Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Jasper Afman, Product Specialist at Betty Blocks about Hybrid Development. During our interview, Jasper outlined what role the Project Team plays in developing applications for (and with) clients. Naturally, delivering a high-quality application is priority #1, but their secondary purpose is to pass on their no-code experience.
So, let’s take a look at the 5 main takeaways you’ll gain from the guys and girls at Betty Blocks:
1. How to drive a no-code platform
No-code development is like learning to drive an automatic car. Much easier to pick up than a stick shift, but you still need to learn the rules of the road before getting out there. Developing your first application with Betty Blocks gives you a chance to learn the basics while we do the heavy lifting! Since you’re included in all the discussions and planning sessions, you’re not only learning how no-code works, but also gaining useful knowledge about development best-practices.
The goal of working so closely together is to ensure you’re able to continue innovating from within your own business. Of course, there are other training options (like the Betty Blocks Academy) should you want to take your skills to a whole new level.
2. Governance is key
Software development can be overwhelming for inexperienced teams, especially when adopting an Agile strategy. However, turning feedback into decisions, prioritizing features, and planning your next steps are all skills that can be learned. Luckily, with a no-code platform on your side, teams don’t have to (and shouldn’t) do it alone!
Creating a central governance structure is one of the best ways to support developers without taking away their ability to innovate. This structure puts experienced decision-makers into a project management role to guide and oversee each stage of the process. For example: before a new feature goes live, your IT department can run quality checks to ensure the feature meets their standards. If changes need to be made, they’re able to pass on their knowledge, teaching new skills for future projects.
3. Everyone’s an innovator (in their own way)
Even though you want skills and knowledge to drip down from experts, it doesn’t mean that they have all the answers. Somewhat like standing an inch away from the Mona Lisa, paying ultra-close attention to the details can distract you from the bigger picture.
This is why even our own development team at Betty Blocks consults a wide variety of stakeholders before making decisions, combining multiple viewpoints to ensure no stone is left unturned in search of new solutions. Learning who to include and how is a crucial element for accelerating innovation efforts and uncovering untapped knowledge.
4. IT is no-code's best friend
You might expect no-code platforms and programmers behave like cats and dogs. After all, isn’t no-code reducing the need for full-stack developers? Yes! But it’s not about getting rid of programmers, it’s about taking some of the weight off their shoulders and giving IT departments the extra manpower they need to innovate. That way, IT can focus on its own backlog while the business kickstarts its own projects.
Addressing the elephant in the room for a moment: it takes a vast amount of technology (and code) to make a no-code development environment like ours work. Especially when considering the needs of both full-stack and citizen developers.
5. Restrictive no-code is history
What is restrictive no-code? Well, imagine having the ability to build an application but nothing can be customized. So instead of having a flexible platform to bring an application to life, you end up with a ‘generic’ solution. If you want end-users to really engage with a custom application, then a ‘third-party’ look and feel just won’t cut it.
Which is why almost every module available in the Betty Blocks platform is completely customizable. Meaning programmers and adventurous business users can use custom code, personalized templates, and their input to really make an application their own. How and what you customize is totally down to you. The only limit is your imagination!
Want to know more?
Stephan Koning, IT Project Manager at Betty Blocks, gave a great webinar explaining how businesses collaborate with Betty Blocks on software projects. So, if you want to know more about the process itself and how these 5 tips work in practice, then you should definitely give it a watch.
Otherwise, you can go deeper into the no-code rabbit hole through our resources page. There, you’ll find whitepapers, customer cases, presentations, and webinars covering everything there is to know about no-code.
