The no-code movement in 2023: The rise of the professional no-coder

Vlad

January 19, 2023

Before the no-code movement was technically a "thing", our co-founders decided to learn Bubble to build their startup products in 2013 as an act of desperation. They didn’t have the skills, connections, or money to build the traditional way, so they chose the best available option. This sort of decision characterized the “pre-no-code” years, where wandering souls happened upon the no-code app builder Bubble like a saloon in the desert.

The band of developer misfits grew in number and eventually acquired a name – the no-code movement. The pandemic provided a jolt of momentum, where individuals suddenly stuck at home with lots of free time discovered the awesome power of building software visually. Platforms like Bubble, Zapier, Airtable, and Webflow became household names as hobbyists shared what they were able to make in their spare time. In some cases, these individuals brought their skills and ideas to work, solving their own challenges with software.

Our prediction for the no-code movement in 2023

In 2022, we at Airdev started seeing a steady stream of inquiries from curious companies looking to understand how no-code could help them build faster and leaner. We saw a significant shift from January to December in terms of the number of big established companies looking to build no-code tools alongside their existing SaaS and custom code platforms, with the two in constant communication. This allows them to keep their internal engineers focused and efficient while continuing to pursue new solutions.

All of this comes back to the no-code developer. We see 2023 as the year the no-code hobbyists turn into no-code professionals – i.e., people who make a living building software. A few factors are lining up to create this tipping point, including:

Belt-tightening: Companies are charging managers to do more with less (including fewer developers). This will lead to more demand for no-code projects and professionals.
Career shifting: In the wake of significant restructuring across the tech industry, more professionals will look to upskill by adding technical skills.
Hybrid developers: As more companies pursue a blend of traditional and no-code solutions, coders will find it useful to learn visual programming languages.

The rise of the professional no-coder has already begun – last year we saw the highest levels of interest in our professional bootcamp and partner program. We’re excited to continue our work this year in setting the standard for professional work in Bubble (see our overall mission for no-code development here). Is this the year you’ll make the jump to no-code? We’ll see you there!