There is a place for No Code, which has made the transition to online operations possible for small businesses. However, founding a tech company on No Code is a no-no.
Low Code and No Code platforms have become increasingly popular in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Both were options prior to the virus throwing our global economy into chaos, but as relatively newish technology, they weren’t widely used or accessible. When people were sent home to work, some lost their jobs, were furloughed, laid off or forced to quit due to situational circumstances. The people who did not fall into the work-from-home category began to explore new ways to earn an income. For many, low code and no code options were a welcome sight. But be careful, any company built on no code that claims to be a tech company is a red flag.
From an article found on Entrepreneur.com, “You don’t need to have a computer science degree to start a tech company. You just need an idea,” says Brianne Kimmel, whose VC fund, Worklife, has invested in these platforms. “The first No Code conference was just a year ago, so it’s very new. But it’s been fascinating to see, during COVID, the number of family members sitting down at the dinner table and starting a mini tech company.”
The article goes on to say that no code saved many local businesses which had to make the shift to online business this year. Which is true, there is definitely a time and a place for both low code and no code options. Also true, you don’t need a comp sci degree to found a tech company. However, it is impossible to state that you are a tech company if you are not building technology and don’t have an understanding of how it works or how to use it. In this case, the tech entrepreneurs are the ones who built the no code or low code platform, while the business started atop it is headed by a business entrepreneur. And there is nothing wrong with being a business entrepreneur who uses low code or no code tech, but your not leading a tech company then.
Let’s look at this from a different perspective. The ability for a novice to create a website has been around for a long time. Frontpage and Dreamweaver have been around since 1995 and 1997, respectively. WordPress (2003), Squarespace(2004), Wix(2006), Weebly(2006) and other similar platforms have been around for some time as well. So the idea of a layperson building a website in an effort to start a business has been possible for nearly 30 years.
Now, we’ve seen a big influx of startups amid the pandemic for a variety of reasons, which is giving low code and no code platforms a huge boost. Likewise there is an uptick in blog and ecommerce platforms (which are, depending on who you talk to, no code or low code platforms). As stated above, these two platforms have a place and we even use them for some of our customers in certain situations. We also use them internally for certain chores around data and such. But at some point, businesses that utilize point-and-click platforms will hit a wall because they need to do something that simply cannot be done inside the box you have chosen. There is a deeper level of design and actual coding that needs to happen to make a feature function in a desired manner.
On top of that, the more complex you try to make something using no or low code, the more likely it is to break. It is not designed for complexity, it is designed for simplicity. So if you have a low volume of visitors, point-and-click works for a little while. But when you go to create something unique or complex, the platform will wobble until it breaks. It’s like trying to cook a gourmet meal for ten using only a microwave.
The biggest takeaway from this should be that every startup, whether they are using a no code or low code platform, should be consulting a technology expert. They need to talk to someone who knows the deeper levels of how tech functions in a business, what protections are needed and which platforms and methods to avoid. If no code or low code is your choice for your startup, that’s okay. Just know that you still need a technology expert, especially for when your business grows and the platform won’t scale with your customer base size or needs. We know because we have extricated clients from low code or no code quagmires. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can do it all alone, experts exist in every field in every sector of business for a reason. Use them!