Account, Contact, Opportunity, Case solve more than you think — the checklist to run before you create anything custom.
The reuse test
Before creating a custom object, ask: does a standard object with a record type cover this? Standard objects come with reports, mobile layouts and AppExchange integrations for free.
The cost of custom
Every custom object is a permanent resident: permissions, layouts, sharing, API names in code. Creating one is a five-minute job; retiring one is a quarter.
Practice in your org
- Open your Developer Edition org and follow along step by step
- Change one thing at a time and note what happens
- When something breaks, read the error before searching for it