Simon Jenner
Tuesday, 6 October 2020
No-Code: we already love it, but it's important for you to be informed before entering this relationship.
Posted in:
No-Code
You won’t be surprised to hear that at MLabs, we’re big fans of no-code, especially when it becomes time to build your MVP. We love how it is revolutionising the startup world and allowing just about anyone become a founder.
We aren’t the only ones completely captivated by no-code - investors are as well. Nigel Sussman from TechCrunch explains that, “no-code starts [are] on pace to raise at least $500 million at the very least in 2020. The real number is larger, and can swell sharply depending on how expansive your definition of the space is.” It doesn’t appear that anyone will be losing interest in this new technology any time soon.
But, as with all things tech, no-code has its pros and cons to consider. It isn’t suitable for all startups and comes with associated risk and reward.
We would never want to steer you incorrectly, so we’ve laid out the pros and cons of no-code technology for your easy reference.
Pros of No-Code
Better User Experience. While the interfaces created using no-code platforms present better UX for your users, the no-code platforms themselves provide you with a better UX for building your MVP. Platforms such as Bubble.io offer drag-and-drop functionality and templates, ensuring you don’t have to hire a professional developer or undergo strenuous coding courses yourself.
Lower expenses. Using no-code to build your MVP and launch your startup saves you both time and money. Traditional MVP methods cost, on average, $75,000 to build and 18 weeks to take to market. However, no-code MVPs cost a fraction of that, at about $10,000. With our No-Code Bootcamp, you can even build and take your MVP to market within 4 weeks.
Improved productivity. With traditional coding, any small adjustment or change that needs to be made can take weeks as it travels through the necessary IT and coding professionals. No-code allows you to make this change yourself, no other departments necessary, within just hours.
Cons of No-Code
Lack of Ownership. While no-code might be great for the early stages of your startup and launching your MVP, you might outgrow its functionalities as your business takes off. This is what we call Vendor Lock-In. Your no-code MVP cannot simply be transferred to another platform, as your source code is owned by the development platform you’ve chosen. From here, you’ll have to hire a developer to completely redevelop your app from scratch.
Strict Templates. One of the benefits we touched on was no-code platforms’ utilisation of drag-and-drop widgets and pre-built templates - though this might be a con for some founders as well. From early on, you need to be entirely aware of your requirements from the platform and any edge cases that might arise to ensure the no-code platform you choose will support these needs.
Security Risks. As with any digital platform you are entering your information into, you run the risk of lack of control over your security and your app. Companies get acquired and, yes, even liquidate, on a daily basis - you have to be comfortable with this risk to utilise the no-code route for building your MVP.
There you have it - the good and the bad of no-code. Bearing all of this in mind, we are still very confident in our relationship with no-code and the benefits it provides entrepreneurs.
At the very least, we believe that a no-code MVP is a smart option for any founder looking to enter the startup world. If you’re with us and have a business idea you’re ready to launch, sign up for our No-Code Bootcamp now - we are just as excited as you are.
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