With Low-Code, We Are All Developers

Author: Lauren Papagalos, #lowcode4all

A gap is growing between the number of critical IT projects and the number of developers needed to build them. Demand for coders doubled in 2021, driven by the pandemic. Morgan Stanley cites a current shortage of 1.4 million professional software developers in the US alone.¹

Meanwhile, the demand for new applications is only increasing. The Economist noted in a recent report that “IT departments are being urgently called upon to fast-track transformation.” Unfortunately, according to the same report, IT already faces backlogs of up to 12 months. 

But this developer shortage isn’t a crisis. It’s an opportunity. It’s a chance for anyone to become a developer. 

The idea isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. If you’ve ever used Microsoft PowerPoint, you know how easy it is to create slides. But before PowerPoint, presentation slides could only be created by highly skilled designers. They were slow, expensive to make, and they couldn’t be changed moments before they were presented. Today, anyone can create slides. You don’t have to be a professional designer. You can be a business user, a developer, an accountant, or a high-school student. PowerPoint made anyone a designer. 

The same thing is happening with development. Low-code platforms have democratized development so anyone can build an application. In fact, Gartner predicts that “by 2025, 70% of new applications developed by enterprises will use low-code or no-code technologies, up from less than 25% in 2020.”²

 “By 2025, 70% of new applications developed by enterprises will use low-code or no-code technologies, up from less than 25% in 2020.”

Why is low-code expected to experience such phenomenal growth?

• Low-code is fast: It’s at least 10 times faster than traditional development.³
• Low-code is agile: It creates a more collaborative relationship between IT and the business, enabling rapid, iterative improvement.
• Low-code is easy to learn: Anyone can learn low-code, which means it empowers individuals to improve the way their organizations work. 

Low-code application development is also good for people. It empowers people to take control of their own success and deliver great results. And that applies to everyone, from citizen developers and business users to professional developers who adopt low-code as part of their broader development tool kit. 

Democratizing low-code application development.

A recent survey of high-code developers and low-code developers found that low-coders reported higher job satisfaction, and were more likely to work on innovative and mission-critical projects. Since low-code accelerates tedious development tasks, it frees developers up to focus on more interesting work. They can be more innovative and impactful.  

Low-code is enabling the democratization of development. It makes a career in software development accessible to nearly anyone. Considering this is a period of flux in the economy, there’s no better time for people to have access to the new opportunities low-code provides. A lot of people are seeking new jobs and new careers. They’re pioneering new paths professionally. A great way to do this is to leverage a modern, easy-to-use technology like low-code. 

Who can benefit from learning low-code? 

Students are the perfect candidates, as they’re all looking to start new careers. It’s also great for veterans,  who have technological skills but may require training in newer technologies. Low-code takes that valuable background and applies it to a newer, more marketable skill set. Perhaps even more applicable as a recession looms, unemployed individuals and skill-seekers alike can learn low-code and start a whole new career.   

It’s the perfect marriage: The global economy needs more developers and an increasing number of people want to shift careers, update their skills, and improve their circumstances. Low-code is their ticket. 

Appian, a leader in low-code, recently announced a new program to democratize access to a career in low-code. The #lowcode4all program provides scholarships and certifications to career seekers, veterans, students, and anyone who wants to be a low-code developer. 

Date: August 17, 2022