Thread by @KarthikS2206

Getting started with #NoCode 101:

If you have been hearing a lot about NoCode but don't know where to start, here's some guidance.

I cover:
- Why NoCode?
- Popular tool stacks (& other tools)
- Where to start?
- Some use cases as a showcase

Let's go 👇🏽

#lowcode

1/ Why NoCode?

- Obvious: you don't need to know or learn how to code

- Anyone in your team can take up product building initiatives. No more "developer bottlenecks".

(contd.)

2/ Why NoCode? (contd.)

- Focus shifts to the goal the tech is meant to achieve rather than the tech itself: latter is a very common misstep!

- The underlying products you use also keep improving. So what you can achieve through them also increases proportionally.

3/ Popular tech stack

- UI: @webflow
- Database: @airtable
- Memberships/login: @MemberstackApp
- Connecting all tools: @zapier

A contributing factor to the popularity might be that these tools are among the easiest to learn from a newbie perspective.

4/ Other top tools

There some other amazing tools too!

@bubble: Way more powerful & self-sufficient vs. Webflow

@integromat: More powerful than Zapier in functionality though might support lesser third-party apps

But these tools do have a steeper learning curve.

(contd.)

5/ Other tools (contd.)

- @AdaloHQ: For building mobile apps without code

- Sheet2site (@AndreyAzimov): To convert your Googlesheet into an interactive website

Loads of others!

Share your use case in comments & I'll try to recommend the best tool I know.

6/ Where to start?

- Firstly, NoCode still requires you to understand the basics of how the web works. So, start with "Websites for dummies"

- Then understand the roles of HTML, CSS and JS (not to code but their interplay)

(contd.)

7/ Where to start? (contd.)

- Next, try a few landing page builders. @unicornplatform & @umsohq are great. This will help in understanding website layouts & its basics

- Then use @zapier to integrate a few apps you use to understand how data can be used from one app to another

8/ Where to start? (contd.)

- Then start with @airtable. Due to its resemblance to spreadsheets, it is easy to get started with it.

- Finally, pick up something like @webflow. It has great support videos: do watch them. Here your basic understanding of HTML, CSS will be tested

9/ Where to start? (contd.)

You will then slowly begin to understand which tool to use for a particular use case and also how the tools need to engage with one another.

10/ Important points

- NoCode is still evolving and still imposes many constraints. So, before starting on an ambitious project, learn the constraints

- Building in constraints is good. Your weed out the unnecessary features & keep the product realistic.

(contd.)

11/ Important points (contd.)

- Tools like Webflow, Airtable, etc. also have a good ecosystem that makes building in them easier. So always research. For e.g. @c_spags for Webflow filters, @thatsfinsweet for Webflow plugins, @miniextensions for Airtable UI, etc.

12/ Some use cases

Scale: Gives high-quality illustrations for free without attribution. Can also change the color according to your brand.

Largely #NoCode, but did need some code. So more like #lowcode.

13/ Some use cases (contd.)

Resume maker: Create multiple resumes and also allow give users the ability to add/edit experience, projects & education details.

Used Webflow, Airtable, Miniextensions and Integormat.

14/ Some use cases (contd).

TalRemote: A marketplace for companies to find top quality remote developers.

Used Webflow, Integromat, Memberstack and Airtable.

15/ So, that's it for this thread. If you would like to see more such threads - retweet the first tweet.

I plan to cover some of the sub-topics in more detail and also other important topics to build startups.

Stay tuned!

First tweet:

https://twitter.com/KarthikS2206/status/1349354085447737347