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A Quick Guide to No-Code

EntrepreNerd

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Aug 1, 2020
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First off, no-code isn't going to replace code. No-code is simply a set of tools and products that allow someone to do previously difficult actions without hand-writing the code involved.

Most websites are built with a common set of building blocks, so a few companies got together and made tools that package those building blocks and let you assemble them however you want - namely Wix, Wordpress, SquareSpace, and Webflow.

Most web/phone apps are built with similar base structures and rely on simple backend databases, so a few companies created tools that made organizing those structures and databases easy - namely Glide, Adalo, and Bubble.

Then, on a deeper level, there are tools that tie other tools together, creating workflows between components and letting you build larger structures. A few companies that do that are Zapier, Integromat, and Parabola.

But let's get one thing straight, all these tools work within expected parameters. They were created to solve simple development problems people had over and over again, and thus, they can't go outside those expected parameters. If you have an insane idea for a software product that breaks a ton of new ground, you probably can't build it with no-code. If you have an app idea that's super insane and unique, you probably can't build it with no-code.

But, if your idea even remotely fits into the building blocks of what's been done before, no-code can be extremely powerful. With a tool like Adalo, and a little practice, you can whip up a fully-functional marketplace app with payment processing, backend databases, and everything else in about two hours. Your idea doesn't have to be incredibly unique to be successful - and no-code can help you build and perfect that first MVP insanely quick. That's what it's good for.

As an example, ProductHunt is a super successful company - but their site could be built on Webflow and Zapier in less than a day. It's not the tech that's the valuable part, it's the market gap they filled.

So, no-code is useful for anyone looking to quickly make a piece of technology come to life. I especially love it because you don't need to learn an entire programming language to get started. You do need to understand some basic programming logic to get into advanced functionality, but you're no longer dealing with syntax, you're just building. No-code is also incredibly useful for businesses looking to automate some simple tasks - if you're not trying to build some entirely new product.

This does replace some code, in the sense that you might not need a technical co-founder right away, or need to hire a consultant to solve a simple tech problem. You may be able to prototype your idea quickly, and start testing. In a lot of cases, even if you're already incredible at programming, you might want to use no-code to start. Often times, no-code tools work off pre-built templates that already optimized for UI/UX and design - you won't have to worry about any of that, and you can always re-build it from the ground up later if you want. I personally think all minimum viable products should be created with no-code to start (if possible) so if your initial draft doesn't stick (and it rarely does) you can change everything super rapidly.

I was personally able to spin up a small app from a google sheet in less than 20 minutes using Glide, and now I can quickly publish that and start messing with it until something sticks.

I'm no expert on no-code, but I've been learning a ton from some lessons at Makerpad - would recommend you check it out if you want to get started yourself.

Also - I hosted a live stream on this stuff! You can check out the highlights here: A Quick Guide to No-Code
 
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csalvato

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@csalvato Is a leader in software, what are your thoughts on this?

What are my thoughts on the OP? Or my thoughts on no-code?

The OP seems like a thinly veiled affiliate marketing/video ads play. He references his YouTube/Twitch channel and refers us to a tool in his first-ever post on the forum. Usually a sign of someone looking to use a forum for a marketing play.

IMO no-code solutions fill a great void in the software development product lifecycle. To me it sits somewhere between high-fidelity mockups (which come after the whiteboarding -> low-fidelity mockups) and the full-fledged software solution.

If your product is a good fit for no-code (i.e. not too sophisticated, solves the problem of "omg I have too many spreadsheets"), it's likely possible to scale to 7-figures without writing code in the traditional sense.

This opens doors for a lot of people to get to a respectable level of revenue or understanding in a software business. That includes technical folks who run too fast to production-ready code rather than discovering and fully understanding customer needs. No code can definitely be a tool to do that.

I would think that with no-code infrastructure, you would eventually hit a wall on what's possible and will need to start looking to more sophisticated technologies. And, in some apps, that need to be sophisticated right out of the gate, it's probably not a strong fit (just as Wordpress is not a strong fit for most web apps, but non-technical people try to shoehorn their wants and needs into a wordpress plugin that's ultimately a sub-par experience).
 
D

Deleted82046

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I'm also a gigantic advocate for no-code and the infinite possibilities it offers
Another proponent of no code.
I hope he joins the discussion. Here's a link to what he posted.
 

Jack Hammer

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I recently tried Adalo to quickly spin up an idea. The idea was simple enough so I thought no-code would be appropriate. I quite liked it and it was very quick to develop with once I got the hang of it. Unfortunately, I got to a point where I needed to implement something that simply couldn't be implemented and was crucial to the idea. That's the risk of no code. At least it didn't cost me much time and I learned a pretty cool platform. I just wish it allowed code when needed.
 
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MVP..dev

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Another proponent of no code.
I hope he joins the discussion. Here's a link to what he posted.

Thanks for inviting me ASegato! Look forward to the discussion.
 

MVP..dev

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What are my thoughts on the OP? Or my thoughts on no-code?

The OP seems like a thinly veiled affiliate marketing/video ads play. He references his YouTube/Twitch channel and refers us to a tool in his first-ever post on the forum. Usually a sign of someone looking to use a forum for a marketing play.

IMO no-code solutions fill a great void in the software development product lifecycle. To me it sits somewhere between high-fidelity mockups (which come after the whiteboarding -> low-fidelity mockups) and the full-fledged software solution.

If your product is a good fit for no-code (i.e. not too sophisticated, solves the problem of "omg I have too many spreadsheets"), it's likely possible to scale to 7-figures without writing code in the traditional sense.

This opens doors for a lot of people to get to a respectable level of revenue or understanding in a software business. That includes technical folks who run too fast to production-ready code rather than discovering and fully understanding customer needs. No code can definitely be a tool to do that.

I would think that with no-code infrastructure, you would eventually hit a wall on what's possible and will need to start looking to more sophisticated technologies. And, in some apps, that need to be sophisticated right out of the gate, it's probably not a strong fit (just as Wordpress is not a strong fit for most web apps, but non-technical people try to shoehorn their wants and needs into a wordpress plugin that's ultimately a sub-par experience).

This is really a perfect explanation.

No-code probably covers 90% of the use cases I see for MVP development. It can't do everything and it will never fully replace developers, but it really lowers the barrier of entry and time to market for someone willing to spend the 4+ weeks learning a platform like Bubble, Airtable, Parabola.io, and so on. And the entrepreneurial experience in launching your own app is just awesome.

What's really amazing is a person anywhere in the world with an Internet connection and a laptop can build a fully functioning app for free in just a couple of months or less. That 17 year old kid in a kubo in Leyte, Philippines can whip up an MVP in no time that could be the next Reddit, or FB, or AirBNB, or any of the other giants today who's initial app idea could have been built with no-code.

I see the most difficult issue today with no-code is deciding which tool to use for the challenge you're looking to solve.
 

MVP..dev

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I recently tried Adalo to quickly spin up an idea. The idea was simple enough so I thought no-code would be appropriate. I quite liked it and it was very quick to develop with once I got the hang of it. Unfortunately, I got to a point where I needed to implement something that simply couldn't be implemented and was crucial to the idea. That's the risk of no code. At least it didn't cost me much time and I learned a pretty cool platform. I just wish it allowed code when needed.

Bubble.io is great for custom coding if you get stuck with technical challenges. We've had to build our own plugins, or write some JavaScript, or spin-off some processor intensive functions to an API out in the cloud. It's not easy. You really need to spend some time to learn it, but I personally think the benefits you get from a fully managed platform are worth the investment.
 
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Last edited:

Plymouth Oyster

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First off, no-code isn't going to replace code. No-code is simply a set of tools and products that allow someone to do previously difficult actions without hand-writing the code involved.

Most websites are built with a common set of building blocks, so a few companies got together and made tools that package those building blocks and let you assemble them however you want - namely Wix, Wordpress, SquareSpace, and Webflow.

Most web/phone apps are built with similar base structures and rely on simple backend databases, so a few companies created tools that made organizing those structures and databases easy - namely Glide, Adalo, and Bubble.

Then, on a deeper level, there are tools that tie other tools together, creating workflows between components and letting you build larger structures. A few companies that do that are Zapier, Integromat, and Parabola.

But let's get one thing straight, all these tools work within expected parameters. They were created to solve simple development problems people had over and over again, and thus, they can't go outside those expected parameters. If you have an insane idea for a software product that breaks a ton of new ground, you probably can't build it with no-code. If you have an app idea that's super insane and unique, you probably can't build it with no-code.

But, if your idea even remotely fits into the building blocks of what's been done before, no-code can be extremely powerful. With a tool like Adalo, and a little practice, you can whip up a fully-functional marketplace app with payment processing, backend databases, and everything else in about two hours. Your idea doesn't have to be incredibly unique to be successful - and no-code can help you build and perfect that first MVP insanely quick. That's what it's good for.

As an example, ProductHunt is a super successful company - but their site could be built on Webflow and Zapier in less than a day. It's not the tech that's the valuable part, it's the market gap they filled.

So, no-code is useful for anyone looking to quickly make a piece of technology come to life. I especially love it because you don't need to learn an entire programming language to get started. You do need to understand some basic programming logic to get into advanced functionality, but you're no longer dealing with syntax, you're just building. No-code is also incredibly useful for businesses looking to automate some simple tasks - if you're not trying to build some entirely new product.

This does replace some code, in the sense that you might not need a technical co-founder right away, or need to hire a consultant to solve a simple tech problem. You may be able to prototype your idea quickly, and start testing. In a lot of cases, even if you're already incredible at programming, you might want to use no-code to start. Often times, no-code tools work off pre-built templates that already optimized for UI/UX and design - you won't have to worry about any of that, and you can always re-build it from the ground up later if you want. I personally think all minimum viable products should be created with no-code to start (if possible) so if your initial draft doesn't stick (and it rarely does) you can change everything super rapidly.

I was personally able to spin up a small app from a google sheet in less than 20 minutes using Glide, and now I can quickly publish that and start messing with it until something sticks.

I'm no expert on no-code, but I've been learning a ton from some lessons at Makerpad - would recommend you check it out if you want to get started yourself.

Also - I hosted a live stream on this stuff! You can check out the highlights here: A Quick Guide to No-Code
This is so useful, thanks!
 

FBA-N-SEO

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IMO, NoCode is kind of a fad and a gateway drug into actual coding.

I'm a huge fan of it... but that's just my opinion.
 

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