The low code/ no code revolution is on. Starry eyed visions of drag and drop building of applications without coding come up immediately. Vendor claims of speed, quality are attractive. Lack of availability of good developers make this the compelling option. Lets do a reality check! Can your low code platform really keep up with all those promises.
You need to ask two key questions a) Is the low code platform right for the type of application that I am building? b) Is the platform mature enough for that specific type of application?
Low Code platforms (LCAP) solve the coding problem in different ways for different application types. Websites, Workflow, AI/ ML, complex enterprise applications for example need different LCAP platforms.
In categories like enterprise applications the vintage of the platform is crucial. Keep in mind that LCAP's are expert systems converting all possible programming use cases into declarative English like statements. If they cover only less than 80% of the work then it really is better to code the application. If they cross the 80 or 90% mark and all the key capabilities are automated then its worth using LCAP's. To do arrive at this level of maturity it takes decades. Startups or even large multinationals with lots of funding cannot build a low code platform quickly. It takes a many years years to build the base and another 5 years at least to mature it to industry grade.
So in short for LCAP's - vintage is crucial - not the marketing and sales muscle of your provider. For example, In Enterprise Application Low Code (Mendix, OutSystems, ServiceNow, Stragiliti) have been focusing on low code platforms for over a decade at least. When you are deep into the application building process these LCAP's will not fail you by saying something cannot be done. However, a low code platform provided by a large brand with deep pockets may still have critical limitations. They may have jumped into the bandwagon late and you don’t want to be their test lab do you?
We at Stragiliti have maturing our platform for nearly 15 years. In case you wish to get more information about Stragiliti Low Code platform or want a no cost personal consulting session for your next application buildout, or experience our speed challenge, do visit
Would also love comments and inputs on this topic for all to debate and share our learnings. This article is a part of a series of tips on #lowcodedevelopment . Having pioneered and used Low Code technologies for hundreds of projects over the past two decades, the intent of this series is to ensure that you become wiser before your application buildout. In case you wish to get automatic access to the rest of the articles, do subscribe to Stragiliti