Transcript: The Road to ECS - S2 E6: Daniel Laskewitz

Welcome everybody. This is season 2, episode 6 of Road to ECS. We are back—I’m back. I wasn’t here last time because I was ill, but now I’m back at work and on the show. Today we have another guest, Daniel. Before we start, should we introduce him or let him do it himself? The first option might be funnier, but let’s go with the second. Daniel, welcome—your mic.
Thanks for having me. My name is Daniel Laswitz, and I’m a principal cloud advocate at Microsoft working with the Power Platform—Copilot Studio, Power Apps, Power Automate, and more. I’ve been at Microsoft for four years, and before that I spent about nine and a half years as a consultant at Sogeti, part of Capgemini. I started in the Microsoft 365 space and moved into the Power Platform, so events like ECS are great for reconnecting with familiar faces from earlier in my career.
I’m also part of the content team for the BESP Summit, helping with session selection and encouraging submissions. I’ve already seen a lot of what’s coming and I’m really excited about the lineup. My journey with ECS goes way back—I first attended as a speaker years ago, but wasn’t part of the program committee then. I always wanted to attend the Croatia event but missed it when it moved to Germany. Luckily, now there’s the Adriatic Summit too.
My first ECS in Germany was as an attendee, back when I was just starting to speak at events. That experience really helped kick off my journey into the community. I began my career in 2013 as a SharePoint developer, focusing on Office 365 and cloud solutions at a time when many preferred on-prem. It was similar to today’s AI shift—people were hesitant at first, but things quickly accelerated. I learned a lot through community events like the Dutch user group and internal “pizza nights,” which eventually led me to speak publicly and expand internationally.
Over the years, I’ve attended events across Europe—Munich, London, SharePoint Saturdays—and those experiences shaped my growth. ECS became a regular highlight, and I’ve attended consistently since. I especially enjoy the expo hall, connecting with sponsors, and building real-world scenarios for content. Workshops, like the Copilot Studio sessions I ran, are particularly rewarding because they cater to all experience levels.
On AI and low-code: AI didn’t start with tools like ChatGPT—it’s been evolving for years. In the Power Platform, AI Builder was already making AI accessible earlier. What’s changed now is how fast people can create things, even without deep technical skills. That’s powerful, but also risky—people may not fully understand security, data handling, or validation. Power Platform helps by adding guardrails, governance, and structure, which are critical in enterprise environments.
There’s also the debate about AI coding versus low-code. While AI can generate code quickly, challenges remain around data access, deployment, scaling, and governance. That’s where platforms like Power Platform shine—providing managed environments, connectors, and structured processes. It’s not just about building something fast, but building something reliable, secure, and maintainable.
We also touched on cost and efficiency with AI. It’s easy to overspend if you’re not careful—choosing the right models, optimizing prompts, and structuring outputs properly can significantly reduce costs. For example, breaking large prompts into smaller, controlled steps can improve accuracy and reduce token usage. Choosing the right tool for the job—whether LLMs or traditional AI like cognitive services—is key.
Looking ahead to ECS, there’s a strong lineup across Power Platform, Fabric, Dynamics, and more. Sessions range from deep technical topics to decision-making and governance. I’ll be covering things like model context protocol vs connectors, AI Builder, admin tools, and building maintainable low-code solutions. I also enjoy co-presenting with community members to bring diverse perspectives.
The event will also feature panels, podcasts, and live discussions, making it highly interactive. There’s even exploration into using AI to enhance the attendee experience—like accessing insights from multiple sessions simultaneously. While that may not fully land this year, it’s definitely the direction things are heading.
Overall, ECS continues to evolve, and this year’s program is shaping up to be one of the best yet. Thanks again for having me—it’s been great to be here, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone soon.