I’m standing at a crossroads: I can either use no-code platforms to swiftly get my MVP off the ground, or I can invest time in learning the code stack for long-term scalability. My startup is in the real estate tech sector, and it appears that no-code solutions could handle most of my initial requirements.
Pros of No-Code:
- Quick to market
- No vendor lock-in with the platforms I want to use, so I can transition to a fully coded base like React with Next.js and Supabase for the backend later.
Pros of Learning to Code:
- Valuable skills for future scaling.
- Skill acquisition that will be useful even if this startup doesn’t take off.
- Knowledge base when working with future developers
- I really enjoy learning to code and don’t find it bothersome
The timeline with using no code would probably be 1-2 months and around 3-6 months if I learn the tech stacks needed. I am come from mobile app development so it will take me some time to understand web dev fully.
So, should I prioritize speed to market with no-code solutions, or invest in coding skills for the long run? What advice would you give me?
You’re overthinking this. Prioritize first paying customer since your no-code option can fullfill the initial business.
You’ll learn a lot more about the market and what you’re actually “scaling”. For e.g. collecting user feedback and then trying to implement it manually. This will then tell you whether it improves user acquisition and should it be build.
You’re asking if you’re going to become a real estate mogul, should you try to sell an actual house or should you learn how to build a house and sell that instead first.
A good read by PG: Do things that don’t scale