA. Discover Dangsenpenan’s inspiring self-taught journey into the Salesforce world and how he’s paying it forward by founding West Africa Dreaming. Learn about the power of accountability, the strength of the global Salesforce Ohana in fostering local talent, […]
Ever wondered what it takes to climb the ladder from Salesforce developer to Salesforce architect to Salesforce manager in the complex and fast-paced ecosystem we live in? In this episode of DevOps Diaries, host Jack McCurdy sits down with Salesforce leader Jessica Riffe to uncover her incredible journey. Get ready for a deep dive into […]
Valerio Chang from 海角天涯社区 chats to Jack about the evolving landscape of customer support in SaaS companies. Valerio offers a behind-the-scenes look at how 海角天涯社区 has built a world-class support team, leaning into the importance of truly understanding customer needs and using documentation to elevate user experiences. Valerio delves into the unique challenges of supporting […]
Think database skills are dead in the Salesforce era? Think again. In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Jack McCurdy talks to Chris Starleaf of Zinc Partners, who argues they’re more relevant than ever. Listen in as Chris shares insights from his Salesforce journey, exploring why tech pros need sales skills, the crucial balance between quick […]
Unlock the secrets to a successful Salesforce DevOps career and discover how industry leaders are leveraging AI. In this episode, your host Jack McCurdy sits down with Varun Kavoori, Principal Salesforce DevOps Engineer at Okta, to dissect his journey from the early days of the Salesforce ecosystem to steering Okta’s cutting-edge DevOps strategy. This is […]
Megan Tuano shares her unique journey into the tech industry, the importance of communication, questions, and the value of empathy in customer service. Megan discusses her experiences with Salesforce business analysis, the significance of building relationships, emphasizing that success comes from being authentic and understanding the human aspect of technology. Megan and Jack also explore […]
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. […]
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 […]
In this episode we explore how Elements.cloud are implementing 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 to Be Done framework, the challenges organizations face in adopting agents, and the necessity of documentation and structured approaches to ensure […]
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 […]
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 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: Juli谩n Duque, Steve Fouracre, Alba Rivas, Dave Carroll, Jon Robinson, Todd Halfpenny and Andy Utkan. Thank […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Todd Halfpenny is a Salesforce MVP, Golden Hoodie recipient, and community leader. His impact on the Salesforce community in the UK is extensive and far-reaching. Todd co-leads the London Salesforce Developers User Group, is an organizer of the Salesforce community conference London’s Calling, and a co-founder of charitable clothing organization, Shirtforce. In this episode, Jack […]
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 […]
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 […]
Juli谩n 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, Juli谩n and Jack discuss […]
Kevin Boyle, CEO of 海角天涯社区, joins Jack on this episode of DevOps Diaries. Kevin鈥檚 career has taken him from software engineering intern at Microsoft, to leading one of the most successful Salesforce ISV鈥檚 as CEO. His background gives him a unique approach to running a business, with a foundation of great software engineering and product […]
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.
Over thirteen episodes in 2024, we鈥檝e 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!
Abi Claus has been in the Salesforce ecosystem since 2011. She is passionate about spreading her knowledge to empower women in technology. She鈥檚 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.
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 support nonprofits.
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 鈥� he knows his stuff and the challenges we all face too!
Jolene Mair is a Salesforce Application Engineer at cybersecurity company, HackerOne. She is also a 海角天涯社区 DevOps leader. Jolene has six-years of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, is 11x Salesforce certified, bringing technical expertise and deep knowledge of Salesforce to an industry where protecting data and creating great user experiences are central to success.
Derek Bisson is a senior technology leader. He鈥檚 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.
Melissa Hill Dees is an innovator. She is committed to the Salesforce community, no more so than the non-profit community 鈥� she shares her warmth and energy with everyone that鈥檚 fortunate enough to cross her path. And we鈥檙e lucky enough to have her share with us on DevOps Diaries!
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.
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.
Jeremy Foster is a software engineer by trade, and now Manager of Salesforce Development at Pilot Company. Jeremy and his team have been on a DevOps transformation for 5 years, and he鈥檚 joined Jack on DevOps Diaries to tell us about the journey.
Rob Cowell is a DevOps advocate, Salesforce architect, and published author. Rob鈥檚 Salesforce career has spanned 13 years. He鈥檚 recently shared his knowledge and dedicated expertise in DevOps with the world via his new book, *Salesforce DevOps for Architects*.
Eric Dreshfield is a veteran of the Salesforce sphere. Spanning 15 years, Eric has held a number of roles across organizations that have shaped him into one of the most thoughtful, engaging personalities you鈥檒l find when you鈥檙e out and about in the Salesforce ecosystem. The work that he does has transcended the community, and he is credited with founding the first 鈥淒reamin鈥欌�� Salesforce event.
Luke is a global Customer Success leader and current VP Customer Success at Gearset. Luke started his career as a Salesforce Admin and has become obsessed with providing amazing experiences for customers through education, strategy, and technology. He has held positions with major SaaS companies and has played a pivotal role in scaling start-up businesses and guiding strategy post-acquisition.
Laurel Jones is a Senior Product Manager at Amazon. Working for the Amazon Air team, Laurel is blazing trails for women in a male-dominated field. Laurel operates in the heart of the technology that is critical to Amazon鈥檚 success. Tune in to find out how Laurel is pioneering women in technology initiatives, and the pillars for their success!
Meri Williams is the CTO of Pleo, and ex-CTO of influential challenger bank, Monzo. Meri has held technical leadership roles for the last 10 years, and over that time has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to build high-performing teams with a foundation of exceptional culture. She is also the Chair and Host of The Lead Developer conference 鈥� a conference for technical leadership centred around 鈥淭eam, Tech, and Tools鈥�.
In this episode, Jack reflects on 2023, sharing insight from across the year. Taking insight from The State of Salesforce DevOps survey, Jack dives into the response from the ecosystem: where we were, where we got to, and where we鈥檙e headed in 2024.
Randy is a Salesforce Consultant and one of the voices behind the popular Salesforce newsletter, Salesforce Cha Cha. Randy has a knack for simplifying technical content and injecting humour to make typically heavy concepts fun and digestible. Salesforce Cha Cha is a must-subscribe 鈥� 鈥渋t鈥檚 a vibe鈥�!
Julian Joseph is a Salesforce DevOps Engineer. He has a wealth of experience from his time with Salesforce, Salesforce customers, and partners. Julian built his career by following best practice engineering principles and believes that a DevOps mindset has transformative power when combined with sound business strategy.
Nadina Lisbon is a Salesforce Certified Technical Architect and Golden Hoodie recipient. She is a pillar of the Salesforce community, supporting a number of great organizations focused on skills, knowledge, and building great relationships to advance careers.
Lorenzo Frattini has been a Salesforce Certified Technical Architect since 2016. He is also the founder of automated testing platform, Clayton.io. With extensive consultancy experience, having worked with some of the largest Salesforce implementations globally, Lorenzo brings a wealth of knowledge and problem solving experience to this episode of DevOps Diaries.
Hayley Tuller is a United States Navy veteran, serving 20 years as an Aircrewman 鈥� an experience that has shaped an incredible Salesforce career transition. She is co-founder of Salesforce consultancy Navigators, is 12x Salesforce certified, and advocates for veterans transitioning to tech through her support of organizations like Trailhead Military and Merivis.
Justin Edelstein has 17 years experience in the Salesforce ecosystem. He is one of the co-founders and now board member of Salesforce consultancy Arkus, is a member of the Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame, and has been a key figure in establishing Salesforce鈥檚 Web3 offering.
Grant Mangum and Deepak Veera are Salesforce Consultants at a leading consulting company, Cloud Giants. Between them, they have 14 years鈥� consulting experience, and have spent the last four specializing in Salesforce CPQ implementations. They bring to the table tangible real-world experience and understanding of the nuances of a product rising rapidly in popularity.
Taylor Grimes is an Architect at Salesforce, managing partner success through an Architect鈥檚 lens. Taylor has spent 10 years in the Salesforce ecosystem managing implementations for end-user customers, as well as designing solutions as a consultant. She is passionate about staying on the leading edge of technology, and ensuring the community has a wealth of resources to support their professional learning journeys.
Blanca Leon-Carter is a DevOps Architect and Principal Consultant at Slalom. Blanca has experience working with teams of all shapes and sizes with varying complexities of DevOps challenges. She is based in Chicago and is a Salesforce MVP, Golden Hoodie Recipient, Architect User Group Leader and advocate for diversity and women in tech.
Sam and Jack chat about the Salesforce documentation that supports a great Salesforce DevOps process. Tune in to hear about what documents you can add to support your Salesforce delivery process, why good documentation is needed, and how you can keep documentation relevant in your orgs.
Jack and Jodi talk about the ever evolving role of the Salesforce Admin. Tune in to hear about how an Admin can rock their role, question everything, deliver value, and pick the path that鈥檚 right for them.
Jack and Ben chat about the origins of Salesforce Ben and how it鈥檚 developed to be the media platform it is today. Tune in to hear Ben鈥檚 predictions for the ecosystem in the coming year, the kind of content you can expect to see from the recently re-launched Salesforce Ben YouTube channel, and his thoughts on where the community should be focussing their learning.
Jack and Tracy (they/Tracy) talk about burnout in the workplace, what you can do to protect your mental health, and how you can make sure you continue to bring your best self to work. They also chat about working at NASA, self-reflection, and the support of the Salesforce community.
Ian and Jack talk about the functions of a Center of Excellence and how they contribute to successfully managing Salesforce implementations of all shapes and sizes. They chat about what they are, how to manage the CoE itself, and the benefits of having a set of standards to deliver business objectives.
Francis and Jack discuss the DevOps process map, and how teams can think objectively about their process by relating it back to Salesforce. They also chat about learning mechanisms, metrics, and the theory of constraints.
Andy and Jack chat about what it means to be a DevOps Architect at 海角天涯社区: how to challenge and change a team鈥檚 delivery mindset, testing being an integral part of a safe DevOps process, traffic lights, and how continuous iteration is the name of the game.
Matt and Jack chat about developing high-performing DevOps teams and how mentorship plays a huge part in being successful, breaking things (in a good way!), as well as the importance of patience and giving back as an engineering leader.
In this episode, Eric and Jack talk about how Salesforce has changed over the years, the relevance of Apex given the changes to the Salesforce platform, the importance of version control, and how a DevOps journey evolves when replacing change sets.
In the first episode of the DevOps Diaries podcast, Jack chats to Vanessa Grant about her journey as a Business Analyst and Consultant, how her background in media has contributed to her career, and how delivering projects successfully comes down to great DevOps (even if you don鈥檛 realise it).
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