Low-Code/No-Code: Citizen Developers and the Surprising Future of Business Applications

by Phil Simon

Overview

For decades, our relationship with workplace technology has been, in a word, complicated. The pandemic only made it more so.

The stats are astonishing. Two in three employers cannot find qualified candidates to fill their open IT positions. By 2024, the deficit of software developers in the US alone will hit 500,000. Supply and demand for techies are out of whack and, most alarmingly, there's no end in sight.

The effects of this labor market imbalance are profound and difficult to overstate. Nearly three in four technology leaders cannot focus on their strategic priorities. Countless other firms, departments, teams, and leaders have struggled because IT can't deliver the tools they so desperately need. Adding salt to the wound, business units now need new applications to address the logistical challenges posed by pervasive remote and hybrid work.

Brass tacks: Organizations are at a crossroads. They need to solve these thorny tech problems. Now. But how?

In Low-Code/No-Code: Citizen Developers and the Surprising Future of Business Applications, world-renowned workplace technology expert and award-winning author Phil Simon squares this circle. His thirteenth book deftly illustrates how, thanks to powerful new tools and a new breed of employees, organizations are finally fulfilling critical business needs and reducing their reliance on pricey software developers.

Low-Code/No-Code is an invaluable treasure trove of insightful analysis, synthesis, examples, and advice that has arrived at the perfect time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798985814736
Publisher:	Racket Publishing
Publication date:	11/02/2022
Pages:	278
Sales rank:	1,125,998
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Phil Simon is a frequent keynote speaker, recognized collaboration and technology authority, and college professor for hire. He is the award-winning author of 13 books, most recently Low-Code/No-Code: Citizen Developers and the Surprising Future of Business Applications. He helps organizations communicate, collaborate, and use technology better. Harvard Business Review, the MIT Sloan Management Review, Wired, NBC, CNBC, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and The New York Times have featured his contributions. He also hosts the podcast Conversations About Collaboration.

Editorial Reviews

01/09/2023

With an eye toward efficiency and worker satisfaction, Simon, author of Reimagining Collaboration among many other titles, makes the case for businesses and organizations to empower tech-savvy employees (here called “citizen developers”) to develop low- and no-code business applications tailored to their and their team’s specific needs. Arguing that “IT departments face an untenable status quo,” Simon urges decision-makers to “democratize” the development of business applications. That doesn’t mean abandoning IT and development teams, though. Instead, it means embracing the opportunity presented by “user-friendly, affordable, and powerful tools” like Airtable, Slack’s Workflow Builder, and many others, to allow employees to let people create custom apps for custom challenges.

“All companies are tech companies,” Simon reminds readers. In that spirit, in no-nonsense language, he walks readers through the circumstances that have resulted in technologically astute employees having access to development tools—CMS systems, “spreadsheets on steroids”—that allow even non-coders to build powerful, low-cost applications. This rundown is brisk and engaging (one chapter is titled “A Comically Brief Overview of Conventional Business Technology”), as are Simon’s considerations of how to integrate citizen developers into established organizations, and his presentation of various Low Code/No Code philosophies and approaches, including the sound advice of generating “templates, examples, design guidelines, and a style guide.”

Simon deftly addresses potential reader skepticism, while real world case studies (including examples from his own work and teaching, plus Toyota, family businesses, a trucking company, and more) persuasively back up his contention that “citizen developers” are “subject matter experts” who understand better than IT departments the nuts-and-bolts basics of what individual applications must do to improve workflow. He argues, “Allowing proper software engineers to focus on more complex development projects represents an objectively better use of their valuable time.” Employees and management eager to unleash worker creativity will find much inspiration here.

Takeaway:The practical, persuasive case for empowering employees to develop custom apps in the workplace.

Great for fans of: Katherine Kostereva and Burley Kawasaki’s No-Code Playbook, Project Management Institute’s Citizen Development: The Handbook for Creators and Change Makers.

Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

"I read all of Phil's books. As a software developer coming of age in the 1980s and early 1990s, I fondly remember tools like DataFlex, Microsoft Access, and Clarion. Phil shows how today's citizen developers can use low-code/no-code software in amazing ways, while honoring the trajectory that got us here." -Brad Feld, partner at Foundry, co-founder Techstars, author, runner, reader, hermit, and nerd

"Low-Code/No-Code could not have arrived at a better time. Simon systematically identifies the most pressing issues that tech execs, app developers, and IT professionals face-and adeptly shows how to resolve them." -Gerald C. Kane, C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Chair in Business Administration, University of Georgia and coauthor of The Transformation Myth

"Take it from me: The demand for new internal apps and tech has only intensified, but software engineers are more difficult to recruit and retain than ever. Something has to give. Fortunately, Low-Code/No-Code shows the path forward: New tools let subject matter experts become citizen developers and shoulder a good deal of the development burden. Get this book." -Paul Maya, chief technology officer, United States Tennis Association

"Phil Simon skillfully introduces citizen developers and the world of low-code/no-code software. This timely book fuses examples, capabilities, and stats-and with a sense of humor to boot. The result is a delightfully easy read that left me informed and inspired. An essential text for any curious self-starter." -Denise Brouder, workplace futurist and founder at SWAY

"If you haven't heard of low-code/no-code yet, rest assured: You will soon. The revolution is here, but we need a guide to effectively navigate it. Phil Simon's latest book on workplace technology is just the ticket. Ignore this well-researched, exceptionally relevant, and downright inspiring book at your own peril."

-Matt Wade, consultant and author

"Once again, Phil Simon makes a critical and emerging technology trend accessible. Chief executives, department heads, and project managers are just some of the folks who will benefit from this opportune and important book." -Terri L. Griffith, Keith Beedie Chair in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Simon Fraser University and author of The Plugged-In Manager

"In Low-Code/No-Code, Phil Simon shares how the emergence of the new way of coding came to be. He emphatically yet elegantly states why it's imperative for both large and small organizations need to start riding this wave today." -Mike Vardy, productivity strategist and creator of TimeCrafting

"Monkeys randomly hitting keys on a typewriter for an infinite amount of time will almost surely produce Hamlet. Now imagine what smart people equipped with amazing tools will produce. For a more concrete way to understand the power of low-code/no-code, read this important book." -Mike Schrenk, developer, consultant, and author

"As of now, the size of the low-code/no-code market is $15 billion-hefty, but a pittance compared to what it will soon become. I firmly believe that the next trillion-dollar company will be one of the existing no-code vendors that Phil Simon lists in his compelling new book. It is a must-read if you are interested in the future of software development." -Jon Darbyshire, CEO and co-founder, SmartSuite

From the Publisher