Why Low Code & No Code will Change the World!

We live in such an exciting time of technological development! The world of business is rapidly changing, and with it comes the demand for innovative technology solutions.

Low code / no code development tools have quietly been revolutionizing the way we create digital products, tools and services.

Learning No Code introduces you to many concepts that otherwise would be overlooked in your day to day life... it becomes a lot like a superpower, creating clarity and improved problem solving skills that you can use every day. 

For small business and home service businesses, these tools open up a wealth of possibilities that empower teams to develop even more powerful customer experiences faster than ever before.

Where it was previously cost prohibitive to have a certain feature, or application created via traditional code.. No Code offers a quick and easy solution! 

In this blog post, we'll explore what it is, how you can get started... but more importantly why visual programming will change the world!

Like any great technology... the market usually rewards the early adopters. With the quiet explosion of low/no code technology, I believe those that understand this will position themselves to conquer their local market.

After an explosion of digital marketing created opportunity for the many, the democratization of visual programming, low code and no code technology will help create a winner takes most market in many business spaces.

If you're reading this... I want you to be a part of it! 

What is Visual Programming, Low Code and No Code? 

Visual programming is a type of programming language that uses graphical representations to create programs.

In its early days, it was often used for rapid prototyping and user interface creation, allowing developers to quickly create functional programs without needing to write out every single line of code.

There are many visual programming applications, like Zapier, Tray.Io, Make, Retool, and Bubble to name a few that I really like. 

The use of visual programming languages has been around since the 1960s, but they have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their ease-of-use and flexibility. It seems like everyday, the social media algorithms put a new low-code tool in front of me to explore! 

Visual programming makes it easier for developers to think through the logic of the use case being built, as opposed to memorizing, searching up, or recalling the syntax rules related to a programming language.

This makes building, maintenance, and debugging much simpler since errors can be identified more quickly! 

Additionally, visual representations make understanding existing code much easier; this is especially useful when working with large projects or teams who need an overview of how all the pieces fit together.

Visual Programming also offers many advantages over traditional text-based coding methods such as increased readability (since each command is represented by an image), portability (since most modern computing platforms support some form of visualization) , scalability (as new modules/features can easily be added), reusability (as components can be reused across multiple projects) , version control (as changes are tracked visually).

Evolution of Web Development

Binary Code

Binary code is a language composed of 1s and 0s that computers can read, programming languages are used to write instructions for the computer to follow, and visual programming is a way of coding using drag-and-drop blocks instead of text.

Binary Code is a language composed entirely of 1s and 0s that computers can understand. It is the most basic form of coding, but also one of the hardest to learn since it requires memorizing lots of ones and zeroes. 

Programming Languages

Programming languages are written instructions that tell the computer what actions to take based on certain conditions or inputs. These instructions are written using specific syntax rules that must be followed in order for the program to run correctly. Some popular programming languages include C++, Java, Python, JavaScript and more.

Visual Programming

Visual Programming involves creating programs by dragging-and-dropping blocks instead of writing text commands like in other programming languages.

This makes it much easier for beginners who may not yet understand all the syntax rules associated with traditional coding languages. Visual Programming also helps people quickly develop their own programs without having to write out long lines of code.

In other words, over time... the way we build things has become simpler, and easier to adopt! 

You no longer have to be a human computer to create useful workflows, applications and internal tools... with the help of no/low code, the power is in our hands! 

Benefits of Low Code / No Code

Low code has many benefits above traditional programming languages and development. 

• Speed of Deployment. 
• Ease of Maintenance.
• Lower Barrier to Entry than traditional programming languages. 
• Easier iteration and collaboration.

The learning curve to low/no code is much shorter than traditional programming languages, and the ability to utilize programming languages in your low-code tool will enhance your effectiveness with the platform! 

To make things even sweeter, the methods learned within JavaScript, Python, SQL or other programming languages can be more quickly applied in a low-code environment, as opposed to stand alone programming. 

Drawbacks of Low Code / No Code

Although a great tool, low / no code tools do come with some drawbacks. 

• Scalability
  • Although a low-code tool may not take you from A to Z... it can at least get you further down the alphabet. For most of us in small to medium businesses, scalability is not a concern. If you ever need to rebuild it, basically... the only reason you have this "problem" is likely because it was made possible through no/low code. 
• Relying on a start up to build your product on.
  • With many of the no code / low code platforms coming up.. you are building your products, services, and internal tools on a platform that has not yet been tested by time. What happens if they go out of business? 
  • Platforms like Bubble promise that if they were to go out of business, you would immediately own your code. Other platforms like Tray.Io also allow you to export your workflows in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format.

More Ideas Coming into Fruition! 

As the popularity of No/Low Code tools continues to explode... its projected that by 2025 nearly 70% of new applications will be built on these platforms!

Just two years ago, less than 20% of applications were built with no/low code.

Can you think of anything that has over tripled in just three years? 

The explosion in popularity, accessibility and awareness will allow for a greater volume of great ideas to come into fruition! 

Where it was previously impractical or cost prohibitive... low code makes it possible! 

For those who adopt it... the likelihood of great reward is high... For those who ignore it... the likelihood of losing ground is probably higher... 

Now is a better time than ever, to sharpen your skill and ride the no/low code wave! 

Creating Citizen Developers

With so many new tools coming to market, and visual programming lowering the barrier to entry for new applications and products... it's easy to see why the citizen developer movement is growing so rapidly! 

As technology continues to evolve business leaders will need to shift their mindsets around technology and development... They will need to understand that being a tech company or a developer is not a binary... 

Today, and moving forward the question are no longer.... 

"Are you a tech company or not?" 

"Do you do web development or not?"

We should shift our thinking to.... 

"To what extent are we utilizing technology?"

"To what extent am I involved in the development in my organization?" 

How Do I Start? 

• Start Small 
  • Start with creating basic workflows! 
  • You don't need to create complex workflows, try to utilize your existing tools native workflows.

• Learn to Map Your Use Case
  • Learning BPMN 2.0 to create flow charts help you visually audit your logic! 
  • Using a platform like Lucid Chart is great for creating a visual "blue print" of your use case. 
• Research the different platforms that are available for your use case!
  • Integration, automation, internal tools, web apps, chat bots... there are so many platforms to build the things you need! 

• Shorten your learning curve with coaching! 
  • Whenever I utilize a platform, I like to read up on their "academy" or knowledge base. 
  • Some platforms also have coaches that you can hire to "co-build" with you as you learn the tool. 
• Find a community! 
  • One of the greatest things about the low/no code movement, is its community! 
• JUST START! 
  • You will not become an expert over night.. but if you fall in love with the process, you will get pretty good with enough time and practice.