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Steven Van Elk

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The Miscarriage
Feb 27, 2023
The Miscarriage
Feb 27, 2023

“Steven. I’m late.” I could feel these whispered words echo in the hollow of my ear, reverberating with hope and a little fear.

Feb 27, 2023

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Designing for Multi-User Complexity: Visibility, Ownership, and Process
Sep 10, 2025
Designing for Multi-User Complexity: Visibility, Ownership, and Process
Sep 10, 2025

As orgs grow, so does complexity. And nowhere is that more evident than in multi-user ownership and access design.

You can’t just “let everyone see everything” and hope for the best. Over the last year, I’ve developed frameworks that balance:

  • Record-level visibility (role hierarchy, sharing rules, manual sharing)

  • Process clarity (who acts when, and how automation responds)

  • Ownership transitions (consultant leaves, team changes, reassignment flows)

Sep 10, 2025
When to Say No: The Skill That Took Me the Longest to Learn
Aug 10, 2025
When to Say No: The Skill That Took Me the Longest to Learn
Aug 10, 2025

For years, I focused on building solutions. Now I focus on defining the right problems—and sometimes, that means saying no.

Not all requests belong in Salesforce. Not all automations need to exist. The mark of an architect isn’t how much they build—it’s how strategically they build.

Aug 10, 2025
External Objects Aren’t Just for Integration—They’re a UX Superpower
Jul 10, 2025
External Objects Aren’t Just for Integration—They’re a UX Superpower
Jul 10, 2025

When people think of External Objects, they think data sync. But I’ve started using them to improve the user experience in Salesforce.

Examples:

  • Viewing external inventory or availability directly from a record page

  • Displaying past transaction history from a billing system

  • Creating read-only snapshots of data that doesn’t need to live inside the org

Jul 10, 2025

 

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