25 Years in the Salesforce Ecosystem
On November 3rd, 2000, I clicked “sign up” on a platform that barely existed, and my contact record in Org62 was created.
At the time, I was leading IT for a very small startup and looking for a better way to track sales. We wanted to be cloud-focused before the cloud was even much of a term. Salesforce appeared, not as the global force it is today, but as what I fondly describe as “Act! on the web”.
For those not around back then, Act! CRM was a popular desktop program that helped small businesses keep track of contacts and sales around the turn of the century (the more recent one, I am only going back 25 years). Then, cloud-based CRMs were introduced, with Salesforce at the forefront. Colorful tabs. Left-hand navigation. Rudimentary customization. A simple promise: “No software.”
It was a bet on the future and one that would shape my entire career.
Finding the First Wave
Those early years were filled with experimentation. When I later ran my own company, I even used Salesforce as a team of one, tracking my leads, deals, and processes on a platform that was evolving at the same time I was. The real turning point came at a financial firm (never to be named), sitting in a hotel lobby during what you could generously call a “mini-World Tour.” My BlackBerry buzzed as a colleague and I wondered aloud: Could Salesforce power one of our major transformation projects? Right then, my Salesforce Account Executive, who had quietly tracked that I was attending, tapped me on the shoulder. “Are you Jason?”
That conversation opened the door to enterprise adoption and set me on a new trajectory.
More Than Technology
Salesforce taught me that great technology can transform work, and with purpose and community, transform people. The 1-1-1 model, now known as Pledge 1%, reshaped how I thought about how businesses could run and be helpful. When we founded Arkus in 2010, we didn’t hesitate to adopt it. Giving back wasn’t a marketing initiative; it was a responsibility to the overall ecosystem that we supported.
And then there’s the community. User groups. Events. Online forums. The thousands of people who share knowledge freely and help others succeed. I’ve seen careers begin, confidence grow, and lifelong friendships form, all because a platform decided that customers should connect and thrive together. It is my honor in this community to be recognized as a Salesforce MVP, and now to be in the Hall of Fame.
Riding Every Wave
Looking back, I’ve been fortunate to experience several major technology inflection points:
- The rise of the web in the mid-90s
- The shift to mobile-first experiences
- The dawn of software-as-a-service and the cloud
Today, we’re living through the next wave: artificial intelligence. AI is already transforming how we build, automate, and scale operations. Salesforce has quickly adapted, yet the journey has only begun. Digital labor, agentic workflows, and platforms like Agentforce will increase impact in ways we’re just starting to imagine.
I’m energized and curious because after 25 years, the real excitement is still ahead.
A Journey Worth Celebrating
What started as a practical software choice became the foundation of my professional life. It gave me a career, a company, a mission, and a community that continues to inspire me. Read the story behind Arkus in another post where I share more about the Arkus journey of growth, innovation, and partnership.
Twenty-five years later, I remain extremely grateful and still fully invested in what’s possible.
Here’s to what we’ve built.
Here’s to what’s next.
Where are you on your journey? Connect with me on LinkedIn, or reach out to the Arkus team through our contact form.
