Why No-Code systems never really deliver
Since the 90’s, No Code solutions have been touted again and again. The first one I ever saw was the original Visual Basic. Since that language in its original form is not running the world and we are still using programmers, you can tell how well that one went. Yet the allure of No Code solutions is still there and many follow them like sailors following the siren song into the sea and drown.
So why don’t they work
What most don’t get is that to develop an application, or to create automation workflows, AI or not, you still need to understand how it all works. Also, while they say no code, there are huge lists of forms you need to fill in, usually with specially formatted text, i.e code, to get the systems to work. If you don’t understand how an application is supposed to work, if you don’t know how to design a form that your customers can use easily, if you don’t understand the nuances of Automation and workflows, then you will fail. Code or No Code!
Stuff Coders know that you don’t
Coder, programmers, Automation specialists, all have knowledge beyond the programming language they use. We have to. We need to understand the flow of data, the best way to store data, the best way to retrieve data, the order actions must be done in. This knowledge makes up about 70% of what a programmer does. The higher the programmers skills the higher this percentage gets. Its what makes the difference between a Jnr and a Snr coder.
There are also specialists out there. Automation all on its own takes a special mind set, thus we have Automation specialists. They need a MUCH clearer understanding of workflow, and how to account for all possibilities. This is a skill, and one that while many have something of an understanding of how the flow should work, the Automation specialist can see all the stuff that has not been thought of and account for those in a workflow. This is the difference between a bad workflow and a good one.
n8n and make.com
Workflows and automation are a VERY tough area to get to grips with and both N8N and Make want to make this whole thing easier for you, at a price. I can understand that. I’ve built huge workflows in the past and Automation patterns to handle massive jobs. They are far from the easiest thing in the world. The addition of AI Agents can really make workflows much easier, but they don’t make it easy, or make it so anyone can make good workflows. That’s where the fail point happens. You still need to be able to design a good workflow. You still need to understand how AI agents work and more importantly, you need to be able to see the points of failure in your workflows and account for them.
I like the idea of both these systems, but please don’t be fooled into thinking anyone can make your automation workflows, or you can do them yourself without deep knowledge of how to design workflows and how AI Agents work.
Conclusion
The Siren song of No Code solutions is once again pulling many into the sea, at huge costs and a very bad conclusion. If you already find yourself in this trip, don’t think your alone, or the first. There are so many No Code options out there that pull people in and they find themselves drowning in a solution that is just not delivering and it never will unless you have the specialist who can take advantage of it. You need to remember that despite promises, the No Code solutions will not make you a developer, and you will still need a developer to work on the tasks you need.