[nmaley]

Lots of different types of tools here. Some are no code, most are low code. There is no clear dividing line between them: they are all configurable platforms with the ability to incorporate code through APIs and add ons.

Some are just special purpose utilities (eg Postman). Some are niche products with a relatively limited set of use cases(eg Airtable), some are enterprise grade platforms which can be used to build huge systems (eg Salesforce, MS Power platform), and there is every type of gradation between these.

This is a multi billion dollar business, growing steadily. It's going to accelerate even faster as LLM Technologies are increasingly tuned to build code extensions.

[whatsthenews]

I agree, but wouldn't LLMs also deprecate many of the existing no-code players unless they can pivot hard?

[nmaley]

LLMs make writing code easier, but they don't make it unnecessary. "No-code" is mostly small consumer apps and POCs, but "low-code" is a big industry based on platform building. Much of the work of building and maintaining an enterprise system is (a)data model definition (b) UI/UX construction and (c) workflows. Low code platforms specialise in doing this in a structured, fast and maintainable way without code. LLMs are great but they aren't a magic bullet. Enterprise grade development requires a lot of structure and LLMs don't provide that. Low code provides a pre built, well documented structure, enabling mediocre developers like me to build reliable, professional grade enterprise apps.