4 ms·

No-code and low-code platforms are incredible. I don't think you'll receive a fair answer to the question here. These platforms are most valuable for non-techni

by axg11 4y ago

No-code and low-code platforms are incredible. I don't think you'll receive a fair answer to the question here. These platforms are most valuable for non-technical people, particularly founders who are looking to build an MVP. These platforms are even more useful if you don't have a network of technical friends/colleagues. There are relatively few people that fit that description here on HN. Nobody thinks that you can scale the next Amazon.com on no-code platforms. However, if you're just starting out and you want to demonstrate the value of an idea without hiring a developer or learning to code, these platforms are a godsend. They've enabled an entirely new segment of the population to develop tech, where previously they would not have been able to.

gregjor 4y ago
I'd like to see examples. I'm only aware of landing pages put together from off-the-shelf themes, which I wouldn't call "tech," though it often passes for an MVP these days.
- Irongirl1 4y ago
  Does makerpad.co count as an example? The entire company was built using no code tools then sold to Zapier recently for an undisclosed amount: https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/08/zapier-buys-no-code-focused-makerpad-in-its-first-acquisition https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/08/zapier-buys-no-code-focuse...
  - gregjor 4y ago
    Makerpad looks like a no-code tool, not something built with no-code tools. Their job board shows they are looking for traditional programmers with Java and similar skills. At first glance it looks like they’ve reinvented HyperCard (circa 1989) or something similar, but for the web. Dreamweaver (now an Adobe product) came out in 1997, got lots of use back then, but I haven’t seen anyone using it for a long time. This space is fairly well explored and has been for decades. That doesn’t mean the tools are useless, but I’m not seeing the big innovation that will let non-programmers write sophisticated software.
    - Irongirl1 4y ago
      I am currently searching for the article where talks about the fact that makerpad was in fact built with no code tools. I probably won't find it in time for the comment section of hn though. I am personally hopeful about GPT-3 The two tools I'm familiar with TabNine and CoPilot both look great and seem easy to use. Maybe they will change your mind.
      - gregjor 4y ago
        If the tools are useful to their target market, great. I've seen lots of these things come and disappear. Some of them seemed useful and actually made software development accessible to non-programmers -- HyperCard and Dreamweaver, for example. You don't need to change my mind. I'm a professional programmer and none of the work I do is in the domains no-code/low-code tools (or even less, GPT-3) are aimed at. These things don't threaten my livelihood; my experience has been they create more work for skilled programmers.
        Irongirl1 4y ago
        They probably do, but honestly when I mentioned changing your mind I was aiming more for hoping that you might see a benefit to the type of things that QuickBase is currently enabling. For a marketing person not to have to wait months to get on the radar of "professional programmers" is a game changer. Bottlenecks do occur and there are probably/definitely not enough programmers of a certain quality to go around. Also, there is a lot of programming to be done at all levels of skill. We have barely scratched the surface of the stuff that needs to be done...even a non-techie like myself can see that. So some of it will have to be done this way or it might never get done at all. That would be a real tragedy.
        gregjor 4y ago
        I don’t disagree that some of these tools might be useful to non-programmers. I disagree with the worry that such tools threaten the jobs of professional programmers.

by axg11 4y ago

gregjor 4y ago

I'd like to see examples. I'm only aware of landing pages put together from off-the-shelf themes, which I wouldn't call "tech," though it often passes for an MVP these days.

Irongirl1 4y ago
Does makerpad.co count as an example? The entire company was built using no code tools then sold to Zapier recently for an undisclosed amount: https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/08/zapier-buys-no-code-focused-makerpad-in-its-first-acquisition https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/08/zapier-buys-no-code-focuse...
- gregjor 4y ago
  Makerpad looks like a no-code tool, not something built with no-code tools. Their job board shows they are looking for traditional programmers with Java and similar skills. At first glance it looks like they’ve reinvented HyperCard (circa 1989) or something similar, but for the web. Dreamweaver (now an Adobe product) came out in 1997, got lots of use back then, but I haven’t seen anyone using it for a long time. This space is fairly well explored and has been for decades. That doesn’t mean the tools are useless, but I’m not seeing the big innovation that will let non-programmers write sophisticated software.
  - Irongirl1 4y ago
    I am currently searching for the article where talks about the fact that makerpad was in fact built with no code tools. I probably won't find it in time for the comment section of hn though. I am personally hopeful about GPT-3 The two tools I'm familiar with TabNine and CoPilot both look great and seem easy to use. Maybe they will change your mind.
    - gregjor 4y ago
      If the tools are useful to their target market, great. I've seen lots of these things come and disappear. Some of them seemed useful and actually made software development accessible to non-programmers -- HyperCard and Dreamweaver, for example. You don't need to change my mind. I'm a professional programmer and none of the work I do is in the domains no-code/low-code tools (or even less, GPT-3) are aimed at. These things don't threaten my livelihood; my experience has been they create more work for skilled programmers.
      - Irongirl1 4y ago
        They probably do, but honestly when I mentioned changing your mind I was aiming more for hoping that you might see a benefit to the type of things that QuickBase is currently enabling. For a marketing person not to have to wait months to get on the radar of "professional programmers" is a game changer. Bottlenecks do occur and there are probably/definitely not enough programmers of a certain quality to go around. Also, there is a lot of programming to be done at all levels of skill. We have barely scratched the surface of the stuff that needs to be done...even a non-techie like myself can see that. So some of it will have to be done this way or it might never get done at all. That would be a real tragedy.
        gregjor 4y ago
        I don’t disagree that some of these tools might be useful to non-programmers. I disagree with the worry that such tools threaten the jobs of professional programmers.