Copilot Studio for Developers: What You Need to Unlearn
Most developers approach Copilot Studio the same way they approach every new platform: find the code, locate the extension points, and figure out how to force it into familiar development patterns. That instinct will slow you down here. Copilot Studio is optimized for conversational orchestration, not traditional application architecture, and understanding that shift changes everything.
In this demo-heavy session, we’ll explore the mental model changes developers need to successfully build agents with Copilot Studio. You’ll learn where traditional developer instincts still apply, including custom connectors, REST APIs, Power Fx, and Power Automate flows, and where they actively work against the platform. Along the way, we’ll cover the patterns that trip developers up most often, including topic design, variable scope, conversation structure, and why agents sometimes behave nothing like you expected.
By the end of the session, you’ll understand how to work with Copilot Studio’s abstractions instead of fighting them, where the real extension points are, and how to design agents that are more reliable, maintainable, and aligned with how the platform actually works.
About the speaker
Christina Wheeler
Christina Wheeler is a Principal FastTrack Solution Architect at Microsoft, working in engineering as part of the Dynamics 365 Service Agents Pod supporting first party and custom Copilot Studio agents for Service. Prior to joining the FastTrack team, she spent three years as a Solution Engineer in Financial Services (FSI) supporting enterprise insurance and banking customers with Power Platform solutions.
A highly respected Power Platform expert and technical trainer, Christina has been a tech enthusiast since childhood. She began programming at age 11 and built her first computer at 13. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she started her career as a .NET developer in financial services before moving into consulting, specializing in SharePoint, Dynamics 365 (F&O and CRM), and the Power Platform. She has worked with organizations worldwide to architect and implement Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Power Platform solutions across financial, educational, commercial, and government sectors.
Her publications include contributions as the technical editor of “SharePoint 2007 Developer’s Guide to Business Data Catalog,” co-author of “SharePoint 2010 Field Guide,” “SharePoint 2013 Inside Out,” and author of “Mastering Microsoft Teams: Creating a Hub for Successful Teamwork in Office 365.” Christina received her first MVP award October 2017 in M365 Apps & Services and became a Business Applications MVP in 2022 before retiring from the MVP program to join Microsoft.