Larry Spackman
The reason Glen didn't get fired in his first six months as a Salesforce developer.
The Setup
Glen got hired at Innovate! Inc. as a Salesforce developer. This was generous. He had a Purdue engineering degree, some reckless confidence, and approximately zero practical knowledge of the Salesforce platform. He could spell “Apex” and that was about it.
Larry Spackman was already there. He knew what he was doing. More importantly, he was willing to help someone who didn't. Larry — along with Matt B. — took the time to show Glen the ropes, answer his questions, and patiently explain things that any competent developer should have already known.
The team carried Glen until he could carry himself. That isn't something he says lightly. It's just what happened.
What Larry Taught Glen
Not through a course. Not through documentation. Through sitting next to him and being patient.
Read the error message
Glen would panic at a stack trace. Larry would calmly point at the one line that mattered. The platform tells you exactly what's wrong if you slow down and read.
Understand the data model first
Before writing a single trigger, Larry made sure Glen understood the objects, relationships, and why they were built that way. The code is the easy part.
Ask questions before you build
Glen's instinct was to start coding immediately. Larry's instinct was to ask five clarifying questions first. Larry was right every single time.
It's okay to not know
Larry never once made Glen feel stupid for not knowing something. He just showed him. That's the difference between a coworker and a mentor.
Why It Matters
Larry represents something Glen values deeply: people who invest their time in teaching you when they don't have to. There's no job description that says “babysit the new guy until he stops breaking things.” Larry did it anyway.
Glen learned Salesforce on the job. That's a polite way of saying he was learning in production, making mistakes in real time, and relying on people like Larry to catch him before anything catastrophic happened. The fact that Glen eventually became someone who could build things, lead projects, and teach others — that arc starts with Larry.
Larry's still at Innovate. Still doing the work. Still the kind of person you want on your team when things get complicated.
Glen says
“I got hired to do a job I wasn't qualified for. Larry and Matt B. made sure I became qualified. They didn't have to do that. Nobody asked them to. They just saw a guy who was in over his head and decided to help. Every good thing that came after — the projects, the promotions, the skills I eventually developed — traces back to people like Larry who chose to invest in me when I had nothing to offer in return. That's mentorship. Not a title, not a program. Just someone deciding you're worth their time.”
Keep Exploring
Glen's Story
The full arc. 264,486 emails, 23 years, one mission.
Read moreAct IV: The Salesforce Years
How Glen went from clueless new hire to leading teams.
Read morePeople in Glen's Story
The mentors, colleagues, and friends who made the story possible.
Read moreSalesforce
Glen's Salesforce work, certifications, and the platform that changed his career.
Read more