Steve Endow's Business Central Podcast

Steve Endow
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

I talk about Dynamics 365 Business Central! More resources at https://links.steveendow.com

  1. 2d ago

    I Need Coffee - Episode 213 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 213 - Weekly BC Review! (June 12, 2026) 1. Personal & Fun Updates - Served as part-time caterer: Grilled veggies and steaks for a 20–30 person potluck. - Discovered Loupe app (by @myk_co) — reveals extensive iOS device fingerprinting (copy/paste count, activation timestamps, reboot history, SSIDs, etc.). Highlights near-impossible anonymity on mobile devices, especially with roadside Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/ALPR tracking. 2. Major Achievement: New Website Launch - 100% vibe-coded (500% AI-assisted) using Claude Code CLI. - Tech stack: Astro + TypeScript, Cloudflare Pages (free hosting), GitHub Actions for auto-deploy, Wrangler, Turnstile (CAPTCHA), Resend for contact forms. - Process: AI helped with design research, brief, full build, and maintenance. - Saved ~$7,000 compared to professional quote. - Easy ongoing maintenance (e.g., adding products, logos, summaries via AI). 3. AI Usage & Proposal Workflow - Consistently uses AI for rapid deliverables: Record Teams call → transcript → combined FRD/PRD (10–15 pages) + 2–3 page executive summary proposal. - Total time: ~30-min call + 1 hour AI work. - Challenges with AI estimating hours (inconsistent task lists and ranges). - Claude 4.8 issues: Bizarre/abstract language, gibberish phrases, overconfidence, refusal to decide ("I am not deciding this for you"), hallucinations, and compounding design errors (e.g., unnecessary fields for 20-char Code constraints). 4. Development & Product Updates - Multi-Entity Management (MEM) oversight: Forgot to check for MEM in a new sandbox; may require app adjustments. - Business Central 28.2 rollout: Frustrating upgrade date control — new versions become default without easy delay options. Using internal Partner Dashboard tool to bulk defer upgrades. - New Marketplace app: BAI2 Direct Debit Import (US-focused, Bank of America initially). Handles automated vendor payments via bank files, matching, exceptions, etc. - Ongoing monster project: Migrating 1,260-line SQL stored procedure → BC. Created 40-page design doc; now doing high-fidelity wireframes (excellent with Opus) and detailed development plan for potential sub-agent orchestration. 5. AI Model News - Anthropic released powerful Mythos → downgraded/guard-railed as Fable 5. Heavy data logging (30+ days) by Anthropic, so avoided for customer work. - Microsoft (major investor in Anthropic) reportedly restricting employee use of Fable 5 due to privacy concerns. - Prompting remains difficult; even multi-agent setups risky without strong human oversight. 6. Cybersecurity Updates - MS Nightmare (formerly Nightmare Eclipse) releasing zero-days after MSRC conflict:   - Rogue Planet: Windows Defender bypass (race condition).   - Great XML: BitLocker drive encryption bypass (second after Yellow Key). - Warning of more zero-days coming due to MSRC's poor handling of researchers. 7. Team Updates (El Salvador) - Joselyn: Financial reporting expert; studying Fixed Assets & Posting Groups for MB-800 retake. - David: RDLC/Word layouts, Data Exchange, customizations; part-time MB-820 study. - Ronald: Completed BAI2 app testing; BC email setup; helping with Partner Dashboard. - Franklin: Partner Dashboard refinements; workflow approvals study. - Fatima: Taking PMP exam today (tough 4-hour exam); learning Partner Dashboard. 8. Upcoming Events - Partner Vibe 2.0: Sept 21–23, 2026, Provo, Utah (submissions open until June 15). - Summit NA: Oct 11–15, Nashville (presenting with Brad on AI for PTEs). Avoiding expensive on-site hotel. 9. Fun / Misc - English contronym: "Peruse" means both "examine in detail" and "skim casually." - Opsec fail story: NSO Group (spyware) left a cup of noodles photo with their logo visible in WhatsApp testing — used as evidence in court.

    I Need Coffee - Episode 213 - Weekly BC Review!

  2. Jun 23

    I Need Coffee - Episode 212 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 212 - Weekly BC Review! (June 5, 2026) 1. AI Tooling & Claude Frustrations - Claude continues to use overly abstract, meaningless phrases (e.g., "first class citizens", "casting nets", "rung scaffolds").   - Steve wrote a blog post on blog.steendendo.com with a style guide to force better, literal English. - Significant hallucinations still occurring (Opus 4.8 criticized heavily).   - Example: Claimed it could extend standard BC Web API v2.0 pages (incorrect). - Positive: Claude's Mermaid diagram generation has improved significantly after follow-up prompts. - Recommendation: Jeremy Visa’s Agentic Development Training (jeremyvisa.com/blog). 2. Personal & Family Updates - Daughter graduated high school (now 18, heading to college). - Hosted a large rooftop graduation party (40–50 people) in Huntington Beach — Steve smoked 9 racks of ribs. - Attended wife’s dance performance and did photography. 3. Business & Operational Updates - Claude Teams Plan: Surprised by sales tax (Utah ~9.55%) on top of 25% higher business pricing → ~35% premium vs. competitors. - Website work: Using Resend for contact form emails (easier than SMTP). Major domain/DNS cleanup and transfer to Namecheap (praised for excellent support). - OpenClaw SMTP authentication bug (quotation marks in credentials file). - New PTE for minimum order quantity / sales multiples based on "inner pack" / case pack quantities (using Item Units of Measure). 4. Development & Proposals - Cost-sensitive customer PTE proposal: Heavy emphasis on overhead (design, project setup, Git, pipelines) even with AI.   - AI dramatically reduces pure development time, but design/review/cleanup remains essential. - BC Quality new Microsoft repo: Expanded AL guidelines with focus on agentic/AI-readable knowledge base, design patterns, and anti-patterns. 5. Cybersecurity Highlights - Major incident investigated by Vlexity: MSP compromise via pfSense firewall → full access to customer networks (including NAS). Signs of compromise for 18+ months (web shells, crypto miners, etc.). - MSRC (Microsoft Security Response Center) drama: Poor handling of researchers leading to withheld responsible disclosures. Expect wave of zero-day exploits in June for Microsoft products (BitLocker, Windows, etc.). 6. Other Notable Items - Flight to Summit NA (Nashville, Oct 11–15) expensive; LA → Buenos Aires roundtrip is comparably priced. - OpenAI security notice: Update apps due to Tanstack npm supply chain vulnerability. - Webinar (South Africa Doug Meetup): "Leverage AI to be the best Dynamics consultant" — level playing field argument; advice on transparently telling customers you use AI. - Red dyed gasoline in El Salvador (different from US dyed diesel). - Bad field naming in BC APIs (e.g., "Custom Purchase Order Reference" for "Your Reference"). 7. Team Updates (El Salvador) - Joselyn: Took MB-800 exam — did not pass (strong on most areas but weak on Fixed Assets scenarios and Posting Groups). Retaking after more study. - David: Working on reports, Data Exchange Framework, EFT/Safe Pay. - Ronald: Leading Continia Document Capture implementations (now also for other partners); helping with app/PTE testing. - Fatima: Retaking PMP exam soon; managing internal Partner Dashboard (bulk environment upgrade deferral tool). - New internal tool for managing customer tenants and upgrades. 8. Upcoming Events - Partner Vibe 2.0: Sept 21–23, 2026, Provo, Utah (submissions closed June 15). - Summit NA: October 11–15, Nashville (Steve presenting with Brad on AI-accelerated PTEs). - Dynamics Con Regionals: Toronto (June 18), Ghana (July 25), Columbus (Aug 25). 9. Fun / Misc - Recommended video: Rabbit Hole channel — deep dive on the history of Lorem Ipsum placeholder text. - Generator maintenance training for El Salvador office (fuel, carburetor, self-sufficiency).

    I Need Coffee - Episode 212 - Weekly BC Review!

  3. Jun 22

    I Need Coffee - Episode 211 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 211 - Weekly BC Review! (May 22, 2026) 1. Recent Conferences - Attended Dynamics Con in Las Vegas at the Fontainebleau Hotel.   - Flew in same morning, presented a session immediately after landing.   - Accidentally booked/upgraded to the Emerald Suite ($550+/night) — luxurious but noisy (party pool + bright LED signs).   - Hosted the "Doug" (El Salvador) meetup table.   - Assisted at the GP + BC superhero station with John Krauss.   - Noted heavy use of AI-generated slides (recognizable colored box layouts). 2. AI Usage in Client Proposals - Used Claude to create:   - 21-page combined Functional + Product Requirements Document (FRD/PRD) with traceability, field mappings, scope, etc.   - 15-page Statement of Work (SOW) including warranty and hypercare. - Key Lesson: Comprehensive AI-generated docs are high quality but overwhelming. Clients often don't read long documents.   - Solution: Provide a 2-page executive summary first.   - Outcome: Customer declined the $12k project (4 custom file integrations for GP → BC migration) citing complexity/volume; may try configuration packages instead. 3. Tech & Development Updates - Andre Karpathy joined Anthropic (positive for the company). - Uncle Bob Martin (Robert C. Martin) encourages applying formal software engineering principles to "vibe coding" / agentic AI development. - Built a functional control add-in prototype (expandable/collapsible tree view for sales lines) using guidance from Sasha Herman. - VS Code now supports Mermaid diagram rendering in Markdown preview. - Experimenting with Obsidian Canvas vs. Mermaid diagrams for simple workflow visuals. 4. Support & Operational Challenges - Customer environment issue: Approval workflows show documents pending but tiles/counter is zero (unable to reproduce in sandbox). - Major fire drill: Third-party consultant's Entra app registration secrets expired (max 2 years). Poor documentation led to panic emails.   - Emphasized need for proper secret management and documentation. 5. Cybersecurity Session & Insights - Co-presented with Alexis Shabau (cybersecurity student) at Dynamics Con on SMB cybersecurity (limited budget/staff). - Recommendations from audience:   - Huntress (includes SIEM capabilities).   - ThreatLocker for endpoint detection/response. - Mariplex (SOC service) impressed with post-login risk analysis using Entra P1 logs. Government Fail Highlight: - CISA (Cybersecurity agency) contractor leaked highly privileged AWS GovCloud credentials on a public GitHub repo. - Agency has a $3 billion budget and prior controversies (e.g., disinformation efforts). 6. Current Technical Project - Reverse-engineering a 1,258-line SQL stored procedure (essentially a full application) for migration to Business Central. - Challenges with AI analysis (Claude produced 13-page summary that still requires heavy verification). - Considering AL implementation over Power BI due to complexity/maintainability. 7. Team & Company Updates (El Salvador Center of Excellence) - Joselyn: Studying for MB-800 exam; working on Data Exchange Framework (EFT integration). - David: Studying MB-800; working on reports and Data Exchange. - Ronald: Continia Document Capture expert; multiple implementations queued. - Franklin: Application support + internal Partner Dashboard (bulk upgrade deferral tool). - Fatima: Organized Doug Meetup; studying PMP; learning page scripting; managing partner dashboard. - New professional in-house photo studio for headshots. 8. Upcoming Events - Dynamics Minds — May 25–27, 2026 (Slovenia). - Partner Vibe 2.0 — September 21–23, 2026 (Provo, Utah). Call for submissions closed; focus on partner challenges (not product-specific). - Regional Dynamics user groups (Toronto, Ghana, Columbus). 9. Fun / Misc - Starship Flight Test (IFT-12) expected soon — new launch stand, flame diverter, etc. - Tip: To politely exit unwanted conversations, say “I work with business accounting software.”

    I Need Coffee - Episode 211 - Weekly BC Review!

  4. Jun 20

    I Need Coffee - Episode 210 - Directions NA Recap!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 210 - Directions NA Recap (May 1, 2026) 1. Directions NA Conference Recap (Orlando) 1,400 attendees — largest ever. Excellent venue layout (compact, logical hallway design) enabled much better conversations and networking compared to last year’s chaotic Vegas setup. Noticeably more collaborative, humble atmosphere — partners openly sharing challenges and seeking help. Many GP partners attending to transition to Business Central. Highlight: AI shell shock creating a sense of shared uncertainty and openness. 2. Sessions Presented Modern Support / Rethinking Managed Services (with David Lasser) — Best session feedback so far; strong conversations on fixed-fee support vs. time & materials. “So You Think You Need a Dev?” — Pivoted due to rapid AI changes; explored evolving role of developers. Faster Path for Requirements, Design & Prototype — Demonstrated building functional PRDs + working prototypes in hours using AI. Received overwhelmingly positive (5-star) feedback; several attendees had “mind blown” moments. 3. AI Time & Skill Dilation AI creates massive perceived gaps: adopters feel like they’re moving at near-light speed while others lag years behind. Smaller partners/teams can adapt faster than large ones with inertia or resistant management. Story of an enthusiastic employee at a large partner whose AI insights were dismissed — potential for internal conflict or him leaving. 4. Vibe Coding & Tooling Updates Website: Initially built with Astro (via Perplexity). After review, sticking with Astro for its benefits (shared layouts, content collections, image optimization, etc.) rather than switching to pure HTML. Planning heavy vibe coding weekend: Business Central Control Add-ins (JavaScript) — inspired by conversation with Sasha (ex-Netronic). Improving Number Series prompting (consistent pain point). Table relation / lookup fixes. Camille Code Review refinement (and meta code review of reviews — too many false positives). Code orchestration workflows. User guide prompting improvements. Jeremy Visca’s Agentic Development training recommended (beginner to expert levels available). 5. Networking & Memorable Moments Met long-time GP customer Paul (8+ years using Postmaster) now working at an ISV. Met viewers (Sasha from Germany) and other partners (Alteora LATAM team, Sarah from Synak, Corey from iSolutions). Universal Orlando after-party (private section of the park) — impressive logistics. Marketing swag praise for Blue Moon (logo mints + clean product postcards) → Steve plans to steal the simple visual card idea for their own brochures. 6. Travel & Personal Notes Long travel day (11 hours back). Humorous comparison of Avianca vs. Southwest “first class” legroom expectations. Photography gear upgrade in progress (Canon R7 sniped on eBay). 7. Upcoming Events Summit NA Road Show – Chicago (May 5–6). Dynamics Con – May 12–15. Directions Asia – May 13–15 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — get tourist visa). DUG Meetup El Salvador – May 19 (likely in Spanish). Dynamics Minds – May 25–27 (Slovenia). Partner Vibe 2.0 – Sept 21–23, Provo, UT (Call for Speakers open until June 15).

    I Need Coffee - Episode 210 - Directions NA Recap!

  5. May 22

    I Need Coffee - Episode 209 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 209 - Weekly BC Review! (April 24, 2026) 1. Weekend Activities Vibe-coded a full new website in ~4–6 hours (Astro + Cloudflare). Learned a lot, but decided to scrap the complex architecture. Planning a simpler vanilla HTML + CSS version (cleaner, no heavy frameworks). Attended a Chinese dance performance and did amateur photography (technically challenging low-light conditions). Sniped a Canon R7 mirrorless camera on eBay (~$980) to upgrade photography gear. 2. Marketing & Business Development Received a $7,000 quote for a new website → decided to vibe code it instead. Vibe-coded a 35-page marketing plan for ~$4.35 in tokens (emails, blogs, webinars, conferences, brochures, etc.). Acknowledges marketing is outside his comfort zone but sees value in letting AI generate ideas and plans. 3. AI Tooling & Experimentation Opus 4.7 released (goodbye 4.6). GitHub Copilot / Pro subscriptions paused due to major changes in pricing model. FFmpeg mastery via AI: Compressed large Teams recordings (285 MB → ~150 MB), trimmed dead space using VTT transcripts, GPU acceleration (very fast). Training Session Analysis Prompt (based on Dimitri + Jeremy’s work): Fed 1-hour Teams video + VTT transcript. Produced a 32-page metric-based report with educational, psychological, and communication metrics. Examples: Words per minute (135.5, optimal range), filler words, speech clarity, jargon density, pause timing, CFU (Check for Understanding) rate, participant talk ratio, etc. Detected privacy issues (visible Outlook inbox, sensitive PDFs on screen). Recommended improvements (define terms upfront, presentation mode, remove distractions). 4. Business Central / Development Wins GL Account Filter foresight by AI saved a project: Predicted and solved 1 MB JSON payload limit in Flowcast integration. Complex support fire drill (issue since April 6th): Recorded troubleshooting call with customer. AI analyzed video/transcript → narrowed down root cause. Built and deployed a diagnostic PTE → fixed the edge-case data issue same day. Lesson: Record calls, narrate clearly for AI analysis — massive time saver on complex bugs. 5. Challenges & Observations Customer mindset frustration: Customer with 11-year-old shadow lot tracking PTE only wants one lot fixed, not the root bug or full cleanup. GitHub issues: Merge queue commits randomly reverting previous merges. AI font rendering bug in Perplexity (bad dollar sign font confused PowerShell $PSVersionTable). WordPress still hated (security vulnerabilities, complexity). 6. Upcoming Events Directions NA – Next week (prepare & pack). Dynamics Con – May 12–15. Directions Asia – May 13–15 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). DUG Meetup El Salvador (likely in Spanish). Dynamics Minds – May 25–27 (Slovenia). Vibe Partner Conference 2.0 – Sept 21–23, Provo, UT (Call for Speakers open until June 15). 7. Team Updates Joselyn & David: Continuing MB-800 study + config packages. Ronald: Document Capture training & implementation; guinea pig for training analysis. Franklin: Debugging + new PTE work. Fatima: PMP study + experimenting with Page Scripting + AI.

    I Need Coffee - Episode 209 - Weekly BC Review!

  6. May 21

    I Need Coffee - Episode 208 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 208 - Weekly BC Review! (April 17, 2026) 1. Weekend – World of Coffee Conference (San Diego) Attended with friend Gabe from San Salvador (his coffee business ranked #69 in North & Central America – huge achievement). Massive event: thousands of hardcore coffee nerds, huge convention center, top roasters (Onyx, Weber, Probat, etc.). Highlights: premium packaging, wild processing methods (double fermented, anaerobic, nitrogen infused, co-fermented lychee, etc.), latte art competition, high-end light roasts. Bought premium specialty coffee (~$30 per small box). 2. Customer AI Stories & Warnings Customer used ChatGPT to justify reusing check numbers in BC → team had to intervene with real risks. AI responses should be taken with a grain of salt — especially for ERP/accounting decisions. 3. Legacy PTE Nightmares (Inherited Lot Tracking) 11-year-old PTE (from ~2015, migrated from C/NAV) that bypasses all native BC lot tracking. Automatically assigns lot numbers to everything while keeping items as non-tracked. Causes quantity discrepancies and breaks standard inventory adjustments. Decision: Do not try to fully fix/migrate — just patch bugs. Classic “shadow system” horror story. 4. Hardware Upgrades Ordered Mac Mini (M4 base) for heavier AI workloads (replacing eBay tiny PCs). Used OpenClaw + custom “lobster shopper” script to monitor Apple refurbished store every 30 mins. New Human Scale G5 keyboard tray (Rolls-Royce of trays) — tilt/height adjustable, very happy. 5. AI Tooling & Vibe Coding Insights Stefan Moron’s AL Symbols/Dependency MCP + Jeremy’s BC Code Intelligence MCP installed but inconsistent tool usage in agents. Improving AI-generated user guides/documentation — Joselyn’s brutal (and valuable) feedback led to much better prompts. New strict grounding rules: no hallucination, tie everything to actual code/pages/fields. Corto vs Pandoc: Corto is mostly a wrapper; sticking with custom Pandoc + Word template workflow. AI is terrible at time/duration estimates — completely hallucinates. Added custom hooks for real timestamps. Claude Code + Tmux on Linux for running multiple agents efficiently. 6. Major AI Disruption Example (Survival Mode) Friend’s company: 2.5-year, multi-million dollar custom .NET project with 8 developers. Customer vibe-coded the entire system in 12 days (including missing features + improvements). Result: Laying off 6 developers, major contract renegotiation. Steve’s warning: Everyone should be in survival mode in 2026. The world is changing extremely fast. 7. Microsoft Account & Access Frustrations Microsoft login dialog hell (no account specified) → accidentally created personal account conflict with M365 business account. VPN/Conditional Access blocks for international team members (geolocation + other policies). 8. Open Source Contribution Fun Helped Stefan with ALRunner project (super-fast AL unit testing, no Docker/container). Ran multiple Claude agents via Tmux on Linux box → 100+ commits/PRs. Cleared 1,100+ issues with several people contributing agents. 9. Model & Tooling Updates Opus 4.7 released — even better, but very expensive on GitHub Copilot (7.5x → 15x multiplier). Local models (LM Studio, Qwen, etc.) tested on RTX 3080 → disappointing for BC work. Overlay VPN experiments (UniFi Teleport = garbage, Tailscale = okay but slow). 10. Team & Other Updates Team studying MB-800, working on Document Capture, PMP, weather cam project. Upcoming events: Directions NA, Dynamics Con, Dynamics Minds, Vibe 2.0 Partner Conference (Provo, UT – Sept 21-23).

    I Need Coffee - Episode 208 - Weekly BC Review!

  7. May 20

    I Need Coffee - Episode 207 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 207 - Weekly BC Review! (April 10, 2026) 1. Keyboard Tray & Personal Life Old Human Scale ergonomic keyboard tray (27–28 years old) broke → ordered Gen 5 replacement. Paper usage metric: 500 sheets lasted almost exactly 1 year. 2. AI & Vibe Coding Breakthroughs Reproduced a complex Dynamics GP partner application (17 years of work) in 12 hours with a partner using AI (3 phone calls + cleanup). New version is better and features are now trivial to add. Bitter Lesson Engineering (Daniel Mistler essay) – Highly recommended. Stop micromanaging models with detailed instructions/frameworks. Describe desired outcome + constraints (or remove constraints for creativity). Let emergent behavior shine. Preference for minimal abstractions: Direct LLM interaction over complex agents, MCPs, custom prompts, etc. (to better observe model behavior/changes). Emergent behavior examples in Business Central apps (clever implementations he wouldn’t have thought of). 3. Claude & Tooling Wins Uploaded Teams video transcript (VTT) → Claude generated perfect PRD/FRD. OpenClaw fixed OAuth issue with OpenAI. OpenClaw transcribed 83MB Teams video using FFmpeg → then analyzed with Claude. Considering upgrading OpenClaw hardware (Mac Mini). 4. Business Central Development Notes Consistent AI struggles: File/object naming. Number Series setup. Factbox refresh issues (needed full page reload initially). Stefan Moron’s AL Dependency MCP Server – Excellent for schema understanding (set up via Copilot). Central Gauge (Torben Leth) – Great AL benchmarking site. Check layouts: Finally delivered after weeks (now building AppSource app for common formats to avoid per-customer PTEs). In-flight / halfway-done transactions design flaw (discovered twice) – Important to anticipate in new apps. Lot tracking shadow system horror story (2015 PTE) – Wild independent lot system on non-lot-tracked items. 5. GitHub / DevOps Migration Transitioning from Azure DevOps to GitHub + ALGO. Massive speed gains (scaffolding in minutes vs. 30+ mins). 6. Tools & Productivity Pandoc + Word template workflow for beautiful MD → DOC conversion (via Copilot scripts). Windows + H for voice typing (excellent in VS Code). Logan Legacy MCP for legacy code analysis. GitHub Copilot iOS app praised for full agentic capabilities (issue → PR without cloning). 7. AI Hype vs Reality Warning on performative engagement bait and hard-to-benchmark “tips.” Claude Mythos hype largely overblown (context-heavy benchmarks). Models change daily; stay humble and test. 8. Team & Company Updates Joselyn: MB-800 studying + painful config package / 1099 work. David: MB-800 + report layouts. Ronald: Document Capture implementation + Berlin English Academy (intermediate/advanced). Franklin: Released 2nd AppSource app; learning in-flight issues. Fatima: PMP studying + partner dashboard. 9. Upcoming Events World of Coffee Conference (San Diego) – This weekend. Directions (Orlando) – Soon. Dynamics Con (Las Vegas) May 12–15. Dynamics Minds (Slovenia) May 25–27. Vibe 2.0 Partner Conference (Provo, UT) – Call for speakers open. Various SummitNA Roadshows. 10. Fun / Memorable College photo shoot (dresses + cowboy boots in flower field). Unpredictable users as perfect (unintentional) QA. Mila Jovovich doing open-source AI work (Claude memory system) → “Best timeline.”

    I Need Coffee - Episode 207 - Weekly BC Review!

  8. May 20

    I Need Coffee - Episode 206 - Weekly BC Review!

    I Need Coffee - Episode 206 - BC Weekly Review! (April 3, 2026) 1. MVP Summit Reflections      - Microsoft product managers are exceptionally sharp and operate 6–18 months ahead; they run circles around most technical discussions      - Microsoft is uniquely positioned for comprehensive end-to-end AI (Office, Teams, Excel, BC, GitHub, etc.)      - Even PMs and MVPs struggle to keep up with the pace of AI changes      - Strong emphasis that Microsoft is investing heavily in making AI actionable and integrated across the entire stack 2. Prompting Philosophy Shift      - Key realization: **Less is more** — heavy guardrails and overly constrained prompts often produce worse, lazier results      - Removing excessive constraints allowed Opus 4.6 to “spread its legs” and deliver far better outputs (e.g., numbered wireframes with referenced requirements and user stories)      - Coincidentally reinforced by a tweet from Jonathan Smith (Microsoft) about reducing constraints to let the model use its full intelligence 3. AI Tooling & Workflow Updates      - Defaulting back to GitHub Copilot in VS Code for coding tasks (Opus models were extremely slow this week)      - Added GitHub Copilot event hooks (PowerShell) to automatically timestamp prompts (start time, end time, duration) — very useful for tracking performance      - Claude still preferred for high-quality Word documentation      - Experimenting with Playwright for automated BC UI screenshots (for user guides) — generated 21 screenshots with inline references; created full 35–40 page documentation of the setup 4. Marketplace (AppSource) Progress     - Published **two apps** to Microsoft Marketplace this week      - Created detailed 20–30 page step-by-step procedures so any of the three devs (Steve, senior dev, Franklin) can reliably publish      - Now treating Marketplace publishing as a repeatable, low-overhead process 5. Networking / Infrastructure     - Ordered UniFi Cloud Gateway Max to test as potential replacement for SonicWall (focus on Teleport VPN for better customer conditional access compatibility)      - Goal: create clean exit nodes (Los Angeles + Utah) to avoid IP-hopping alerts and commercial VPN blocks from customer tenants 6. Team & Operational Notes      - Franklin & Steve published Marketplace apps      - Joselyn & David continuing MB-800 studies      - Ronald on Continia + iSolutions implementations      - Fatima reviewing the 500-page Prospect Discovery Questionnaire      - 1099 procedures for BC v27 still painful and complex 7. Upcoming Events      - Directions NA – Orlando, April 27–29 (preparing presentations with Brad)      - Dynamics Con – Las Vegas, May 12–15 (3 sessions)      - Directions Asia – Ho Chi Minh City, May 13–15      - DynamicsMinds – Slovenia, May 25–27      - Partner Vibe 2.0 – Provo, Utah, September 21–23 (submissions due June 15)      - Summit NA – Nashville, October 11–15 8. Fun / Personal Note     - Weekend: washed garage door and daughter’s car, cleaned sunroom to resurrect home theater (now shared with pottery wheel and a cat using the center channel as a perch)      - Watched *Shallow Hal* with wife (laughed a lot)      - Forgot laptop on flight day → wife delivered it to the airport      - Biohacking note: decaf experiment showed no noticeable difference in sleep/energy

    I Need Coffee - Episode 206 - Weekly BC Review!
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I talk about Dynamics 365 Business Central! More resources at https://links.steveendow.com

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