App to AppExchange - A Journey from Idea to Market for Salesforce Developers

1. APP TO
APPEXCHANGE
A J O U R N E Y F R O M
I D E A T O M A R K E T F O R
S A L E S F O R C E
D E V E L O P E R S
Eric Shupps, CTO
Apptigent

2. Eric Shupps
CTO, Apptigent
www.apptigent.com
@eshupps
sharepointcowboy
slideshare.net/eshupps
linkedin.com/in/eshupps
github.com/eshupps

3. AGENDA
Concept
Opportunity
Development
Execution

4. CONCEPT
W H A T I T I S
W H O I T I S F O R
W H Y T H E Y W A N T I T
H O W I T W I L L B E U S E D

5. WHAT IT IS
REST API’s that
perform a variety of
utility functions
Calculations
Data transformation
Text manipulation
Currency conversion
Date/Time operations
File management
Subscription-based SaaS delivery
model
No-code implementation

6. WHO IT IS FOR
Power users
Citizen
developers
Low-code
application
designers
Process
automation
creators
Workflow
architects
Business
application
owners
Departmental IT
managers
Application
integrators
Accidental
administrators

7. WHY THEY
WANT IT
Drag and drop application extensibility
• Translation, image transformation, speech to text, URL shortening,
time zone conversion
Role, department or application-specific functionality
• Stock quotes, currency conversion, scientific calculations
Fill functional gaps
• Modify collections, generate QR codes, encode/decode strings,
manipulate text
Increase productivity
• Format dates/times, generate secure hashes, convert weights &
measures, redact text, verify emails

8. HOW IT WILL BE
USED
Custom actions for Visual Flow and Process
Builder
Pre-defined options and picklists
Drag-and-drop components
Secure credentials
Lightning ready (but no UI elements)

9. OPPORTUNITY
W H A T W E K N E W
W H A T W E T H O U G H T
W H A T W E L E A R N E D

10. WHAT WE KNEW
Salesforce
• Rich ecosystem with large
concentration of target user
roles
• Departmental app
development and process
automation environment
• Extensible plugin framework
• Mature partner program
AppExchange
• 3.5M app installs
• 3k+ apps
• $1.5B market
• 15% revenue sharing
PowerTools
• Established offering
(Microsoft, IBM, Nintex)
• Open API (Swagger)
specification
• Multi-cloud infrastructure
• Simple onboarding
• Easy integration

11. WHAT WE THOUGHT
Development
• Custom external
connector
• Automatic UI
element
rendering
• API key
integration
• Branding
elements
Delivery
• Package
submission
• Review and
testing
• Minimal asset
package
Implementation
• User “plug and
play”
• Connector setup
• Configurable
authorization
Marketing
• Searchable store
listing
• In-app
discoverability
• Visual branding

12. WHAT WE
LEARNED
•Specification size limit (100k chars)
•Operation restrictions
•Named credentials & endpoint access
•Lack of custom objects
•Complex setup
Development
•Complex packaging
•Managed vs unmanaged
•Lengthy and EXPENSIVE security review
Delivery
•Admin install
•Named credentials (user/pass, Oauth)
•Limited object integration in UI
Implementation
•Content-rich storefront
•Searchable listings
•Limited discoverability
•No visual branding
Marketing

13. DEVELOPMENT
A R C H I T E C T U R E
C O N V E R S I O N
C O D E
C U S T O M O B J E C T S
P A C K A G I N G

14. ARCHITECTURE
14
Delivery Development
Consumption
AppExchange
IBM APIC

15. 1
Start with a fully-documented
REST API in Open API 2.0
format
80+ endpoints
5,000+ lines
147,000+ chars
REST API
2
Run Swagger Codegen for
Apex to generate classes,
tests, documentation and
configuration
SWAGGER CODEGEN
3
Compile and test generated
Apex classes, custom objects,
project files
APEX CLASSES
4
Create a new project, copy
generated code, create
package
PACKAGE
CONVERSION

16. CODE

17. Extensive use of
enums in API
specification
Options
Picklists for
screens and
actions
User Interface
Deployable with
managed package
Packaging
A B
C
CUSTOM OBJECTS
METADATA
API

18. Code coverage
Mocks
Inputs/Outputs
Tests
Custom Objects
Objects
Named Credential
Password
Security
Endpoints
Actions
1 2
4 3
PACKAGING

19. EXECUTION
P A R T N E R O N B O A R D I N G
S E C U R I T Y R E V I E W
R E L E A S E M A N A G E M E N T
M A R K E T I N G

20. PARTNER
ONBOARDING
• Business
• Extensive business information
• Be prepared to provide documentation
• Gated interviews
• Plan
• Have offering clearly defined
• Know your pricing and customer profiles
• Answer how you plan to add value to
ecosystem
• Review
• Submit for acceptance
• Due diligence and compliance
• AppExchange contract

21. Run OWASP ZAP scanner on a machine with
sufficient resources. Conduct penetration testing.
TEST
Run scanner again. Repeat 1-3 until no
critical results remain. Document.
RETEST
Submit for review, provide credentials, upload reports,
PAY FEE. Wait. Wait. Wait.
SUBMIT
Analyze test results, correct issues, patch
vulnerabilities
HARDEN
1
2 3
4
SECURITY REVIEW

22. SECURITY
REVIEW
Automatic approval < 1 yr
Greatly reduced ongoing
fee
ORDER
MANAGEMENT
Connection
Partner Orders
License Management
LISTING
Media
Documentation
Promotions
RELEASE MANAGEMENT

23. MARKETING
• AppExchange is a listing not a
marketing engine
• You are responsible for getting
customers
• Tips
• Drive organic & paid search to your
listing
• Offer free trials (or freemium versions)
• Trialforce (for more complex offerings)

24. THANK YOU
W W W . A P P T I G E N T . C O M