No-code platforms have always been a great way to put a MVP together. MVPs help you vet the idea before pouring real dollars into it. They are not meant to be the foundation for the product itself; those thinking otherwise have a very expensive refactor ahead of them!
I hear MVP thrown around like candy in the consulting I do. I _wish_ they started with no code!
Didn't some now-unicorn start its life as an email distribution list or spreadsheet?
YC's 19 cohort https://www.glideapps.com/ allowed me to have a meaningfull conversation with prospect (lets call a Proof Of Concpt) after minimal work.
POC accepted, deal signed; left glide for regular webdev.
The value no/low code brings is having buttons screens and transitions really quick in order to generate engagement with prospect.
Totally agree on the MVP front. The term "no-code" may be annoying or way too "buzzwordy" to some, but I think that really misses the point.
These tools (WordPress, Zapier, Launchrock, etc.) can be used to get something out in the world quickly and figure out if it's worth investing time/money into.
You might be thinking of Groupon, from memory their origin story involves emulating software functionality with spreadsheets/email lists/much manual grunt work.
Groupon began as a collective action site called ThePoint - think love child of Kickstarter and Change.org. It was built out and functional but not getting traction. They shifted to using that platform to market deals at local businesses and it took off from there. It was code from the start. However, as it grew there were thousands of sales and editorial employees turning customer contacts into sales campaigns, but that's not really something that code could replace.
I hear MVP thrown around like candy in the consulting I do. I _wish_ they started with no code!
Didn't some now-unicorn start its life as an email distribution list or spreadsheet?