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Salesforce Admins Podcast

Salesforce Admins Podcast

Written by: Mike Gerholdt
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 The Salesforce Admins podcast features real-life Salesforce Admins, product managers, and community leaders who transform businesses, careers, and community with clicks, not code. This 20min (sometimes a bit more) weekly podcast hosted by Mike Gerholdt feature episodes to empower Salesforce Admins who are implementing Enterprise CRM solutions. There may be some (digital) confetti. For more than our most recent episodes, go to https://admin.salesforce.com/salesforce-admin-podcast. Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • How Agent Script Is Redefining the Admin Role

    How Agent Script Is Redefining the Admin Role
    Apr 23 2026
    Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Joshua Birk, Senior Director of Admin Evangelism at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Agent Script helps admins build more predictable and reliable AI solutions. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Joshua Birk. How Agent Script expands the admin toolkit The new Agentforce Builder gives admins new tools to create effective AI agents to help their orgs. Chief among them is Agent Script, which gives you more control than ever before over how your agents operate and behave. I sat down with Josh Birk to find out how it all works and why Agent Script redefines the admin role. Agent Script is a simple, high-level scripting language that lets you create complex instructions and actions for your agent to follow. You can step in as the human in the loop and create a framework for agent behavior and context, helping you build more predictable and reliable AI solutions. Redefining the admin role In simple terms, Agent Script lets you look under the hood at how your agents function. If you're comfortable with coding, Script view allows you to make fast, precise changes and analyze error messages. Canvas view, meanwhile, uses visual blocks to make it easy to understand what's going on with your agent. And of course, the Agentforce assistant is always available with suggestions if you get stuck. With so much more control over agentic behavior, Agent Script puts admins in the driver's seat for how their organization will evolve with AI. You're not just building a solution—you're designing interactions between humans and agents. In the big picture, the role of the admin starts to look less like traditional system configuration and more like experience design, governance, and operational strategy. Getting started with Agent Script All of this requires a great deal of thought in terms of how you're building new agentic solutions and rolling them out to your organization. Josh's biggest piece of advice is to take it slow: "Don't panic, learn Agent Script," he says. Your existing agents will continue to work, so take your time to experiment with Agent Script to get a better understanding of what's possible. Build some new agents and take it one step at a time. Listen to the full episode for more from Josh about what admins can do with Agent Script. And subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us in your feed every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog: Build With Confidence: Inside the New Agentforce Builder Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Josh on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, if you've ever been wondering why you can't just copy and paste your old agents into the new version, this episode is for you. I'm joined by Josh Burke, who recently walked our admin relations team through what's really changing with Agent Builder and Agentforce. And more importantly, why it matters. We're going to unpack a little bit of hybrid reasoning, what determinism really means for admins, and how Agent Script gives you even more control without losing all of that magic. So with that, let's get Josh on the podcast. So Josh, welcome back to the podcast. Josh Birk: Thanks for having me, Mike. Mike Gerholdt: Well, we know that a few people are vibing now because of the dulcent tones of Josh Burke. So in all honesty, you were in a team meeting last week and you were kind of updating the team on stuff that's coming out for new products and beta products. And the biggest thing that you always explain is like, so why is this important? Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike Gerholdt: And of course, every now and then you end your little skit with, "Thanks for attending my TED Talk." Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike Gerholdt: And I remember last week's meeting, I was like, "Oh man, that's a podcast. I need to do that." Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike Gerholdt: Because the way that you would explained what was new with Agent Builder and Agentforce, I was just like, "Oh, that totally makes sense to me." So this is where we're at and this is what I was hoping we would talk about. Josh Birk: Yeah. And I'll have to try because I kind of remember getting into a very weird, almost like conspiracy theory level stream of consciousness. Mike Gerholdt: Oh, okay. Well, it didn't feel that way. Josh Birk: Good. I think that's years of experience of thinking in streams of consciousnesses, whatever the plural of that is. So yeah, so I think to kind of recap a little bit, so there were two things that I think are kind of important to consider about the new Agent Builder. One is what we mean by hybrid reasoning and what we mean by determinism. And then the second thing is, ...
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    17 mins
  • How Salesforce Built a Scalable AI Puzzle App in Six Weeks

    How Salesforce Built a Scalable AI Puzzle App in Six Weeks
    Apr 16 2026
    Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jagan Nathan, Senior AI Architect at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how he built a Slack app for Salesforce's "Million Dollar Puzzle" ad, where millions of concurrent users raced to solve riddles by chatting with Slackbots. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jagan Nathan. The tech behind the "Million Dollar Puzzle" contest If you were watching the big game, you might have seen Salesforce's "Million Dollar Puzzle". As soon as the ad aired, the race was on for contestants to solve puzzles by chatting with Slackbots to discover the location of a secret vault. My guest this week, Jagan Nathan, built the Agentforce-powered Slack app that made everything possible. They needed Slackbots that could act as a conversational gateway for millions of concurrent users. And with a million dollars on the line, they needed to be sure it couldn't be tricked into giving away the answer. Even more incredibly, Jagan pulled all of this off in only six weeks. I sat down with him to find out how he did it and what he learned along the way. Using AI to build quickly at scale Just like with any project, the first step was to gather requirements—though it's more fun when your stakeholder is the "Puzzle Master." Jagan and his team needed a thorough understanding of what they were dealing with and how they could translate those gaming mechanics into the application. The clock was ticking, and AI was pivotal for accelerating the development timeline. Jagan and his team used Salesforce Vibes for quick prototypes and wireframes to help them decide what to build. But the development team still needed to take these ideas the rest of the way. "AI cannot help us solve all of the architecture problems," Jagan explains, "we have to have a human in the loop." With millions of concurrent users, they needed to do thorough testing—and quickly. Luckily, they could use Salesforce Scale Center to stress-test for performance issues and identify bottlenecks so they could be sure that when the ad ran, the app would work flawlessly. Designing for security with a million dollars on the line I know this might be shocking, but when you're holding a contest with a million-dollar prize, some people will try to cheat. So Jagan and his team needed to make sure there were plenty of guardrails in place to make sure someone could win it fair and square. They needed to start with a security mindset and think through any security vulnerabilities as they designed the application. Einstein Trust Layer was crucial for toxicity detection and monitoring for anything malicious, like prompt injections. Most importantly, they were very careful with what information the Slackbot knew and what it didn't. It didn't have the solutions to the puzzles, so even if someone managed to crack it, they wouldn't be able to get very far. Instead, puzzle answers were always validated by humans. There's a lot more from Jagan about building for scale quickly, so make sure to take a listen. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more MrBeast + Salesforce Behind the Scenes The Million-Dollar Puzzle: How Slackbot and MrBeast are Rewriting the Super Bowl Playbook Salesforce Admins Blog Post: Empowering Admins: Build Org Scalability With New Scale Center Features True to the Core Deep Dive: What's New in Lightning Experience Performance and Agentforce Vibes Salesforce Admins Blog Post: Build With Confidence: Inside the New Agentforce Builder Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Jagan on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: When you think about building on Salesforce, it's easy to focus on features. But today's admins aren't just implementing features. They're designing systems that have to perform, scale, and hold up under real world pressure. In today's episode, I'm going to sit down with Jagan, an architect who helped deliver a high stakes, high scale experience serving millions of users through a custom Slack-based AI system. We're going to unpack what it actually takes to compress months of work into weeks and how to design for trust and guardrails from day one, and where human judgment still matters in an AI-driven architecture. So if you've ever wondered how your role evolves from building flows to orchestrating full systems, this is the conversation because this just isn't about speed. It's about responsibility at scale. Now if you enjoy this episode, hit Subscribe, share it with a fellow admin and let's get Jagan on the podcast. So Jagan, welcome to the podcast. Jagan Nathan: Hi, Mike. Thank you for having me. Mike Gerholdt: Yeah. Well, I was excited when you sent me the Slack ...
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    17 mins
  • How Admins Can Get the Most Out of TDX 2026

    How Admins Can Get the Most Out of TDX 2026
    Apr 9 2026
    Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jennifer Lee, Lead Admin Evangelist, and Eliza Riley, Content Manager for Admin Marketing at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about what's coming at TDX and how to get the most out of your visit. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jennifer Lee and Eliza Riley. Connect with product leaders at TDX TDX is around the corner, and I sat down with Eliza and Jen to talk about must-see content for admins and how to get the most out of your visit. One thing you won't want to miss out on this year is Sneak Peeks, a special experience in the theater where you'll be able to see new features in action. We'll be showcasing things like the new App Studio and Setup with Agentforce so you can get an idea of what's coming. There will also be a Q&A with the product teams so you can give feedback and better understand the roadmap. There will also be True to the Core Deep Dives covering flow and automation, reporting and analytics, Agentforce, and low-code and pro-code development. These extended Q&As offer you a chance to connect with product leaders and ask all of your burning questions. Finally, if you have a thorny problem that needs solving, you can sign up for a 1-on-1 Ask the Expert session with a Salesforce engineer or product leader. See the sights We've been talking a lot on the pod about Agentforce Vibes, so maybe it's time to see it for yourself. In the Agentforce Vibes Zone, you'll be able to get hands-on with how you can build using natural language. There will be demos, a guided project, and sessions to help you get started. You'll also want to check out the Hackathon Showcase in the keynote room, where the three finalists will pitch their builds live to the judges. As Jen says, it's always interesting to see how different people solve problems and get some inspiration for what you're building in your org. If you're coming alone, make sure to stop by the Community Cove. It's the spot for networking with other admins and other folks in the ecosystem, and a great jumping-off point for exploring TDX. How to plan for TDX As you're getting ready for TDX, it's important to remember to balance planning with flexibility. "You're going to be connecting with people," Eliza says, "you might see a cool activation that catches your eye, or a robot you might want to stop and grab a picture with." Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and snacks, remember that some sessions require headphones, and make sure you have a swag bag. Most importantly, come find us and say hi. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more on what's coming at TDX. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog Post: The Salesforce Admin's Guide to TDX 2026 Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: What Are True to the Core Deep Dives at TDX? Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Jen on LinkedIn Eliza on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike: If you're heading into TDX thinking it's just another event, this episode might change how you show up entirely. Today, I'm joined by Jennifer and Eliza to break down how to actually get the most out of TDX26, not just attend it. We're going to talk about everything from Sneak Peeks and Ask the Expert zones to hands-on Agentforce experiences and so much more. Most importantly, how these moments are going to help you design better systems, not just learn new features, because this isn't about collecting swag or just session notes. It's about connecting with the people building the platform and shaping how your organization runs. So, if you're serious about evolving from admin to orchestrator, we got your game plan. So, let's get Jen and Eliza on the podcast. So, Jen, Eliza, welcome to the podcast. Jennifer: Thanks for having us. Eliza: Super happy to be here. Mike: It's going to be fun. So, Jen, you're a veteran of the podcast and in the community. Tell us a little bit about what you do at Salesforce, and then, we're going to get into what we do for TDX. Jennifer: Sure. I'm one of a few admin evangelists on the team. So, some of the things that I do on a daily basis is write blogs, create video content, and present to all of you admins out there. Mike: Just a few. Eliza, you're like our secret Alfred in the bat cave. I feel like all of us evangelists come back with torn suits, and our Batmobiles have a flat tire and you fix everything up. But you also did a whole bunch of stuff at TDX last year, but what do you do on the admin team? Eliza: Yeah, I know you guys are really on the front lines. So, I'm a content manager on admin relations, and I focus on creating ...
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    21 mins
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