Emily Lonetto

I think I got into no-code before I really knew what no-code was just by playing around with no-code tools maybe like five or six years ago. My intro was Zapier, the holy grail of integrations. I've always been at this intersection of technical and non-technical and I've always found no-code as a beautiful mix of those things. 

No-code is really, really part of the tech stack that I use on a day to day basis and teach amongst even my own team, so I thought why not join a company like Voiceflow, who's gonna make a really big impact in the voice space and the no-code space?

I think for me, I have a pretty loose definition of no-code. I think some people are very binary around it, where no-code equals zero code, ever. I view no-code as you can get the majority, maybe like 80% done without really having any basic knowledge there with the option of being able to get a little bit more custom and open that up. I would say my definition of no-code is a platform or a software that makes it easier for people to expedite how they can get to an MVP.

No puedo señalar un momento exacto en el que dije: "Oh, sí, esto debe ser sin código". Y creo que la forma en que se me presentó fue realmente un problema que existe tanto en las startups como en las grandes organizaciones: la falta de recursos y también la falta de tiempo para aprender sobre ti mismo, en tu propio tiempo. Y así me lo presentó extraoficialmente como no-code uno de mis mentores en una empresa. Básicamente, me lo presentaron porque no estaba en el equipo técnico, sino que estaba construyendo cosas nuevas y estaba constantemente atascado esperando que sucediera algo.

No space code. Hardcore.

On the larger org, what I kind of found was that it helped to expedite a lot of even, let's say, project validation that you're trying to get. So people could get to a prototype faster to make a more convincing pitch for something. People could potentially get things procured faster because it wasn't living within their database, it was something that was a little bit separate. So you're seeing this workflow optimization that comes into play, and also just like how easy it is to understand and get going, and it makes onboarding a lot faster, especially if you're playing around with new people on the team.

But for smaller orgs, it makes so much more possible with a smaller team, especially even now where all of our teams are separated, and resourcing is always going to be an issue no matter what size you are, but when you have people who are trying to level up or trying to learn, who are trying to cross collaborate, these tools make it so much more possible to get everyone on a level field that I think that it really, really helps to let companies get more out of the team that they have.

En términos de desarrolladores, creo que esto es como acelerar todo y el no-code, en muchos sentidos, es el arranque de tratar de hacer algo. No significa necesariamente que vaya a ser tu producto final lo que estés haciendo. Pero va a ser mucho más rápido sacar esa estructura que vas a ser capaz de tocar más, hacer más, y tal vez probar algo que de otro modo te habría llevado mucho tiempo aprender.

Con los diseñadores, creo que el no-code ha sido un movimiento increíblemente empoderador para ellos. Como, por ejemplo, yo mismo, vengo de un entorno de diseño y me encantó poder hacer estos diseños tan bonitos y completos en mi ordenador, pero no respiraban. Hay algo un poco especial en ver cómo se desarrollan esos movimientos, cómo se desarrollan las interacciones reales, y a veces apesta tener esto y no poder comunicarlo completamente o quedarse atrás cuando intentas que cobre vida. Así que creo que las herramientas sin código realmente han hecho que los diseñadores estén sobrealimentados cuando se trata de poder animar muchas de las cosas que están haciendo, hacerlas en vivo, crear sitios web, aplicaciones web, mercados; Son tantas las cosas que han hecho.

Con los PM, o miembros no técnicos en los equipos, se ha abierto totalmente no solo en más formas para que puedan dar vida a los MVP, ensuciarse las manos en las cosas, sino también generar empatía hacia otras personas de su equipo. Personalmente, encuentro que al sumergirme en las herramientas sin código, en realidad he aprendido más sobre la lógica, las expectativas y las complejidades detrás de lo que estoy pidiendo, lo que me ha hecho, creo, más empático como líder, pero también en términos de cómo gestiono o espero lo que se puede lograr en el alcance.

We've already seen huge interest and huge spikes in terms of freelancers and consultants, starting with voice. I think that the consultants and the freelancers that get on the space now are going to be in that sweet era that happened with mobile not too long ago, we're going to see more and more that the early time they spend in the space now is going to pay massive dividends later.

I am a really strong believer that no-code really, really helps make this type of building, this type of work, really accessible for people. And one of the beautiful things that I love about having such a strong community and being so connected with our no-code and our Voiceflow builders is being able to see people like this — who can hop on the platform, the same platform that large teams and enterprises are using and be able to build something really meaningful.

I think that, more and more, as no-code becomes on the front lines of things and more accessible to younger kids and even older generations, you're going to see more innovation happening in that space, and even easier ways for people to be able to get jobs or jump to different career options. Not only because it's more accessible, but now because they can do a lot more learning at home. So I think it's gonna make a huge difference moving forward.

I've already started to see people shipping like very rough MVPs or skeletons using no-code, but I would say, maybe give it another two years.

My inner optimist wants to be the second that schools are back in there. What I'm seeing is that education is a tough one, because curriculums are really, really hard to innovate in, and that's the truth. But we've already started to see no-code solutions be kind of slipped into curriculum, like, Voiceflow happens to already be taught in a few universities. Which is super cool. And I love that. But I think in terms of mainstream, and I would hope, like maybe realistically, five years, where no-code could be in the title of the curriculum.

I feel like it's already pretty on par with that right now. I want to think that it's already pretty there on Product Hunt, and so maybe like a year.

My inner optimist wants to be like tomorrow. I would say maybe, and hopefully two to like three years.

I'm gonna be pretty conservative on this one — like twenty years...

I'd say there's already a lot of agencies that kind of build both. I think to outweigh maybe like, six, eight, a little bit longer. I think it will take a while.

I would say probably more openly, maybe like, a year, two years.

Lo que realmente me mantiene motivado es escuchar muchas historias de personas que se sintieron atrapadas en sus trabajos actuales o que estaban esperando esa oportunidad para hacer la transición a un PM o a un puesto técnico durante años en una empresa y luego descubrieron una de estas herramientas y comenzaron a construir estas cosas. Y, de hecho, pudieron dar el paso de mantenerse a tiempo completo e incluso crear un equipo en torno a las herramientas sin código.