Why is No-code Becoming “In” All of a Sudden?

The last several years have turned “no-code” into a household term in the tech business. The initial doubts that no-code would not amount to much beyond marketing talk have turned out to be in vain. The sheer number of tasks that no-code tools can handle (breadth) and the proficiency with which they can perform them (depth) have expanded consistently over a couple of years.

Today, big corporations are deploying enterprise-grade no-code tools. Investors are racing to throw money at no-code startup projects. Regular people are joining no-code bootcamps to add new skills to their repertoires. As a result of this interest, some no-code platforms have even surpassed the billion-dollar threshold in valuation.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the factors that have combined to set the stage for the rise of no-code.

Technology has matured

The borders of the digital world have greatly expanded in the last decade. The internet infrastructure has become better across the globe. Thanks to that, significantly more people have access to the internet today compared to a decade ago.

No-code tools have come a long way in the meantime, too. In addition to tech startups developing no-code platforms, tech giants such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have been pouring billions of dollars into developing more capable no-code products. As technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning mature, no-code platforms look poised to take on a bigger role. Just think about it for a second: No-code app development assisted by AI... How cool would that be?

Too much demand, not enough talent

The rising demand for software is one of the defining characteristics of our age. However, the number of developers entering the industry each year is not enough to satisfy this demand. We are facing a developer shortage, and it is one of the reasons driving the growth of the no-code market.

The number of computer science graduates who will join the workforce by 2022 will barely amount to one-third of the actual need (40,000 vs. 120,000). This will add to the approximately 1 million existing tech job openings in the U.S. This dynamic is driving up the salaries of developers, making them less affordable for startups and SMBs.

Not only that, but the recruitment process seems to be getting dragged out, too. According to a study, the average time to recruit for a tech position was as long as 66 days in 2019, which is 50 percent longer than it was for other jobs. A longer recruitment process threatens innovation and prevents a company from realizing its true potential, something a startup can ill-afford.

This is where no-code comes into play. No-code technology empowers people that do not come from a coding background to carry out tasks that would otherwise have to be done by developers. In the corporate lingo, these people are called "citizen developers."

Citizen developers are domain experts who can leverage no-code tools to take on some of the application development duties. However, their app development activities focus on creating business applications suitable to carry out well-defined tasks at work. These activities complement conventional software development.

Make no mistake, though: No-code platforms will not replace the coders. No-code tools will help companies bridge skill gaps caused by the developer shortage. These tools will also support coders and take over repetitive tasks so that elite talent can focus on a strategic level where their creativity and expertise can have a much bigger impact.

A tech-savvy generation entering the workforce

Members of the much-talked-about Gen Z are graduating from college and joining the workforce. This changes the whole ballgame because of how immersed these people have been in technology from the moment they were born—they are digital natives.

Gen Zers learn online, socialize online (they feel at home on social media), fight online, and are generally much more comfortable using technology than the generations that preceded them. While their parents might get frustrated and stressed operating different digital tools, using apps has become second nature to Gen Z. Employers are looking to leverage this capability by putting Gen Zers in a position they can make a difference using no-code tools.

The impact of the pandemic

The digital transformation that was already in place before the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated in a world of lockdowns, working from home, and video conferences. U.S. e-commerce sales saw a 32.4 percent increase in 2020 over the previous year, and online sales have become a lifeline for even small businesses. The bakery on your street, the florist in the neighborhood, or the dairy producer in the countryside have all turned to e-commerce platforms in order to cope with the challenges of the pandemic.

The surge of e-commerce has become one of the main reasons fueling the rise of no-code: E-commerce templates have become some of the most popular no-code solutions. On the other hand, remote work seems to have changed the work life forever: 83 percent of employers and 71 percent of employees think that remote work has been a success, so it is a trend that is here to stay in one form or another.

The capabilities no-code platforms bring to the table facilitate this trend. These platforms automate certain processes and allow people to work and collaborate online. The post-pandemic world will see widespread use of no-code tools.

Members of the Peaka team took part in code and no-code development throughout their careers. They were part of the workforce through all the changes that transpired in the software industry in the last decade. Thus, the platform evolved accordingly in response to the demands of the industry. Now, Peaka is ready to help startups and individuals fulfill their potential in the face of those challenges.