If you’ve spent any time at all in the SFDC99 Salesforce community, you probably felt a bit of a gut punch when David Liu announced he was hanging up his hat. After ten years of helping admins turn into developers, David is officially winding down the site. It’s the end of an era for one of the most practical, no-nonsense resources we’ve ever had.
The impact of David Liu on the SFDC99 Salesforce community
Look, I remember when I first started trying to figure out triggers. The official documentation felt like reading a textbook written in a different language. Then I found SFDC99. David had this way of explaining things that just made sense because he wasn’t a computer science major from birth. He was a self-taught guy who worked his way into a Google engineering role, and he brought that “I’ve been where you are” energy to the SFDC99 Salesforce community every single day.
He didn’t just teach people how to write a loop. He taught admins that they were capable of more than just clicking buttons. In my experience, that confidence shift is usually the hardest part of the job. Once you realize you won’t actually break the internet by writing some code in a sandbox, everything changes. If you’re just starting that journey, checking out a guide on how to become a Salesforce developer can help you keep that momentum going now that David is moving on.
What the SFDC99 Salesforce community leaves behind
So what does this actually mean for the rest of us? David isn’t just deleting the site, but he’s done creating new content. For a decade, he was the bridge between “I think I can do this” and “I’m a developer.” He focused on the stuff that actually matters in a real-world project, not just theory. Here’s what made the site a staple for so many:
- The Apex Academy: These weren’t just random snippets. They were structured lessons that actually taught you how to think like a coder.
- Career Advice: He was always honest about what it took to get hired. He didn’t sugarcoat the grind.
- Certification Guides: Before Trailhead was the giant it is today, we all went to David to figure out how to pass the Platform Dev I exam.
One thing that trips people up is thinking they need to know everything before they start. David’s whole philosophy was the opposite: learn just enough to be dangerous, then build something.
Why he’s calling it a day
David was pretty open about his reasons. After ten years, priorities change. He’s got a family, a big career, and he wants to reclaim some of that time. Honestly, most people in the SFDC99 Salesforce community get it. We’ve all felt that burnout at some point, especially when you’re running a massive side project on top of a day job. It’s a reminder that even the folks we look up to have to balance life and work.
Moving forward without the daily SFDC99 updates
The site is still there for now, but the ecosystem is moving fast. With all the talk about AI and Flow getting more powerful, some people wonder if they even need to learn Apex anymore. But here’s the thing: understanding the underlying logic is still the most valuable skill you can have. I’ve seen teams try to build everything in Flow and end up with a mess because they didn’t understand basic architectural principles. You still need to know when to use Apex vs Flow to keep your org healthy.
The SFDC99 Salesforce community was always about more than just one website. It was about a group of people who wanted to level up. So, keep that spirit alive. Go to your local user groups, help someone on the forums, and don’t stop learning just because your favorite blog stopped posting.
Key Takeaways
- David Liu is retiring SFDC99 after 10 years of community service.
- The site’s existing tutorials are still great for learning the basics of Apex.
- The focus on “clicks to code” remains one of the best ways for admins to grow their careers.
- Community-driven learning is still the heart of the Salesforce ecosystem.
If you’re worried about your next steps, don’t be. The path David laid out is still valid. If you’re aiming for that next big role, maybe start prepping with some senior Salesforce developer interview questions to see where your gaps are. David showed us how to build the foundation; now it’s on us to keep building the rest. Thanks for everything, David.