Here’s the thing most developers who are anxious about AI are missing: we’re problem solvers, not just coders.

The co-founder of stack-overflow (Jeff Atwood) famously said:

the best code is no code at all. Every new line of code you willingly bring into the world is code that has to be debugged, code that has to be read and understood, code that has to be supported

The no-code movement can serve as an example of how AI will transform our workflow as developers.

People have built million-dollar businesses with no-code tools (more about them below), by focusing on solving problems instead of writing code.

In another article we will explore the current state of “Agentic” AI software development and try to build apps as fast as possible using AI agents.

But today we will dive into the no-code tech stack that has been around for a long time, used by founders to build million dollar businesses (as promised in the title)

Part 1: Stories

1) Plato

Plato is one of the classic No-code success stories. It is a community platform for engineering leaders to engage in 1-on-1 Mentorship and cohort-based learning.

Quang Hoang built the first version of Plato using Bubble, a popular no-code tool, and soon got accepted into Y-combinator.

After getting into YC, Plato raised 13 million from investors and has hit the revenue mark of $19.7 million in 2023. I can’t confirm if they still used no-code, but it definitely started that way.

2) Teal

Teal is a platform for personalized professional events and job tools. They have raised $5 million from investors like Flybridge Capital, with a small team.

In the words of the founder, the tech stack they use is:

Bubble’s no-code web app builder…..integrate with other services such as Typeform for surveys, Hubspot for CRM, Zapier for workflow automation, Airtable for additional database management, and Webflow for their front-end website.

There are many similar stories of products built using no-code tools such as Flexiple, Beelango, and Comet.

Part 2: Tools (The No-code Ecosystem)

For Building Web Apps Quickly: Bubble seems to be the most popular choice for no-code web applications. It is used in all the products I mentioned above.

For Data Management: Airtable is a flexible database to store customer information, product data, or track internal processes. Both Teal and Flexiple used Airtable to manage their data efficiently. It can be integrated with Bubble.

For Creating Forms: Typeform allows you to create user-friendly forms to collect customer feedback, bug reports, or feature requests.

For Seamless Integration: Zapier acts as the glue between your no-code tools. Teal used Zapier to connect Bubble, Webflow, Airtable, and Typeform for a smooth user experience.

What’s Next?

The line between no-code and traditional software development will continue to blur, as AI is integrated in the no-code ecosystem.

The bright side is: it will free the developers to focus on creativity and problem-solving.

I’m here to document this revolution, as it unfolds. Subscribe to stay updated ;)