
Questions to consider when choosing a low-code / no-code app dev platform - gervwyk
https://journeyapps.com/blog/low-code-road-to-software-enlightenment-part-3/
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gervwyk
We've been busy developing a low-code web app platform for the past year,
which of course also means being in touch with what other companies like
JourneyApps, PowerApps, AWS Honeycode, Retool, Internal.io are doing and
saying. This detailed post by JourneyApps highlighted a few key principles
which I think are often overlooked.

Here is my TDLR;

1\. Is code a first-class citizen or an afterthought behind visual tooling?

\- Platforms usually prioritize one above the other.

\- When code is an afterthought on top of a primary visual drag-and-drop tool,
it generally tends to perform poorly and raises complexity, slowing down
development velocity.

2\. What is the skill level required to build apps on the platform using code?

\- Complexity of code required by a platform directly correlates to the level
of skill developers need to build apps.

3\. What is the learning curve for the platform?

\- Platforms focusing on visual development tools tend to be highly
proprietary.

\- Complex proprietary environments translates into long learning curves, with
tons of ins and outs to "discover" before becoming truly productive.

4\. Is coding on the platform based on a popular, open language?

\- The use of a popular open language translates to more available talent.

\- The most prevalent developers are JavaScript developers, be cautious for
proprietary languages.

5\. Can you make use of open source libraries, or are you stuck in a walled
garden?

\- Can you use npm or similar packages to build extensions.

\- Is the platform open to using these external packages or is it a closed off
ecosystem.

6\. Developer productivity: What kind of headcount do you need?

\- If developer productivity and output is lower, you will need a larger team
to develop the same number of apps, more time, more risk.

\- Many low-code platforms that are extensible with code leave a massive
amount of heavy lifting to the developer.

7\. Is the platform a true full stack, or do you need to build your own full
stack?

\- Higher total cost of ownership if external parts needs to be wired
together.

8\. How badly are you locked in to the vendor?

\- Vendor lock-in is a major drawback of many low-code platforms.

\- Can you export your code, and is that export usable and human-readable.

9\. Are developers excited about using the platform?

\- Many low-code platforms tend to force developers to work within a
constrained proprietary framework.

\- Many low-code platforms do not allow developers to leverage the major
innovations in software tooling.

\- Does the platform help software engineers improve their marketable skills
to advance their careers.

\- High-productivity app platforms that are based on popular open languages
and allow developers to use open source packages, are much more attractive to
developers.

10\. How much does the platform reduce your risk?

\- Cost to introduce.

\- Hire scarce developer talent.

\- Reliance on proprietary closed-system technologies.

\- Requiring development of unsupported functionality.

