Low-code and no-code development have made software development easier, faster, and more accessible than ever before. It’s freed developers from having to build from scratch and empowered people with no coding experience to build apps, websites, and other digital products.
But with all these benefits come drawbacks. While low-code and no-code tools streamline simple tasks, they can lack the flexibility, security, and customization needed for more complex projects. In this conversation, US-based Tor Johnson,Technology Executive and Distinguished Faculty at General Assembly, and Australia-based Daniel Tsui, Software Engineering Bootcamp Lead Instructor at General Assembly, discuss:
- How developers can use low-code tools effectively without losing their core technical skills
- How low-code tools can yield powerful solutions when combined with custom code
- Why understanding logic and problem-solving is essential, even when using low-code platforms
Watch the recording here (password: w2pc3f=J). Or keep reading for the highlights…
Low-code tools are no substitute for core technical skills
Tor: As low-code tools have gained traction, I’ve seen a big shift in the kinds of junior roles that are available and the tasks they involve. For example, many students from the most recent cohort I taught now have junior-level jobs working on no-code and low-code platforms, whereas a few years ago, their entry-level positions would have them writing unit tests in actual code.
Here’s the thing, though—development technologies have been everchanging, but the fundamentals are still there. Thirty years ago, computer science programs taught C and Pascal. Twenty years ago, it was Java. Now, it’s Java and JavaScript. If you were a developer in 1980, you had to know how to work with memory registers. In 2024, almost no one works with them. As time has gone by, languages have become higher-level, and tools are evolving, but the thought process remains the same.
And the same thing’s happened with low-code. It might free you from learning code syntax, but it doesn’t free you from understanding logic. You still have to have that engineer’s mindset—even if you aren’t an engineer—because you need to be precise.
Daniel: Low-code and no-code platforms have made development more accessible and efficient. We can do more. We can build more programs. And we can invest more time in developing higher-level concepts instead of coding busywork. But there are downsides. My worry is that if developers start getting locked into specific low-code tools, they might miss out on building the transferable skills they need for other areas of software development or even different no-code platforms. Plus, without a solid grasp of what’s happening behind the scenes, developers could end up stifling their own ability to innovate.
When people think about low-code or no-code platforms, they often overlook that coding isn’t the real challenge—it’s just the starting point. The hard part comes later with logic, problem-solving, and business rules, and that’s something that no platform can do for you.
Tor: There is definitely a danger of winding up with developers who become experts on these platforms and then don’t grow beyond them. And this is nothing new—developers have been getting hung up on low-code platforms for a long time. In 2009, I worked with a team using Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch, a low-code platform that allowed users to design websites without writing HTML. Because they never learned to code in HTML, it was very difficult for them to respond when things went wrong. Having them on my team was like having a mechanic that couldn’t change a tire. And I’m sure that there we’ll see more cases like this one as no-code tools proliferate.
Low-code and no-code platforms have certainly made an impact, especially in junior-level roles where certain tasks, like writing unit tests, may not be required. But you still need to understand what’s happening behind the scenes. If you’re using Webflow to build a website, how can you be sure it’s doing things right if you don’t know what HTML and JavaScript are supposed to do?
For developers, problem-solving skills reign supreme
Tor: As a software engineer, the core of what we do isn’t just coding—it’s problem-solving. We assess tools. We evaluate the costs, benefits, and challenges of every solution. We ask: Is it secure? Is it reliable? Can I replace it if necessary? That’s the real job—making informed decisions about what tools are worth the risk, then building the solution.
Low-code can help you move faster but you still have to code around it for specific needs. And, as a developer, you have to decide what to build with low-code and what requires custom code. For instance, one time I was using Zapier on a project, we had to custom-build some APIs to make it work with our backend. Once we did, though, it became a huge time saver, allowing us to connect Salesforce, our mailing system, and more.
Every low-code and no-code platform has its limits, and when you stay within those, they’re incredibly effective. Push beyond, and you’ll run into trouble. Wix is a great example of this. If you’re a local restaurant owner needing a simple site to display your menu and take orders, Wix lets you build that without needing coding skills. But if you’re looking to build a large-scale e-commerce site with thousands of products and advanced shipping integrations, Wix won’t cut it—that’s beyond what it’s designed for.
Daniel: Even in no-code, there’s still code—you just can’t touch it or change it. And that’s where the limitations really start to show. For example, if you ever need to migrate off the platform, it can create a lot of pain points, especially when the platform doesn’t offer a feature you need. So, you’re at the mercy of the provider to add those features.
I think it’s better to see no-code platforms as tools that help you get the job done, rather than a magic solution that does all the work for you. They’re great for simplifying tasks, but you still need to understand the process and know when to step in with more technical solutions.
Low-code platforms open more doors for developers
Tor: The beauty of low-code platforms is that they lower the barrier to entry and allow people without formal comp sci training to start working with data and systems. And that’s a powerful shift. You don’t need a degree to understand how data moves or to manage information flows effectively. What you need are business skills. You need to understand why the data is moving around. And that has nothing to do with algorithmic efficiency. In fact, some of the best engineers I know don’t have formal computer science training. But they have a strong grasp of business logic, problem-solving, and data flows.
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