In our latest episode of El Periscopio, the Lúcid podcast, we spoke with Alex Bernardo, founder of NocodeHackersthe largest No Code community in Spanish.
With him, we dove into this code-free world, explored the No Code movement in depth, its benefits for digital product design, and reflected on fascinating topics such as product culture, the power of tools in the design process, team management, and much more!
As usual, we've put together this summary article highlighting the key moments of the conversation between Alex and our Head of Digital, Guillermo Lucini.
"No Code is a movement that empowers diverse profiles to turn ideas into reality."
We started the conversation with an introductory question, asking Alex to define No Code. He had a clear response: "It's not important what No Code is, but rather who it's for."
According to Alex, "No Code is for people who have no idea how to program but have the ability to execute ideas, shaping them easily." At the same time, it's also a movement for developers, enabling them to work on ideas faster to bring them to life.
Alex acknowledges that No Code is still emerging and relatively unknown in the product design world. Its evolution depends on the community behind it. He cites the example of the Webflow community, one of the largest in the movement, and explains how the platform thrives thanks to the collective effort of users who document and share their knowledge.
The Tool Changes the Way We Design
"The tool changes how we design." Alex quotes Maximo Gavete to illustrate the impact No Code tools have on the design process. "These tools are built for and from the product, making the design process more efficient and streamlined."
Alex categorizes the tools into three major groups: web product design, highlighting Webflow and major websites like Mango and Iberia, both designed using this platform; app design, where he recommends Glide, BravoStudio, and Flutterflow; and a third category he calls operations, where he suggests Bubble, Softare, and automation tools like Zapier and Notion, which he defines as a productivity tool.
A Must for Early Design Stages
In early stages, it's crucial to have flexibility for iteration, and No Code tools provide speed and efficiency in achieving the product's objectives without wasting excessive time and resources.
"In 90% of early design phases, No Code should be essential because the iteration speed it offers is incredible," recommends Alex.
"Product Culture Means Rewarding Failure".
This reflection on iteration led to another key topic: product culture, a frequently used term by our Head of Digital, who asked Alex how he understands the concept. Once again, Alex was clear: "Product culture means rewarding failure".
"Starting with the premise that we know nothing, testing, and always relying on data to make decisions is having product culture," says Alex.
"That doesn't mean betting the entire company on every experiment," Alex continued, "but giving independence to departments like Marketing and Product so they can run experiments without needing development is a game-changer."
Limitations That Aren't Deal-Breakers
When asked about No Code's limitations, Alex mentioned the native constraints of certain tools. However, he explained that each tool offers its own solutions and emphasized the importance of the community in overcoming challenges, as collective knowledge within the community helps resolve difficulties.
No Code as a Paradigm Shift
Looking ahead, Alex anticipates that No Code will become a major standard in businesses. Specifically, he describes a bidirectional transition between Marketing and Product teams.
"No Code represents a paradigm shift in many ways. Among other things, it directly impacts business models and work processes," concludes Alex.
