"The future of coding is no coding at all."
- Chris Wanstrath, CEO at GitHub
As we enter 2024, the trend towards automation and code abandonment is gaining more momentum than ever before.
The no-code technology isn't going to completely replace traditional development. But it will surely make development more awesome.
So, how will it all happen?
Note that "coding" isn't the main event. The main event is "software development"; coding is just a part of it. And using no-code tools for development can make the job easier and give more power to the developers.
But how is the no-code industry going to shape in the coming years? And how will it affect our lives? Read this article as we share the most likely predictions for the future of no-code and its impact on your life.
What is No-Code: Quick Definition
No-code is a method of developing or designing software or applications without involving any coding or the need for familiarity with programming languages. It allows non-technical users to create applications by dragging and dropping software applications using a visual development interface.
Although it appears too unbelievable to be true, users can create websites, applications, databases, marketing automation tools, and a lot more without having any prior coding skills.
Before we talk about the no-code movement, do consider reading our in-depth guide on what is no-code (If you new to no-code).
No-Code Movement: It's Already Happening
The no-code movement is the rising acceptance, usage, and promotion of tools that allow programmers and non-programmers to create or modify software without coding.
The movement has eliminated the barrier of knowing programming languages, enabling anyone and everyone to share their ideas and build things previously only expert programmers could do.
And it is already taking off worldwide, leading to a mass democratization of technology.
Future of No-Code: Predictions
We now know that the no-code movement is already taking place. But what about the future? And will it ever replace developers? Below are some of our predictions about the no-code industry and how it will impact different segments of society:
1. True Democratization
Building an app with no-code will be as common as making a Powerpoint presentation
Building apps using no-code will likely be as common as creating PowerPoint presentations in a few years.
In an interview, Jeremy Blalock, the Co-founder of Adalo, said,
"I think that with some of the tools that are out there, you already see it happening pretty frequently. I think that will probably happen within the next three or four years, I think, where the audience of no-code apps will be greater than the audience of people listening to or watching PowerPoint presentations."
2. Part of Mainstream Education
Schools and universities will start offering no-code courses
It's not far away that no-code becomes a part of the mainstream education system. While some universities and institutions are already offering courses related to no-code development, it might take a little longer to get it all across as curriculums are hard to innovate in. But, the inclusion of no-code in the curriculums is, sooner or later, going to take place, and it'll entirely change how individuals become developers.
3. Surpass Traditional Coding
More products will be built with no code than with code
While it is highly unlikely that no-code development will completely replace traditional programming, it is very much possible that no-code tools will surpass traditional coding. This implies that the number of products built using no-code tools might be higher than those built using traditional coding. Most experts believe that it'll take around 2 years for that to happen.
Also read: What Can You Build with No-Code
4. Preferred Development Method
The number of agencies using no-code tools will surpass those that don't
Sooner or later, the number of agencies using no-code tools will surpass the number of agencies using traditional programming for software development. This implies that more and more agencies will prefer no-code tools over traditional ones. Once a few of them choose no-code as their go-to development method, the trend will follow, and other agencies will adopt it to compete with them.
Not sure why?
Here's a definitive guide to no-code platforms that will help you understand why they are so much more competitive than you think. Also, check out the no-code tools library to see the diversity of software you can build using no-code tools.
5. Mainstream Skillset
Organizations will hire, train & plan work for no-code developers
Currently, most organizations prefer hiring and providing training to traditional programmers due to their technical expertise. In the coming years, no-code will become a mainstream skillset, and more and more organizations will start hiring and training no-code developers to plan work more efficiently.
6. Hyper-Automation
No-code tools will be used everywhere for automation
The future of coding is no-code development, and the future of automation is no-code automation. No-code tools are constantly evolving and serve as excellent tools for automation.
Reimbursing employee expenses, generating invoices, managing leads, providing customer support, and other repetitive tasks can be performed by automation. Tools like Zapier and Airtable can help you with these. It will grow significantly in the next three years.
7. Digital Transformation Strategy: A Dual Approach
In the context of digital transformation strategy, the symbiosis of traditional coding and no-code platforms plays a pivotal role, especially in the insurance industry. Forward-thinking organizations are adopting a dual approach, leveraging the strengths of both worlds. No-code tools are used to swiftly iterate and deploy customer-facing applications, enhancing agility and responsiveness to market needs. Meanwhile, traditional coding remains essential for deep customization and integration with legacy systems, ensuring robustness and compliance in complex enterprise environments.
This balanced strategy not only accelerates digital transformation efforts but also creates a more adaptable IT infrastructure, capable of evolving with future technological advancements.
8. No-Code Tools Will Be As Sophisticated As Low Code Tools
No-code is commonly used to build apps that do simpler functions. While low code can be used in those situations as well, it is primarily used to build apps that execute processes crucial to a business or its core systems, such as particular integrations and digital transformation efforts.
In the coming years, no-code tools will most likely become as sophisticated as low-code tools and leave no stone unturned.
You can learn about no-code vs low-code in detail to see how the two currently differ.
9. Digital Businesses Built Entirely On No-Code Will Go For The IPO
Startups built entirely using no-code tools will go for the IPO to raise money from a large pool of investors. This makes them super organized and capable regarding their model, people, tech, and demand. They'll be good enough to get approval from the regulators to go public and win the trust of people who invest in them for greater returns in the future. But, for this to happen, the no-code tech stack shouldn't break.
No-Code Is The Future: How Will It Affect Our Lives?
We've already seen how it may become mainstream in the coming years and accelerate digitalization. But, how will it impact businesses, freelancers, developers, personal lives, and career?
Let us take a look at how no-code will affect different aspects of our lives in the future.
- How will this impact startups, small businesses & enterprises?
Startups and small businesses are going to see a significant change. Many business ideas never come into action or fail miserably because a lot of time and resources are needed to build software. But, with no-code, validation of products will become much easier, and businesses will be able to quickly and affordably launch products, validate their business idea and scale it further before investing in upgrading the software.
On the other hand, enterprises might take a little longer to adapt to no-code tools as they have much bigger and more complex requirements. However, no-code tools will ultimately become their obvious solution for workflows.
- How will this impact freelancers, agencies & dev shops?
Agencies and dev shops will adopt no-code tools because who doesn't want to make the same products for the clients quickly and cheaply? However, it is a possibility that they will reduce the charges for development a little to make it affordable to a wider audience.
Freelancers might be benefitted the most due to the no-code wave. All they need to do is to learn the no-code skill (which literally anyone can) and find clients or people who might need their help.
In fact, freelancers and consultants skilled in fields other than development will find it way easier to set up their own websites, apps, and marketing automation tools and scale their business with minimal resources.
- How will this impact developers, designers, & product managers?
Wondering what will happen to programmers?
While a lot of people think no-code is going to replace developers, it isn't going to happen – at least anytime soon. In fact, developers will get to focus on more creative and intellectual projects rather than the basic, repetitive ones that can be automated and done faster. This will make their work interesting. But, they'll either have to adapt to the changes or be left behind.
Designers may get more creative and perform the work of both – designers and developers. Since they won't have to convince the developers to build products, it can make them feel more empowered.
For product managers, it can completely transform how they work in an organization. They would no longer need to depend on developers and designers or get the permission of their bosses to put their idea into action. They can simply build MVPs, show them and test the ideas quickly.
- How will this impact our personal lives & careers?
Since technology keeps on changing, programming languages go out of fashion in a decade or so. Hence, learning to code is more about learning to learn.
Using no-code tools will save one's time and money (that would otherwise be spent on traditional development) and ultimately enrich the personal life.
It will also become a part of curriculums, and the kids in middle and high school will be learning how to build apps and websites early on. This will inspire more and more people to become entrepreneurs and use tools that help them create their own paths.
Summary
According to a research report, the global no-code market was estimated to be worth USD 12.17 billion in 2020 and is poised to grow by a CAGR of 24.2% until 2028 to reach USD 68.05 billion. The no-code applications will see a myriad of changes in the next 5-10 years. Our predictions of the no-code industry are:
- No-code will be a part of mainstream education, and kids will be taught to build apps and websites using no-code tools from an early age.
- The number of applications built using no-code tools will surpass those built using traditional programming.
- No-code tools will keep evolving and become as powerful as low-code tools in the years to come.
- The no-code solutions will make it easier for entrepreneurs to validate their ideas quickly and with minimal resources.
- More and more freelancers, organizations, and agencies will be eager to adopt no-code technology to build the same products more efficiently.
Written by Aastha Kochar, a freelance writer at Shnoco.
