NO-CODE? NO PROBLEM
Hey everybody!
I’m very thankful for your emails and feedback. It’s a great feeling when you know your publication has passionate readers.
In this post I will uncover the idea behind the no-code movement.
Here’s a breakdown:
Why no-code is a competitive advantage for creators.
How it lets you start with minimal resources and save time and money.
Why I chose Substack for my newsletter.
Now that many startups and creators in tech spaces are building profitable businesses with no-code tools, I believe we need to bring those mindset and tools to creative biz and projects.
So let’s start!
What is this no-code?
In short, a no-code tool helps you build apps with no knowledge of coding. Webflow, Zapier, Airtable, Substack, Shopify, Loom, these are all examples of no-codes.
These platforms offer you a visual environment that lets you build apps and designs using drag and drop, add/remove components, and other hassle-free features.
Now, It's not just engineers that can build something on the internet, it really could be anyone.
Goodbye to the old internet!
This tweet from designer, Jack Butcher shows how difficult it was to build an online store 6-7 years ago.
Back then, if you were a “non-technical” founder, finding coders to work on your ideas was a damn tough and expensive job!
Learning how to code and doing it all yourself didn't make things easier either!
I know that this was not a solution for someone like me: a non-tech savvy dreamer who doesn’t feel safe with numbers, codes, or all that techie stuff!
But I’m not alone!
Post-pandemic entrepreneurs
Like many other digital trends, no-code grew rapidly after the pandemic. Many people started to try out their own ideas and run an online biz.
Most of these passionate solo founders didn’t know anything about coding and that’s why this kind of code-free development has started growing.
No-code helps you to make the journey all about being creative and delivering your ideas. Whether it’s an app, a marketplace, a digital product, or an interactive project, the barriers are so low now, that you can go out and build something!
Let’s go one step further and discover the need for no-code from the modern business perspective.
Fail and fail some more
This is the mindset that shapes tools and platforms. The idea of failing faster and cheaper (a common mindset from Silicon Valley) has caused startups and developers to come up with new solutions for online businesses.
But wait, what do you mean by failing faster and cheaper?
Running a biz comes with many trials and errors. You never know if the world will end up liking your ideas or not.
This is why entrepreneurs and founders advise you to ship as fast as possible. To test and see if there is a market before investing heavily into your idea.
Because of no-code, we are able to create (and change) quickly and more affordably than our competitors.
Start small, stay practical
No-code lets you start small. This doesn't mean you won't need a great website or a beautifully designed app.
What I advocate is: at the beginning of your project or business, you don't need anything special.
So far, I have changed the angle of my media company, NXT ANIMAL a couple of times. This meant I had to change and adjust my website every time. Just imagine how limited I would be for all the adjustments if I spent 10k on a newly-designed website (which I was about to do!).
Being practical and starting small are key to those of us who are starting with very little!
Why I chose Substack
It’s no joke. I spent a whole month researching what platform would be best for publishing a newsletter.
My first choice was Ghost. It is fast (way faster than WordPress), and it’s SEO-friendly. The design is also minimal and beautiful.
BUT! And yes, there is a big but:
Ghost requires a little bit of coding knowledge. Otherwise, you will have to hire a developer to customize it for you. Also, you need to add some other tools and features to have a fully functional newsletter.
Then, I started playing around with Substack. You can manage everything from your cell phone. Plus, it’s very practical! With Substack, you get a complete website for all your posts, your own email list, premium content, audios, videos, and images.
You get all of this without knowing a single line of code or installing extra features. Substack takes care of the technical stuff so you can focus on your writing. I might emigrate to Ghost later, but it was the best option for the beginning!
Your takeaways
No-code tools democratize leverage. Anyone can build now.
No-code lets you stay YOU and be more authentic.
With no-code, you can move fast… Get going and then get good!
That is all (for now) folks!
Stay sane, stay yourself,
-Reza
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