While we still have conferences...

Had a great week in San Francisco. Hit TrailblazerDX, the annual conference of Salesforce developers. My impressions after two inspiring days at #tdx24:

1.??????? Easy Button. If this conference in ’22 was about automation, and in ’23 it was about #AI, this year it’s about frictionlessness. How the chatbot can be even more conversational, how the coding can even get lower- and no-er, how can modes (eg other LLMs) play nice-nice more than ever, etc. Devs can now use natural language prompts to explain an existing formula or immediately write their own. Co-founder Parker Harris informed the crowd, “two-thirds of our time is automatable.”

2.??????? There’s no AI in TEAM. Development is a collaborative process. Salesforce has long doubled-down on this team approach, aka their “Ohana” cult(ure). But I fear for this tech-enabled Future - if each of us dives deeper into our individual performance (headphoned, high on screentime, down algorithmic wormholes, seeing our own prompts and their output as the gospel), might we lose out on even more opportunities to connect with and learn from and innovate with other live individuals? Paula Goldman , Salesforce Chief Ethical & Humane Use Officer, calls the imperative “human at the helm” – this human will be borrowing that line.

3.??????? Employees want Recognition. I, the Eagle Scout, have long loved the campy badge framework for Salesforce, and amassed 50 badges worth of learning. Attendees were tribal and status conscious, but in a loving way. Their Einstein cosplay. Their Golden Hoodie VIP awards. And pins. And branded hoodies. And conference-exclusive plushies.

4.??????? Never forget how Grizzly Man ended. Even the AI experts on stage (including the relatable physicist Jared Kaplan of Anthropic) admitted they don’t quite know how this whole thing (LLM neuron system) even works – neither how it works now nor especially how it might soon work very differently! And so part of the whole industrywide corporate Safety thrust (what SF calls Trust) is truly Fear of The Unknown. Hashtag Yikes.

5.??????? New is Everything. Not what have you done lately but What Can You Do For Me Tomorrow. Very left coast. The Salesforce stock is beating the S&P by over 2X, in part because they understand seasonality. Product launches sync elegantly (albeit born of much blood, sweat, and tears behind the scene, I’m sure) with every Salesforce event – their own or Wall Street’s quarterly imperative.

6.??????? It’s Show Biz. These guys are Disneyesque in their attention to the Guest Experience. An entertained developer or admin is a productive developer or admin. And I hope Salesforce, certainly under the perpetual threat of cost-containment, never cheapen their conference’s details – staffing, A/V, signage, breakouts, food & beverage, live entertainment, etc. etc. A great way for Salesforce to ensure another 25 years.