Why No Code is Bad — And everything in between

No-code has been part of a bigger trend of the democratization of technology. The idea is that complex software projects originally requiring programming expertise can now be completed by business users.

Although the trend continues to rise, many still believe using no code is bad.

In this post, I have outlined certain reasons that have been given on why no code is bad. Understanding the potential downsides and comparing them to the upsides will allow you to make a better decision when deciding to embark on your project.

Is No-code another project in futility, or is it the future of the software industry that you wouldn’t want to miss out on?

Is No Code A New Development?

Not exactly. Many computer applications today are alternatives to more complex programmer-only alternatives back in the day.

In the early days of computers, personal computers required various complex programs to use them. The advent of graphical user interfaces (GUI) simplified many very complex tasks for navigation and execution.

GUIs have been used across industries and facets, including music, video, design, and gaming, to simplify complex tasks. Even WordPress, which has made creating blogs easier, uses GUI at the core of its design process and now powers millions of websites worldwide.

The no-code movement is a continuum of what has always been, however, increasing the possibilities for much more complex projects by giving more engineering autonomy to the end user using the magic of GUIs.

Development and process optimization is the exact reason for technology and innovation. The truth is that the no-code movement is still emerging; however, the progress has been impressive.

Why No-code is bad — or is?it?

Flexibility and customization

No-code platforms are quite rigid and restrictive compared to programming from scratch.

No code platforms work by putting together already written blocks of code shown as visual components and using these blocks to build your desired results. Using already-written blocks of code is less flexible compared to programming from scratch.

Problems may arise when projects whose solutions or product ideas are just being tested and whose full development has yet to be concluded by the business user.

However, no code platforms focusing on certain sectors, services, or products tend to have little concern in that area. Examples are WordPress for blogging and zapier for automation. These applications have an exact outcome with a limited need for functionality customization.

Regardless of the positives, tailor-made solutions usually still have design limitations. While platforms like WordPress benefits from their large pool of themes, plugins, and templates for design ideas, other no-code platforms do not.

Creativity and design limitations

The downside of limited functionality also bleeds into the design of the user interfaces. No-code platforms give little room for creating a design totally out of the norm.

To solve this, many no-code platforms have templates with drag-and-drop features for changes in colors, font, et cetera.

Another way no-code platforms like bubble fill this downside is by having an HTML page feature where custom HTML/Javascript code can design interfaces while the no-code platform handles the backend side of things.

Security

While the built-in security of individual platforms is usually great, no-code security can become an issue when business users are automating workflows amongst different apps without certain protocols around access.

If your no-code platform ever gets hacked, this can affect your application and user data.

Many no-coders have addressed this limitation by backing up their data regularly and hosting it in a different database from the main platform.

Platform training

Like most computer applications, many no-code platforms still need you to learn to get a hold of them. You would usually need experts to walk you through or help in the development process.

Some platforms are more complex than others. However, learning any no-code platform would significantly cost less time and money than coding from scratch.

Even when you hire no-code experts to build your product, you can easily follow, understand, and get involved in the product’s development process.

Cost of development

No-code platforms significantly reduce the cost of the development of software.

Start-ups can use these platforms to build applications with a limited budget and test ideas by creating no-code MVPs and full applications.

You may need to spend money on extra features, integrations, and future updates with no-code platforms. In most cases, this additional cost is usually not a deal breaker compared to hiring a programmer.

Scalability

Scalability is usually an issue even for experienced developers who have built applications from scratch.

Many people fear that no code platforms may not have what it takes to scale at a good pace, if at all they can scale.

No code platforms cannot scale to certain sizes, say Facebook or Twitter; however, 99% of businesses do not need to scale to that level. No code platforms’ capacity to integrate other platforms that allow businesses to scale gradually.

Everything in?between

Complaining that a no-code platform is too simple or cannot do much is admitting you didn’t read the platform’s documentation.

Even though no-code advertisements seem to overpromise, reading their documentation will give you a better understanding of their solution and how it fits your business needs.

No code is a win for developers and businesses. Developers will certainly build more no-code platforms, and businesses will generally embrace no-code.

These days, most people will only build a blog from scratch if it is entirely necessary, thanks to WordPress. This development is bound to happen in other sectors as technology improves.

I have written a broad checklist below that will help you avoid most mistakes most businesses make when starting with no code.

1. Understand your?need

As much as possible, see the future in what you have set out to do. Have predictable expectations and tag them with deadlines. This can save you hours of work and tons of stress if done properly.

2. Understand the?platform

This cannot be overemphasized. Do not just build your MVP to 80%; then trying to figure out the rest later. If your platform makes the compilation of your project an impossible mission, you will be in a very bad situation.

While you can build an MVP for your product, try as much as possible to see the end from the beginning.

3. Do Your due diligence

Research all the tools you would need and outline their role. Have everything written down, even if you are not building everything immediately. Also, ensure that this is tools are working.

Is this project a proof of concept, a short-term solution, or do you plan to go all with it long-term?

4. Plan a smooth transition

If, for any reason, you would be moving to a full code structure in the future, plan for a smooth transition, especially for your database.

This post will only be complete with sharing some no-code platforms and what they do best, so you can hit the ground running.

Please note that these platforms have other capabilities that I may not include here and that this list is solely based on my personal opinion and experiences in 2022.

Best No Code Platforms in?2022

1. Bubble (Best for App/Web Development)

There are several no-code platforms that can easily help you build something you would be proud of. Some of the most popular include webflow, bubble, appypie, and thunkable.

Considering several factors like features, pricing, use cases, and learning curves, bubble stands out as the best and, yes, the most popular of all today.

Check here to see use cases of what you can build with bubble today.

2. Zapier (Best for Automation)

Automation is a lifesaver for many entrepreneurs. Saving several hours by doing countless, sometimes unrelated but necessary and repetitive, can be tedious and mind-boggling.

Among several automation tools that have been launched for users, zapier has stood out as the best.

Zapier is connected with over 2000 apps across the internet and helps to do countless repetitive tasks with its renowned triggers and zaps feature.

Zapier’s easy learning curve and quick setup have been key highlights for many users.

Juphy, Automate.io, and Make (formerly integromat) are great automation tools with impressive features.

3. Jot Form (Best Form?Builder)

There are dozens of form builders available for no coders. There are several other platforms that offer a form builder as part of their features or the possibility embed in their design.

Jotform mainly focuses on form building and related business needs like payment through forms, tables, and visual reporting of the data collected.

4. Airtable (Best for Database)

The choice of a database tool is necessary for no-code businesses. Google sheets and airtable are unarguably the best and most used tools for databases. Both tools contain the regular features of a spreadsheet, are easy to use, and can connect to other data sources.

Airtable wins this as it gives a more collaborative experience and has integration capabilities with hundreds of other no-code tools on the internet.

Wrapping Up

As a non-technical founder, you must understand the platform properly to build yourself. Watch Youtube videos, take courses if necessary, and you can even hire an expert for a software development project or a walk-through of the platforms of your choice.

Follow me on Twitter @timmy_royal for quality and informative no-code content. DM me for a friendly chat or your no-code writing needs.