189: Practical DevOps with Rob Cowell

Join us as we welcome Rob Cowell, a renowned DevOps advocate, on a journey through his personal and professional life in the world of programming and Salesforce. Starting with his early experiences tinkering with a Sord M5 computer, Rob shares how he transformed his passion for programming into a fulfilling career. We trace his evolution from working with Microsoft Access to .NET, C Sharp, and ultimately Salesforce and Apex, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the fast-paced tech industry.

Transitioning into his current role, Rob pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to be a DevOps advocate. Emphasizing the significance of communication, collaboration, small incremental changes, and automation, he discusses how a commitment to quality is integral to delivering excellent results. The episode also explores the role of a Salesforce DevOps engineer and how to adopt the required skill set.

Tune in to glean invaluable insights from Rob's vast experience and deep knowledge of the Salesforce ecosystem.

Show Highlights:

• The role and importance of Salesforce DevOps in delivering quality results efficiently.

• The key components of Salesforce DevOps include communication, collaboration, small incremental changes, and automation.

• The transition from traditional development stacks into Salesforce and the unique elements of the platform.

• The role of a Salesforce DevOps engineer and how to adopt the necessary skill set.

• The introduction of Rob Cowell's project, 'Shirt Force,’ which combines humor and philanthropy by creating Salesforce-themed t-shirts and donating the profits to charity.

• Insights into continuous improvement and the importance of adapting DevOps to your way of working.

Links:

• Julián on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/juliandavidduque

• Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-cowell/

• Rob's Twitter/X: @RobSalesforce

Other resources:

• Gearset: https://gearset.com/

• DevOps Launchpad free training and certs: https://devopslaunchpad.com/

• Shirtforce: https://shirtforce.org/

• His work on the demoscene: https://demozoo.org/sceners/32053/