You can be confused if you look at the no-code/low-code platform's public information today. You certainly read a lot about the benefits of these platforms, ranging from cost to usability and agility, while you successfully overcome the need for code. You quickly find information about how to build your minim-viable product (MVP), get your first customers, and promptly (in-) validate your business idea.
You may also read about no-code/low-code platforms in SMBs and Enterprises focused on the vast array of benefits that it covers. It addresses historical, yet actual challenges that occur inside a corporation, e.g.:
Internal projects built on numerous platforms or different development tools eventually need to be connected and exchange information.
Still, much time and resources are dedicated to hand-coding for simple tasks like logins, simple workflows, and views without reusing the code.
Legacy apps that are too complex, too glitchy, and incompatible with today's requirements
Software projects usually take too long to deliver what the business needs and when needs.
Development of the software project proves inflexible, as one could often hear about the "requirements done, any change to that will push the project deadline."
Changing enterprise software requires time (slow) and money, often being delayed and more complex than the plan looked in the beginning.
Modern focused apps (Human Capital Management apps or Subscription Management apps, to name a couple) have a complex, apply-on-all database and add-on resources and costs.
Make no mistake. All of the above is still 100% true - a statement that thousands of web apps have been built for various purposes in the last 18 months, including tackling and reporting on the late pandemic that hit us in December 2019.
Moreover, if you do some digging, you will see that this represents the new battlefield for software giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, including no-code/low-code platforms in their portfolios. This year alone, you can learn about Google Cloud's acquisition of AppSheet specifically targeted at businesses. Microsoft praises its new Power Apps beta version with significant improvements.
The 'User' of No Code and Low-Code Platforms
Entrepreneurs represent the first user category of no-code/low-code platforms and will take full advantage of that. The coding barrier quickly falls, and their "big idea" can reach customers in months or even less. Business analysts and product managers can quickly build prototypes to help with the backlog and prerequisite discussions. Anyone who needs a simple web app with database support to simplify a task can spend 15 days with online tutorials and build it without even trying to get the project to the development queue. Other names used for this type of consumer that you might encounter are "citizen developer," "visual developer," or "power user." "Technologist" or non-technologist.
We foresee a problem here, which can upset many of our readers: their results will represent one or multiple micro-sites with one or more database support, which might not scale with the business starting month twelve of organic growth. The second category of no-code/low-code consumers will be businesses - of all sizes. However, this playground is different, with tens of thousands of vendors participating, with no-code/low-code platforms and hand-coding software. Established software players in this category rely on a ten-year revenue from a single customer, as change rarely happens once you have created a "horizontal" footprint.
But even with an established footprint inside an enterprise, no-code/low-code platforms will have to rely on that unsatisfied inside employee who wants more and wants to find software alternatives that fit the business needs precisely. This employee is that inside champion willing to give his last "dying breath" to demonstrate that software will need to adapt to business needs and not the business to the software's capabilities. And everything starts with the concept of doing things better. The initial proof of concept will only have an ROI at a later time to justify making it a priority for the development team, so why not let him do it? To that, we say - good luck. Penetrating enterprises is complex and will remain the same for a long time (especially during and after COVID-19 times). Relying only on that internal champion will not get the money in the bank.
The key to starting with these platforms is simple: define what type of no-code/low-code platform consumer you are, and then explore the ecosystem until you find a builder you like. Start creating.
About corebapp.com
corebapp.com, established in Bucharest in 2019, is a pioneering cloud-native no-code platform enabling the creation of complex business applications without coding. Launched in 2023, it offers a full no-code experience with secure integration, simplifying development for medium to large businesses in industries like construction, healthcare, and finance. corebapp.com stands out for its flexibility, scalability, and ease of use, empowering non-technical users to build enterprise-grade applications efficiently. Headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, corebapp.com continues to innovate in no-code solutions, focusing on flexibility, scalability, and security. Learn more at corebapp.com.