The Progress of Low-Code/No-Code and an Update to our Thesis – Madrona Venture Group

Low-Code/No-Code solutions are not new they have existed in some way, shape, or form for more than thirty years. Microsoft Excel was probably the earliest LCNC solution of its kind it enabled workflows in various ways for billions of people, most of which are still using it. As a developer, I remember my world changing when Microsoft released Visual Basic. Its graphical user interface (GUI) allowed developers to modify code by simply dragging and droppingobjectsand defining their behavior and appearance through the creation of an abstraction layer that hid complexities and automated routine tasks.

The idea ofcreating high-quality solutions at speed and scale without deep coding capabilities or an expensive development team is what most businesses want. Momentum around these Low-Code/No-Code solutions started ramping up in the early 2000s with companies like Smartsheet, which focuses on breaking down silos and creating a dynamic work environment. But that momentum has begun to increase significantly over thelast decade and even more so in the last five years. We saw the launch of AirTable for workflows, Coda for in-doc collaboration, Microsoft Power Apps and Appsheet, which was acquired by Google, for creating apps, Unqork with its visual development platform, and Plus Docs for real-timedata capture and sharing. All of this has the singular focus of democratizing technology to empower creators and builders in the modern world.

Low-Code/No-Code is a visual and hassle-free approach to software development. Low-Code/No-Code democratizes software application development. Users without deep programming knowledge are able to build enterprise-level applications that are deployable to teams and across enterprises.

In its simplest construct, you can think of Low-Code/No-Code as a visual and hassle-free approach to software development. Low-Code/No-Code platforms abstract, automate and optimize every step of a process and enable rapid delivery of any software solution. Low-Code/No-Code democratizes software application development users without deep programming knowledge are able to build enterprise-level applications that are deployable to teams and across enterprises.

Developers utilize Low-Code for rapid software delivery and workflow automation. Other professionals or knowledge workers are able to develop simple apps or expand app functions with minimal visual programming, automatic code generation, and model-driven design.

On the other hand, No-Code takes a more visual approach to creating apps or solutions without the need to know any programming languages. Users can drag and drop components to create a complete solution. Its critical to know that in reality, No-Code is never truly without code there is code involved, but it is abstracted behind an easy-to-use visual user interface.

Many factors are contributing to the acceleration of the creation and use of Low-Code/No-Code solutions.

Weve seen communities of makers grow faster over these last two years: sharing bread baking recipes on TikTok, DIY home improvement projects on YouTube. Just as were seeing people outside technology getting really excited about building stuff again, were seeing it in no code as well: people are posting challenges, like One Hundred Days of No Code on Twitter and creating maker communities supporting their building journeys. The no-code building blocks have been around for a decade, but these open maker communities are quickly on the rise. Coda Head of Solution Services John Scrugham

As the barrier to entry to participate in what was previously a highly technical field keeps getting lower, were seeing the number of people who want to change how things have always been done spike. People are more comfortable with technology, and as John Scrugham, Codas Head of Solution Services, said during Madronas annual meeting, all anyone needs is a $200 device with basic capabilities, and they can pull up everything they need to start building a solution to a productivity issue theyre having. That mindset is not limited to the workplace. John said he thinks that the recent growth in the creator/maker mindset spurred by the pandemic is inspiring people to try it in all aspects of life.

Weve seen communities of makers grow faster over these last two years: sharing bread baking recipes on TikTok, DIY home improvement projects on YouTube. Just as were seeing people outside technology getting really excited about building stuff again, were seeing it in no code as well: people are posting challenges, like One Hundred Days of No Code on Twitter and creating maker communities supporting their building journeys, said Coda Head of Solution Services John Scrugham. The no-code building blocks have been around for a decade, but these open maker communities are quickly on the rise.

It is really important for product growth and viral adoption of these types of products that people arent just using them at work. If that were the case, you wouldnt be able to share them with other people, which is pretty important. Plus Docs CEO Daniel Li

Another important observation thatPlus Docs CEO Daniel Li made was that people are now using Low-Code/No-Code tools not just in their work lives but also outside of work because there is so much low-hanging fruit to improve cumbersome workflows and processes anywhere.

As an example, we at Madrona use Plus Docs to track the performance of some of our portfolio companies and have also built a set of dashboards to track the ski conditions at Whistler for the avid skiers we have on the team.

It is really important for product growth and viral adoption of these types of products that people arent just using them at work, said Plus Docs CEO Daniel Li. If that were the case, you wouldnt be able to share them with other people, which is pretty important.

Low-Code/No-Code platforms put the power of application development into everyones hands. Users can range from knowledge workers all the way to field specialists, including those that run x-ops functions. The primary goal is to do things faster and cheaper in a more repeatable and systematic way using software and automation versus manual tooling.

If once a week you have to provide a status report, and youre comfortable going through your emails, pulling out information, going to spreadsheets, cutting out information, and building that deck for that status meeting, and you think that is the best you can do. Youre probably not the target user of this technology. But if you think theres got to be a better way to get information right from the source and present it through a live dashboard, so you never have to rebuild this deck that is the mindset. You have to be somebody who wants to change the status quo. Smartsheet Chief Product Officer & EVP of Engineering Praerit Garg

Having spent years building Smartsheet, Chief Product Officer & EVP of Engineering Praerit Garg explained the typical Low-Code/No-Code user well during Madronas annual meeting: Someone who looks at problems differently and thinks there are better ways to solve them.

He further added: If once a week you have to provide a status report, and youre comfortable going through your emails, pulling out information, going to spreadsheets, cutting out information, and building that deck for that status meeting, and you think that is the best you can do. Youre probably not the target user of this technology. But if you think theres got to be a better way to get information right from the source and present it through a live dashboard, so you never have to rebuild this deck that is the mindset. You have to be somebody who wants to change the status quo.

The consumerization of technology is back! The user is and wants to be more in control of their ability to build, deploy and manage at scale. With the advent of the creator economy, builders want solutions deployed in seconds without having to go through a cumbersome development process. The underlying framework that makes this possible is truly intelligent software with not just analytical but decision-making capabilities. There will always be work that requires the skills of what you can call professional programmers but there are only so many of them coming out of college.

We are excited to see what sort of new ideas the millions of other people that are no longer constrained by the requirements of deep coding knowledge and now have the capacity to innovate around technology in a way they never have before. At Madrona, we want to meet the next great founders who are innovating in the Low-Code/No-Code space. My contact info is linked in the byline!

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The Progress of Low-Code/No-Code and an Update to our Thesis - Madrona Venture Group