The original post was on Lessons Learnt About Low Code/No Code - Reading Time: 3 Mins and cover image by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash
Introduction
Low code is not a new way of software development. I was using dream weaver to design & build a website about 12-13 years ago.
It became popular again because the tools had been made to be easy to use for anyone. While the demand for hiring a good software developer has outstripped supply in all countries. This becomes worst for businesses or entrepreneurs looking for digital transformation. Who wants to prototype their idea or build software to solve their pain point. Before they invest in additional resources for a team of software developers to scale their products or services to help them in their journey.
You Need Design Skills
While I was watching a few videos by the Webflow University, Flux, Web Dev For You to curate learning materials to help differently-abled individuals to learn to build websites with it called Project DUST (Differently Abled Upskills Training). Which is 3-month training & mentoring programme to help differently-abled individuals tp learn to build websites using webflow in the past few months.
I stumbled upon tons of cool-looking webflow templates that blew me away. If no one had told me that it was made using WebFlow. I would have thought that it was made by a talented front-end developer with mad skill in design and front-end development.
Doing Higher Value Work
My interest sparked for low code/no code when I was listening to a podcast episode from IndieHackers. The episodes were called Generating Passive Income by Teaching What You Know with Greg Rog of LearnUX. This eventually results in me creating Project DUST. He gave me the perspective of using it as a form of delegation of low-quality work.
The concept is similar to why we use AWS or Twillio and Auth0 to speed up development work. While we reduce the pain of building something that is of low value for us so we get things done quickly. To deliver value through combining these technologies into a well-oiled machine for our users or customers.
Despite writing lesser code, the need for software development knowledge is required. Whenever we walk away from the beaten path of the platform. Especially, when Zapier is unable to provide the heavy lifting for us. So need to create customised approach to glue it together or reduce our dependency of the low code platform.
Prototyping at Light Speed
I believe the true advantage of low code/no-code platforms. Besides building enterprise apps at an affordable rate without reliance on a team of software developers.
It will be in the area for the building of prototypes quickly. Whenever the business folks come to you with an idea and they don't know how to do it with breakneck speed to be adaptable to changes based upon feedback from users.
The last thing, A developer wants to go through a death march to deliver the software. But it thrown away as it was not effective or efficient in solving the user's pain point.
Therefore the advantage of low code/no-code platforms for us developers. It is more of a toolkit for us. To help in prototyping at a fast pace. While we improve clarity of the idea from the feedback of the initial prototype. While we prepare to create a production-grade software for scale once it has been completed.
Conclusion
This is are the lesson I had learnt when I was using a low code platform like Webflow. Firstly, It requires a basic understanding of website design to create a website using webflow.
Secondly, It could be treated as a module we can plug and play with it. By delegating away on the non-important or low-value work to low code/no-code platforms. Which free us up to work on higher-value work like integrating it into a well-oiled machine that delivers value to our users or customers.
The other benefit of using low code/no-code platforms. It is that you get to prototype your ideas quickly. Without significant developer time spend on building it.
Lastly, are you looking to specialise yourself as a developer? If it's a Yes. I'm giving away my free ebook called "Picking Your Specialisation as a Developer" for anyone interested to command a higher salary or do the work that you like.
Top comments (2)
Have you ever taken low code further past the prototyping phase? How do you think about Low Code tools/platforms for internal-facing app development?
Yes, I recently took on a client to test out the hypothesis of a monetisation option for Project DUST to morph it into an impact-driven startup. Which my students were able to get hands-on experience & get paid for in a simple website project using Webflow.
I personally believe for internal-facing app development, it will be useful in terms of prototyping phase and using it due to lack of budget/resource constraints to cater to developers to work on it.
As a lot of developers I had talked to, most of them are against using Low Code or No Code platforms for actual use cases. Unless you had a straight forward workflow, you do not mind the vendor lock-in, looking to get the job done with without the steep learning curve of a developer and additional time needed for further customisation/support of the app by an actual developer. When you plan to scale or perform an upgrade to it.