Salesforce is pushing hard on Marketing Cloud Next and Data Cloud. If you're running Pardot (MCAE) or classic MCE, the migration conversation is no longer "if" — it's "when."

After helping dozens of orgs through this transition, here are the 5 things that trip people up the most:

1. Your automation logic doesn't map 1:1

Engagement Studio flows don't have a direct equivalent in MC Next. You need to rethink your automation architecture, not just copy-paste. Start by mapping business outcomes, not individual automations.

2. Data Cloud is not optional — it's the foundation

MC Next is built on Data Cloud. If you skip the data modelling step, everything downstream breaks. Get your data model right first, even if it takes an extra sprint.

3. Scoring models need a complete rebuild

Pardot's scoring and grading system doesn't carry over. MC Next uses Einstein for scoring, which is more powerful but requires clean, well-structured data to train on.

4. Your reporting will actually get better — eventually

The reporting in MC Next + Data Cloud is significantly more powerful than Pardot's out-of-the-box reports. But there's a transition period where you'll need to rebuild dashboards. Plan for it.

5. Start parallel-running 3 months before cutover

Don't do a hard cutover. Run both systems in parallel for at least one quarter. This catches edge cases in lead routing, email rendering, and data sync that you won't find in UAT.

I'm building a community here for marketing ops teams going through this exact transition. Guides, templates, weekly Q&A, and a direct line to someone who's done this before.