How I became a Salesforce MVP

So it started from a tweet (it’s amazing how many of my talks and blog posts do) which got me thinking …

@radnip @jenwlee @cloudysan @TheChrisDuarte @rakeshistom I've thought of it, how cool but you have to really be an expert in SF, right?

— Jennifer W. Lee (she/her) (@jenwlee) May 28, 2015

“You have to really be an expert in Salesforce right?” said Jennifer Lee on Twitter. Well… Yes but no. It’s only part of it. I’m now in my 5th year of being a Salesforce MVP and it got me thinking about how much I actually knew when I became an MVP. Things have changed a lot since then.

I actually learn’t Salesforce from the community. At the time there was classroom training, Salesforce help (joy!) or a collection of workbooks and not a lot much else and Salesforce Trailhead? well if only! I wanted to learn salesforce fast without paying out for training. Salesforce had an older version of what is now the Salesforce Success Community and Salesforce Developer Discussion Boards and I came to the conclusion that if other users had problems or questions about Salesforce, I would probably a have the same questions.

So I started answering questions. Questions I had no idea how to answer. But I would dig around in the Salesforce help and play in my free dev org until I found the answer and posted it back to the community.

I have to admit I may have got a little obsessed…

Some people say I still am…

I was answering questions, learning the platform and getting to know these other equally obsessed people, so I carried on and not long after I became an MVP.

I was on a monthly call that was arranged by a member of Salesforce. I suggested once that they maybe move the call to after work or in the evening. It would be easier to join as you don’t get caught up with ‘normal work’. The reply was ‘Sorry I have a strict work life balance’. Then it struck me. Wow they think this is work? The second being blimey maybe I am obsessed after all 🙂

I don’t think it’s possible to be an expert in Salesforce. It’s too big for one thing. Also salesforce keep pulling the rug from under you by doing 3 releases a year! so it makes it harder to keep up. For us old timers I think it’s harder still because the things you throught you couldnt do a year ago you can now… Argh! Salesforce stop being so… driven to improve! 🙂

A couple of weeks ago I was at the MVP Summit where MVPs from all over the world come to San Fran on Salesforce’s dime. Its hard to verbalise what the characteristics of an MVP is, but everyone has a little glint in their eye. A passion for Salesforce & talking about it, a passion to collaborate and ask and answer each others questions. I wouldn’t say expert came into it that much. Everyone have their strengths and weaknesses in different areas of Salesforce.

Erica (I have to say) is a bit of a genius in harnessing and focusing this passion (see this video about the Salesforce community she did). For example we were all given a GoPro at the summit (among other things). So I created a video as thanks:

It’s a great community… find a niche and learn, teach, collaborate and answer peoples questions all around it or setup/join a user group. It will be worth it!