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Programming tools have a continuum between power and simplicity (or, lines of code, or developer efficiency). You wouldn't (couldn't) write a device driver in P

Programming tools have a continuum between power and simplicity (or, lines of code, or developer efficiency). You wouldn't (couldn't) write a device driver in Python, but you also wouldn't want to develop a dynamic website in assembler. Low-code tools are a level beyond high-level languages. They are particularly useful where they are domain-specific, and offer focused functionality that makes them more effective for certain applications. Additionally, commercial low-code software can offer batteries-included solutions that you would have to pay for anyway. As an example, my company's product is a low-code platform for pdf workflows in finance. The language allows for rapid implementation of form workflows, including validation, pdf manipulation and e-signatures. It also includes features like sso, api integrations into obscure financial databases, whitelabeling and various tailored user and admin interfaces. Could you build arbitrary form workflows with a web service like RoR? Sure, but it would be a much more complex and expensive project, and you'd have to pay for a docusign API license anyway. I checked out Outsystems that the OP mentioned, and it seems like one of these more generic all-purpose services. I don't really think you can square low-code with all-purpose. The lift in efficiency you would get is stunted by the requirement to maintain the power to handle too many use cases. If you need to support every single industry under the sun, you can't focus on really good deep native API integrations, or you'd have to charge so much money you lose your value proposition.

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lifeisstillgood 3y ago
Interesting - in my head then for each industry there is a space for reusable code components that tackle certain industry needs - either OSS or prop - and that are so standardised that it takes one dev one day to put them into useful action. I think what I am saying is that good low code solutions are pre-packaged fixes to well defined common problems - and it's not that important if they are glued together with Rust or a drag and drop UI
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anoy8888 3y ago
Sounds interesting. What is your company name
- propter_hoc 3y ago
  https://makofintech.com/ https://makofintech.com/ We do a lot of thinking about the place of low-code or no-code in the industry. We're intentionally low-code, for example, because we think the accessibility gained by a no-code (graphical programming) interface isn't worth the tradeoff in loss of power. (A lot of people, like some tech VCs we've spoken to, think "well if low-code is good, no-code must be better" without realizing there is a tradeoff here.) We don't really see any clients deciding to roll their own solution because the value prop of low-code for forms is so dramatically superior. We do end up competing against other low-code platforms like Pegasystems or Salesforce.

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lifeisstillgood 3y ago

Interesting - in my head then for each industry there is a space for reusable code components that tackle certain industry needs - either OSS or prop - and that are so standardised that it takes one dev one day to put them into useful action. I think what I am saying is that good low code solutions are pre-packaged fixes to well defined common problems - and it's not that important if they are glued together with Rust or a drag and drop UI

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anoy8888 3y ago

Sounds interesting. What is your company name

propter_hoc 3y ago
https://makofintech.com/ https://makofintech.com/ We do a lot of thinking about the place of low-code or no-code in the industry. We're intentionally low-code, for example, because we think the accessibility gained by a no-code (graphical programming) interface isn't worth the tradeoff in loss of power. (A lot of people, like some tech VCs we've spoken to, think "well if low-code is good, no-code must be better" without realizing there is a tradeoff here.) We don't really see any clients deciding to roll their own solution because the value prop of low-code for forms is so dramatically superior. We do end up competing against other low-code platforms like Pegasystems or Salesforce.