This article was written by guest author Brian Ardinger, Nelnet’s director of innovation and founder of Inside Outside.
When only 0.5% of the people on the planet know how to code, it can be tempting to throw up your hands and claim you can’t get the technical resources you need to build the next big thing.
The reality is that the shortage of top technical talent is not going to change anytime soon. What is changing, however, is the access to new tools that are making technology and innovation accessible. NoCode is that game changer.
What is NoCode?
NoCode can best be defined as off-the-shelf software, tools, and platforms that enable the non-technical or less-technical person to build, experiment, or pull together resources, data, and workflows to solve problems.
NoCode is not new. A software package itself is a form of NoCode in that it enables a regular person to access tools and “do stuff” using code without having to write the underlying codes themselves. If you’ve used Excel to create a chart or PowerPoint to tell a story, you’ve used NoCode-like capabilities.
What is new is the groundswell of new tools that are bringing drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste, and once difficult capabilities to the masses.
Tools of the Trade
Let’s take a look at some of the new NoCode tools changing the landscape of development. Having these tools gives you the power to launch and communicate in the marketplace, get feedback, and immediately tweak, refine, and iterate far faster than ever before. They enable you to experiment to learn more quickly and deliver value sooner.
| Tool Type | Tool Names |
|---|---|
| Websites | Squarespace Carrd Webflow Wix |
| Landing Pages | Unbounce LeadPages Mailchimp |
| Databases and Spreadsheets | Airtable SmartSheet Google Sheets Airtable |
| “Connector” Tools | Zapier IFTTT Clay Retool Standard Library Tray.io |
| E-Commerce | Stripe Nelnet Payment Services Shopify Paypal |
| Community | MemberStack Memberspace |
| Productivity | MixMax Calendly Woven |
| Customer Service | GoSquared Intercom |
| Communications | MailerLite Convertkit Mailchimp SendGrid |
| Content Creation | Vimeo Buffer Descript |
| Web Applications | Bubble Adalo Sharetribe Coda |
Get Started Now
All of these tools can be used to solve specific problems, optimize execution, or be tied together to create complete solutions. NoCode is ushering in a new class of builders, founders, and creators, and it’s bringing the ability to build, prototype, test, and experiment to new levels.
There are even online communities creating tutorials and marketplaces focused on the NoCode movement. Check out places like Makerpad and NuCode. Now’s the time to dust off your ideas, open up some creativity, and tackle that new project that might just change the world.
