App Idea to Reality in Hours: Google AppSheet for Busy Entrepreneurs

In this edition, we are shedding light on citizen development and the democratization of app development.

Democratization of App Development:

Democratization of app development is the process of making app development more accessible to people without a technical background, or who lack the time or resources to learn coding skills.

Citizen Development:

Citizen development is a business practice that allows non-IT employees to create business applications using low-code or no-code (LCNC) platforms.

Google AppSheet is one of the most powerful no-code application development platforms. Whether you are an IT professional or belong to any line-of-business, it enables you to create and customize applications and automate workflow with easy-to-use and interactive UI.

The rationale behind creating this platform was to enable strategic business leaders to develop apps without knowing or writing the code in a time-efficient and cost-efficient manner.

Citizen development, a trend empowering business users to build custom apps, is gaining traction. Google AppSheet fuels this movement by enabling users to create workflow automation applications through a no-code, spreadsheet-based approach. This democratizes app creation, fostering innovation and streamlining processes without the need for extensive coding expertise.

Instead of writing lines of code, you connect your AppSheet app directly to your existing data sources (like spreadsheets or databases). Using an intuitive graphical interface, the platform then allows you to visually design the application's views (how users interact with the data) and actions (what happens when users perform specific tasks).

It offers connections to various data sources:

• Cloud Storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, Box
• Spreadsheets: Google Sheets, Excel, Smartsheet
• Databases: Cloud SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and more
• Business Applications: Salesforce, Apigee, Airtable, and others
• Web Services: Leverage APIs to connect to various online services
• It also takes Google Calendar and Google Form as data sources.

The following links to YouTube tutorials will help you a great deal to know:

AppSheet is the fastest way to build an app

How Does AppSheet Work?

Connecting Cloud SQL?

Integrating Google Calendar?

Building an app on the top of Google Form

An Example App

Most Google Workspace editions now include AppSheet Core licences at no additional cost, making it easier for teams to leverage citizen development. Here's a breakdown:

Google Workspace Editions with Included AppSheet Core Licences:

Google Workspace Business Starter

Business Standard

Business Plus

Enterprise Starter

Enterprise Standard

Enterprise Essentials Plus

Enterprise Plus

Frontline Starter

Frontline Standard

Non-profits

Education Standard (Note: Restricted for users under 18)

Education Plus

Important Points:

• Your Google Workspace instance must be domain-verified to enjoy AppSheet Core included with your plan.
• If you previously purchased separate AppSheet Core licences, they might no longer be necessary if your users are part of your Workspace and have access to the included licences.

For More Information:

• Refer to the official Google Workspace documentation: https://about.appsheet.com/google-workspace/

Follow my YouTube Channel for no-code, low-code, and full-code app-building tutorials.