2020 Edition
The Future of No-Code Report
After interviewing 10 of the leading experts from across the industry and pouring over 1,400 responses from the community, I've put together an easily digestible report for you all.
This report covers everything from figuring out how to define the space to deciding (once & for all 🤞) how we’re going to spell “no-code" to what no-code's going to mean for everyone and when exactly these changes will happen. This report is meant to help everyone — whether you're new to no-code or an expert — get the on the same page about the space.
Thank you to everyone who was interviewed, submitted their opinions through the survey, and has engaged in the content to learn about the magic of no-code. ✨ While we can only make predictions about where no-code is headed, we can be certain that those that join in for the ride have the potential to make their ideas into a reality.
Enjoy our final conclusions,
David Adkin
Author & Interviewer
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The ‘Official’ Definition of No-Code
No-Code
/no-kōd/
No-code is the art of creating a unique solution to a problem that could have been written with code but the individual(s) have made it using visual methods without coding.
"No-code is the best invention since sliced bread." - noun | "Using a no-code tool to solve a problem will get you bonus points at work." - adjective | "You don't have to know code to no-code." - verb
No-code is about solving a problem and the end result, your solution, can take many forms. Because of this, the definition is intentionally vague to be inclusive of all aspects of code — apps, websites, voice, e-commerce, automation, etc.
The solution was created without coding. This doesn’t mean that code wasn’t used to create it. It just means that the people who made it did not write the code themselves.
The solution must be unique. This means that templated solutions provided by SaaS companies are not no-code.
The remaining 38% was split between the other experts.
TLDR Answers to the Questions
When did we start calling it no-code and who started that?
The phrase was most likely first spoken around 2015 during the rise of low code.
In 2019, the term really began to take off.
Vlad & the Webflow team were credited the most with bringing it into the mainstream with their No Code Conf.
Ryan Hoover, Ben Tossell, & the Product Hunt team helped to coin the phrase & push the movement.
Tara Reed, from Apps Without Code, conceptually introduced the no-code space.
As long as humans have been working on things, we've been trying to find better ways to do them… And to me, no code is trying to move another abstraction layer up the stack to just make it that much easier for folks.
What does this mean for startups, small businesses, & enterprises?
The common thread between all three of these groups is that no-code enables faster validation of ideas for lower costs which means lower barrier to entry. This means greater access to creating unique solutions that solve a very specific need.
With no-code there is the potential to create hyper-niche solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Enterprises will benefit from no-code with creation of internal apps & testing new ideas like a start-up would, enabling quick validation & turnaround.
I fundamentally believe that only 10% of all the SaaS services have been created so far. I think there are so many more that are kind of locked away right now because it's so hard to build.
What does this mean for developers, designers, & PMs?
Developers are now able to focus on the hardest to solve problems & enable the next generation of no-code tools.
Developers are most definitely not going away, if anything, they will become more specialized.
Designers have the most to gain from the no-code movement because now they are able to do more on their own & bring their ideas to life.
Product Managers will need to evolve their processes & have the ability to use no-code as a new tool for testing and building out new things for the companies they work in.
The future of no code is empowering developers and designers to focus on the things they're good at and not worry about the things that are not worth their time.
What does this mean for dev shops, freelancers, & consultants?
With all the emerging no-code tools, people outside the agency & freelancing space have a large opportunity to jump in and begin today!
Dev Shops that have bad practices will eventually fade away making room for more premiere shops that mix no-code & coding solutions that make the most sense for their clients.
All the experts agree: adding no-code tools to the agency or freelancing toolbelt will increase profit margins.
I believe more people are going to become consultants and feel confident that they can actually not just create a strategy, but also execute on it.
What does this mean for our personal lives, our kids, & economic disparity?
Utilizing no-code tools & creating solutions with them is going to become a basic skill, especially for the younger generation that will grow up with these tools at their disposal.
No-code solutions are going to extend far outside of businesses & expand into our everyday lives by solving very personal problems.
The experts believe software & technology shouldn’t only be accessed by the elite & no-code tools vastly create space for anyone to get involved with technology & software.
No-code tools level the playing field immensely which means more solutions will be introduced by people that actually experience the problem.
I think that no-code enables more people to build more products that serve smaller individual customer bases. So rather than having Facebook and Google that each have billions of users, I think you're gonna see a lot more companies that have a few thousand users, and are a two person team that built that product.
So What is The Future of No-Code?
From all the responses collected, from experts & the broader community, one thing is for certain: no-code is making a splash and it has the opportunity to have a far-reaching impact on each & every one of our lives.
Whether you use the tools at work or in your personal lives, no-code will fundamentally shift the accessibility of software creation & open up the door for many new solutions to be created.
While we may disagree on dash vs. space, the time to embrace no-code is now. Developers aren’t going away & learning to code will definitely be valuable to a set of people, but the world at large will benefit from each person that contributes to the technology of tomorrow.
We’re excited to see where no-code is headed & how it evolves over time. No-Code is better when everyone gets involved, so get in those tools & begin creating, and delivering unique solutions to the world!
