Is'no-code' tech the future or just a passing fad?

Software - the 'technology' we almost cannot do without!

When you look around, aren’t you amazed at just how much technology, particularly software has changed our lives? Almost everything we do today is driven by software; for example, checking your bank balance, liking a friend’s photo on social media, or buying something online.

Most of us admire the people who have built many of the platforms we use today. We applaud them for their ability to manipulate?computer ‘code’?(the symbolic arrangement of data or instructions in a computer program or the set of such instructions). Computer code is being used daily to build programs that are solving some of the world’s most pressing problems or applications that just simply improve the quality of our lives.

Is no-code, the future of technology, specifically software development?

If you have the drive and ambition to build tech-enabled solutions but probably lack knowledge and exposure to computer code, you might want to jump on the ‘no-code’ tech movement. But wait a minute, what does that even mean?

According to the website,?nocode.tech, no-code refers to an ecosystem of tools and methodologies that let people without coding skills or expertise build software using an interface full of things like drag-and-drop functions, ready-made templates, and other pre-built components that allow them to?create software visually. Does that sound interesting? If yes, keep reading.

What does no-code look like in real life?

About five years ago, a university student, (let’s call him John), identified a common problem - the usually stressful and financially burdensome nature of college life. To contribute to at least making this problem less overwhelming, John built a mobile app where students could buy and sell used items from each other.

The app would connect college mates and even classmates, who trust each other, avoiding scammers and spammers from conventional advertising platforms. This platform would definitely create the opportunity to earn and save money in a safe way for students. And guess what - this app,?Mercatus?was built on a no-code platform called?Bubble. Amazing right?!

In 2010 two colleagues Rob and Dom, quit their corporate jobs to pursue work that mattered to them and others. They embarked on an audacious mission to help 1 million people find work that resonates with values and purpose and that is driven towards social good.

Fast forward 12 years later, the two have built a job-searching web app,?Escape the city, now with over half a million subscribers. Basically, their platform is a mini-LinkedIn?that is focused on helping people find jobs that match their purpose in life and are oriented towards social good. That’s pretty inspiring, and it’s all built on ‘no-code.’

I think I’ll stop here with the examples and talk about the flip side a little. What might you need to know before embarking on this adventurous path?

What you need to know about no-code

By now, you must be convinced of the immense potential of no-code, and probably raring to go to build your first app or tech solution. Hold on a bit, we’ll get there.

(1) Because you are building upon pre-written code and templates, sometimes you might not have a lot of flexibility to customise your build to the full specs of your original ideas. However, this depends on how determined you are. It’s almost certain there is a solution out there that is closer to your idea than anything else.

(2) Because somebody has done the 'hard' work for you, ‘coding’, the best features are often not free. But, more often than not the costs are reasonable if you have a solid business case. For example, I recently built a chatbot that will help me collect data from project participants in a no-code platform called?Landbot. I ended up spending almost 20% of the resources I would have used if I had applied conventional methods of data collection. So, always good to think about it in terms of?opportunity cost, rather than the 'subscription costs' alone.

A few no-code options for you to start exploring

So finally, I will close this article by pointing you to a few no-code options that you can try. You might be building Africa’s own AirBnB or e-Bay or whatever idea you have. Your dream might only be a ‘Google?search away.