Karthik Sridharan Profile picture
Jun 7, 2021 16 tweets 10 min read Read on X
"Our startup's $2 million revenue runs on a $80/month NoCode stack."

When I shared this, I got many questions around the tools used.

So, today I share 7 types of NoCode tools along with:
1. Specific use case each solves
2. Real examples
3. Alternatives

Thread 🧵
1/ Marketing websites

A) Tools: @unicornplatform, @umsohq

B) Use cases
- You can simply drag & drop elements onto a page

- Build a marketing website in less than 60 mins

- Easily edit your marketing copy & communication to customers
1/ Marketing website (contd.)

C) Example

- We built our entire website of Flexiple.com containing over 50+ pages on Unicorn platform

D) Alternatives
- @carrd
- @webflow (covered later)
2/ Database storage and information websites

A) Tool: @airtable

B) Use cases
- Advanced and more UI-friendly excel
- Easily collect data using an intuitive form
- Neatly present the data on your website in intuitive layouts
2/ DB & Information websites (contd.)

C) Example
- To help individuals laid off due to COVID, we built a page listing those who could be hired: flexiple.com/covid-layoff-h…

D) Alternatives
- Tools like Sheet2site, Table2site work well with Airtable to make quick websites
3/ Beautiful info & e-commerce websites

A) Tool: @webflow

B) Use cases
- Build beautiful custom layouts without Code
- Leverage its "CMS" to make numerous automated pages
- Use particularly if you are a designer and want to implement custom design to pixel perfection
3/ Beautiful info websites (contd.)

C) Examples
- We built both Scale (2.flexiple.com/scale/all-illu…) and Founder origin stories (2.flexiple.com/founder-origin…) on Webflow

D) Alternatives
- Bubble (bubble.io): However, if focus is pixel perfect design, Webflow is much better.
4/ Automate workflows

A) Tools: @zapier, @integromat

B) Use cases
- Automate recurring manual effort
- Store data in CRM, send automated mails, integrate tools, etc.
- @zapier is more intuitive but costly, @integromat has a steeper learning curve but handles complex cases
4/ Automate workflows (contd.)

C) Example
- Almost all our dynamic flows are handled by Zapier or Integromat. User signup -> storing their data in our db -> sending them a mail

D) Alternatives:
- Parabola (@parabolahq)
- Automate (@automate)
5/ Login & membership systems

A) Tools: @MemberstackApp, @memberspace

B) Use cases
- To convert your static website to have signups/logins and to also manage SAAS memberships
- Restrict content or pages to only paid users
5/ Login and membership systems (contd.)

C) Example
- We built a dashboard for new projects viewing, sharing invoices, etc. using the above set of tools:

D) Alternative
- Bubble offers an in-built authentication system but doesn't manage subscriptions
6/ Any complex web-based product

A) Tool: @bubble

B) Use cases
- Job-boards, marketplaces, internal tools => build varied applications using its "workflows" & database
- Quite self-sufficient and removes the need to depend on other tools
- Responsive design is a not the best
6/ Complex web-based product (contd.)

C) Example
- Our internal tool is entirely built on top of Bubble and saves ~160 human hours per month (has sensitive data, so can't share video)

D) Alternatives:
- Adalo, Glide: More suited for mobile apps (discussed next)
7/ Mobile apps

A) Tools: @glideapps, @AdaloHQ

B) Use cases
- Build complex mobile apps with a simple drag & drop functionality
- Automate user actions with in-built workflows
- Use their own DB or even GoogleSheets to store data
7/ Mobile apps (contd.)

C) Example
- Not used these products myself, but a really cool example is of the apps made to help organise & share COVID resources with people: covidresource.glideapp.io

D) Alternatives
- No credible alternatives that I know of
That's it for this thread - start building great products!

Also, I regularly write on startups, so, if you would like more such threads, consider retweeting the first tweet & following me :)

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More from @KarthikS2206

Jun 17, 2024
We used to burn a lot of cash on Google ads with ZERO ROI.

Lesson learned: Paid ads ≠ marketing.

So we pivoted to the "Organic Growth Formula": SEO + Social Media

The result ⇒ Revenue skyrocketed from $700K to $3M!

Here's the exact 3-step process we used:
2/ Social Media For Spikes, SEO for Consistency

Sure, social media and launch platforms can drive traffic.

But they only provide short-lived spikes.

Google sees 8.5 BILLION searches per day.

All of these searches are performed with intent.

Showing up in those search results is the holy grail of sustainable traffic.
3/ Don't Wait, Start SEO Now

You should start SEO right after building your marketing website.

We did the same for .

By this point, you've likely:

- Validated your idea
- Identified your target audience

Start creating content they would search for.flexiple.com
Read 14 tweets
May 30, 2024
Unpopular opinion: You should build a services company first.

Use that as a "VC investor" for your future dream startup.

Here are 4 BIG reasons why 👇
2/ TL;DR

1. Easier take off
2. Low upfront investment
3. Make money soon
4. Tons of learnings

I say this with my experience of building . Let me explain👇flexiple.com
3/ Services companies are not “sexy”

Everyone thinks of grand ideas.

Typically, these are ideas for building a product company.

Find a problem → Build a kick-ass product → People love the product → You are successful.

But, building a startup is much tougher than this.

And, it is your 1st time…
Read 12 tweets
May 23, 2024
We knew how to code. But didn’t have the time.

So, we used the "NoCode Millionaire Method" to build Flexiple.

Here's the exact $80/mo stack we used to scale it to millions: Image
2/ First: Why No-code tools

No-code tools empower you to:

- Build quickly & fix bugs easily
- Involve non-tech people in the process
- Have full control over your product

All this with you saving a fortune compared to hiring a software agency.
3/ Right time to use no-code tools

Ideally, you should find the simplest way to interact with your users first.

So, to start, DON’T create more than a landing page to gauge interest.

Building with no code is powerful.

But, it is unnecessary until you can actually sell.
Read 15 tweets
Apr 6, 2023
I've made 1000 mistakes in my startup's journey to a million dollars.

Let me tell you the 7 important lessons I wish someone else had told me when I was starting:
1/ Business before tech

Everyone wants to make a million dollars before making 1 dollar. So, we start by building complex tech.

BIG mistake!

You started a company to make money. Tech is meant to help you with that - not the other way round.

So, business-first. Tech-later.
1/ (contd.)

Here’s how we screwed up:
Read 17 tweets
Apr 5, 2023
Most founders think of raising VC money as the 1st step. This duo built their startup to $50 million in revenue before going for funding.

Who are they?

Read, learn & get inspired 👇 Image
1/ How it started

Ritesh Arora & Nakul Aggarwal were roommates at IIT-Bombay.

Both pursuing Computer Science and had their hearts set on entrepreneurship.

Having the safety of “IIT Bombay CS” tag, they had no fear in taking the plunge and began working on their first startup.
2/ Failure #1

Interested in Sentimental Analysis, they built a product around it.

The tool used ML+NLP….well, in 2005! MUCH before these terms became commonplace the reception wasn't good.

They were rejected by 50 VCs.

Eventually, they took up day jobs to support themselves.
Read 13 tweets
Mar 28, 2023
While founders aimed for unicorn status, Paras’s goal was to earn Rs. 50,000/ month from Wingify.

Today, Wingify:
1. Revenue = Rs 155 Cr
2. Profits = Rs 51.5 Cr
All with ZERO VC funding!

Here’s a masterclass in startup lessons by Paras👇
1/ Catching the entrepreneurial bug

When Paras was a kid, his dad bought him a computer. And, instead of games, Paras went straight to coding.

In 8th grade, he built and published projects on the web and set up a donation button.
Soon, he was earning 5-6k/mo 😮
2/ Learning by doing

Come college time, Paras chose Biotechnology - not Computer Science as one might expect.

Yet, he continued to buildd startups:
1. He'd come up with an idea
2. Spend sleepless nights building it
3. Publish it online
4. Then, he'd wait to go viral.
Read 12 tweets

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