1. Tools like Bubble or Bildr (no-code web app builders) now have very few limitations on software that can be built. Apps using those tools have raised millions, processed millions of dollars, use APIs of all kinds including GPT-3, and more. These tools have matured to the point where the actual product is built with itself (Bildr) and if there are any current limitations or lack of features, they allow the ability to add custom code or add an API to solve those limitations. Plus Bubble has just raised just under $110 million in total these last couple of years to continue its development to make no-code as powerful, and scalable as coding.
2. Pricing from Bubble is based on a monthly or annual fee starting from a free tier, to a full production tier of $529/month, which is more than 10x less expensive than even one full stack developer. The cost associated is more than an AWS plan so understandably it's a bit of a price tag at first glance until comparing to traditional options. To your point about Zapier, they are expensive but alternatives like Integromat are far better priced for large amounts of workflows which solves the problem you mentioned.
3. This point is a bit more true where there are still some speed/scalability issues more commonly seen in no-code tools vs traditionally coded products. This isn't limited 100% to no-code tools as plenty of other products (like notion) have had scaling and speed problems themselves which have caused a lot of backlash. This issue will also start to be less and less of a factor as these no-code tools continue to grow and mature. Bubble recently raised a $100 million round, Adalo has raised an $8 million Series A round, Softr just raised a $2.2 million seed round, Webflow $140 million, Airtable $270 million etc etc
I still think that there is a ceiling for platforms like Bubble. Yes people have built MVPs on them and have a few hundred customers but never have I seen a venture-backed startup replace their full-stack team with Bubble and some operators.
There is a clear difference here between what a revolutionary vs evolutionary developer tool is. Evolutionary tools are where the jobs in reaction to these tools change; while revolutionary tools are those that make that change (i.e., Figma bringing “product designers” into the mainstream + making it into a potential job for hire). For products like Bubble and others alike, people and companies are still graduating from the platform and custom code blocks in a no-code product built for non-coders is not really the way it should be.
Products like Clutch (https://clutch.io) is an example of a tool that was built with the developer in mind first, allowing users to bring in effects and other actions through NPM with a click of a button and a drag. Obviously graduation is still up in the air here but the capability ceiling has to be raised and there is still a lot to go.
You're missing the point about what the real revolution and point of no-code is. Yes VC backed businesses aren't using Bubble as their tool of choice but millions of people now have the opportunity to build software when it was literally impossible for them to do so as .003% of the world knows how to code, bringing " citizen developers" into the mainstream and lots of people are hiring visual devs for $50-$250/hr now (I speak from experience), plus not every business is venture-backed, there are people generating more money (and profit) bootstrapping vs a lot of VC backed businesses that haven't made a dime in profit as I'm sure you're well aware. Tools like clutch are low code and focused on current developers, no-code tools like bubble are focused on making non-traditional folks their own developers. Adoption will happen and it'll be more common than you think.
Bottlenecks never disappear - They just get moved to where they have less impact.
Totally agree!
Respectfully disagree with 2.5/3 of your points.
1. Tools like Bubble or Bildr (no-code web app builders) now have very few limitations on software that can be built. Apps using those tools have raised millions, processed millions of dollars, use APIs of all kinds including GPT-3, and more. These tools have matured to the point where the actual product is built with itself (Bildr) and if there are any current limitations or lack of features, they allow the ability to add custom code or add an API to solve those limitations. Plus Bubble has just raised just under $110 million in total these last couple of years to continue its development to make no-code as powerful, and scalable as coding.
2. Pricing from Bubble is based on a monthly or annual fee starting from a free tier, to a full production tier of $529/month, which is more than 10x less expensive than even one full stack developer. The cost associated is more than an AWS plan so understandably it's a bit of a price tag at first glance until comparing to traditional options. To your point about Zapier, they are expensive but alternatives like Integromat are far better priced for large amounts of workflows which solves the problem you mentioned.
3. This point is a bit more true where there are still some speed/scalability issues more commonly seen in no-code tools vs traditionally coded products. This isn't limited 100% to no-code tools as plenty of other products (like notion) have had scaling and speed problems themselves which have caused a lot of backlash. This issue will also start to be less and less of a factor as these no-code tools continue to grow and mature. Bubble recently raised a $100 million round, Adalo has raised an $8 million Series A round, Softr just raised a $2.2 million seed round, Webflow $140 million, Airtable $270 million etc etc
Thanks :)
Sources:
https://bubble.io/pricing
https://bubble.io/showcase
https://www.adalo.com/no-code-series-a-announcement
https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/21/softr/
https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/13/webflow-raises-140m-pushing-its-valuation-to-2-1-billion/
https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/15/airtable-is-now-valued-at-5-77b-with-a-fresh-270-million-in-series-e-funding/
Thanks for the insights!
I still think that there is a ceiling for platforms like Bubble. Yes people have built MVPs on them and have a few hundred customers but never have I seen a venture-backed startup replace their full-stack team with Bubble and some operators.
There is a clear difference here between what a revolutionary vs evolutionary developer tool is. Evolutionary tools are where the jobs in reaction to these tools change; while revolutionary tools are those that make that change (i.e., Figma bringing “product designers” into the mainstream + making it into a potential job for hire). For products like Bubble and others alike, people and companies are still graduating from the platform and custom code blocks in a no-code product built for non-coders is not really the way it should be.
Products like Clutch (https://clutch.io) is an example of a tool that was built with the developer in mind first, allowing users to bring in effects and other actions through NPM with a click of a button and a drag. Obviously graduation is still up in the air here but the capability ceiling has to be raised and there is still a lot to go.
You're missing the point about what the real revolution and point of no-code is. Yes VC backed businesses aren't using Bubble as their tool of choice but millions of people now have the opportunity to build software when it was literally impossible for them to do so as .003% of the world knows how to code, bringing " citizen developers" into the mainstream and lots of people are hiring visual devs for $50-$250/hr now (I speak from experience), plus not every business is venture-backed, there are people generating more money (and profit) bootstrapping vs a lot of VC backed businesses that haven't made a dime in profit as I'm sure you're well aware. Tools like clutch are low code and focused on current developers, no-code tools like bubble are focused on making non-traditional folks their own developers. Adoption will happen and it'll be more common than you think.
Goodnight! :)
Always looking to be proven wrong. :) Excited to watch the space as time progresses.