January 2026 Apex Insider

2026: Why Salesforce Developer Skills Plus AI Development Matter

The start of a new year is a good time to think about where you're headed with your career. If you're learning Salesforce development or thinking about it, I have good news for you. Salesforce developer remains a strong, valuable career choice. And if you add AI literacy to your toolkit, you'll have an even bigger advantage.

Let's talk about why both matter and how they work together.

Salesforce Development Is Still a Strong Career Path

Despite what you might hear about AI replacing developers, the demand for skilled Salesforce developers keeps growing. Companies need people who can build custom solutions, integrate systems, and solve complex business problems on the platform.

Here's what makes Salesforce development valuable:

Business Problem Solving: The real work isn't just writing code. It's understanding what a business needs and figuring out how to build it. That takes human judgment, creativity, and experience. No AI can replace that.

System Integration: Salesforce rarely works alone. Developers connect it to other systems, migrate data, and make sure everything works together smoothly. This requires understanding both technical and business requirements.

Custom Solutions: Every company uses Salesforce differently. They need developers who can build exactly what they need, not just use what comes out of the box.

Career Growth: Learning Salesforce development opens doors to well-paid roles, remote work opportunities, and the chance to work on meaningful projects for companies of all sizes.

The fundamentals you learn as a Salesforce developer don't go away. They become more valuable because they help you understand what AI tools are actually doing.

How AI Tools Are Changing the Way We Work

AI isn't replacing developers. It's changing how we work. Think of AI tools as power tools that make you faster and more productive. You still need to know what you're building and why. The AI just helps you build it more efficiently.

Here are the AI tools that matter for Salesforce developers in 2026:

Agentforce Vibes: This is Salesforce's native AI coding assistant that launched late last year. It understands your org structure, your data model, and Salesforce best practices. You can tell it what you want in plain English, and it generates Apex, Lightning Web Components, and other code for you.

What makes it special is that it stays within Salesforce's security zone. Your code and data never leave the platform. For companies with strict security requirements, this is a game changer.

Claude Code and MCP: The Model Context Protocol lets you build AI-powered developer tools that understand your specific codebase and workflow. Tools like Claude Code can help you understand complex code, refactor existing solutions, and generate new features.

These tools go beyond simple code completion. They can analyze your entire project, suggest improvements, and help you learn by explaining what code does and why it works that way.

General AI Literacy: Beyond specific tools, understanding how to work with AI matters. This includes prompt engineering (asking for what you need clearly), understanding what AI can and can't do reliably, and knowing when to trust AI suggestions and when to think through problems yourself.

Why Fundamentals Still Matter

Here's the truth that some people miss when they get excited about AI coding tools: The better you understand code fundamentals, the better you'll be at using AI to help you code.

When AI generates code for you, you need to:

• Review it carefully to make sure it actually solves your problem
• Check for security issues and performance problems
• Understand how it works so you can maintain it later
• Modify it when requirements change
• Debug it when something goes wrong

All of this requires solid fundamental skills. You need to know what good code looks like. You need to understand data types, loops, conditionals, SOQL queries, and governor limits. These basics don't change whether you write code yourself or use AI to help.

Think of it like using a calculator. The calculator makes math faster, but you still need to understand math to know which calculation to do and whether the answer makes sense. AI coding tools work the same way.

The Advantage of Understanding Both

Developers who understand both Salesforce and AI have a clear advantage in 2026:

You work faster. Use AI to handle repetitive code patterns while you focus on solving harder problems.

You learn faster. AI tools can explain code, show you alternative approaches, and help you understand new concepts.

You solve bigger problems. When AI handles the routine stuff, you have more time and energy for complex challenges that really need human thinking.

You stay relevant. The developers who succeed won't be the ones who only know traditional coding or only know how to use AI. It'll be the ones who understand both and know when to use each approach.

Your Learning Path for 2026

If you're starting your Salesforce development journey in 2026 or continuing one you already started, here's how to approach it:

1. Learn the fundamentals first. Understand variables, data types, collections, loops, and conditionals. Work through Apex basics and Lightning Web Components. Build the mental models that help you think like a developer.

2. Practice with real problems. Work on coding challenges, build small projects, and contribute to open source. The more you practice, the better you'll recognize patterns and solutions.

3. Add AI tools to your workflow. Once you understand the basics, start using tools like Agentforce Vibes or Claude Code. See how they can speed up your work. But always review and understand what they generate.

4. Keep learning both. Don't stop learning fundamentals just because you have AI tools. And don't avoid AI tools because you want to do everything the hard way. The goal is to be good at both.

The future belongs to developers who understand how to build software and how to use AI tools to build it better and faster. That combination makes you more valuable, more productive, and more prepared for whatever comes next.

2026 is a great year to start or continue your Salesforce development journey. The opportunities are real, the skills are valuable, and the tools keep getting better.

Cloud Coder Wins in November and December 2025

We skipped the December newsletter, so we have extra wins to celebrate! Our Cloud Code Academy community has been crushing it:

Certifications:

• Debbie Oyster passed the Platform Developer I certification exam.
• Mark Deguisne passed the Platform Developer I certification exam.
• Katende S. Kinene passed the Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect certification — his first architect-level achievement!
• Katende S. Kinene also earned the Certified Application Architect credential. Two architect certs in quick succession — incredible dedication!

Program Graduates:

• Lindsey Giles completed the Developer Kickstart capstone project and graduated as a Cloud Code Academy alumni. She conquered the capstone all on her own — amazing work!
• Doug Crew and Drew completed the capstone project together and became the newest Cloud Code Academy alumni. Great teamwork!

Congratulations to everyone who reached a milestone. Your hard work and persistence inspire the entire community!

⚡ Kick Off 2026 with Lightning Challenges!

Compete on the #CodeEveryDay leaderboard from January 1-31 for a chance to win a $200 Salesforce certification voucher. Top spot on the leaderboard by 11:59 PM EST on Jan 31st takes the prize.

Daily practice is the best way to build your skills. Join the challenge and let's see who's ready to #CodeEveryDay this month!

https://www.lightningchallenges.com/

📚 Join Developer Kickstart - February 2026 Cohort Starting Soon

Ready to launch your Salesforce development career? Our 10-week Developer Kickstart program gives you everything you need:

• Live instruction: 2 classes per week with experienced developers
• Complete curriculum: From Apex basics through advanced patterns
• PD1 certification prep: Get ready to pass your Platform Developer I exam
• Real projects: Build a capstone project for your portfolio
• Interview preparation: Practice technical interviews and get feedback
• Code reviews: Get personalized feedback on your code
• Community access: Join a supportive group of learners

This program works whether you're brand new to coding or transitioning from admin work. You'll learn the fundamentals that matter and how to use modern AI tools to work more effectively.

Learn more and enroll