25/01/2022
45 hours
Bildr
NoCodersFlow is my first project with Bildr, a no-code web app builder. This meant it took a lot longer than expected. I initially expected it to take 3 days, but in the end, I build it over 10 days or so, as I got stuck on Bildr bugs (they had a few) and how to use Bildr for my use case. Also, I should admit with this project I added features to my MVP that I could easily have launched without such as liking and bookmarking, both requiring some logic.
As a No-Coder StackOverflow isn’t an option to post a problem and instead you have to rely on the specific platforms forums like Bubble’s, Adalo’s etc. There is no good independent community platform that you can use.
My solution to this is to create a Stackoverflow type application purely focusing on the No-Code community.
I’m a big fan of Figma but for this project, I skipped the step. Instead, I sketched on paper the UI/UX and feature set for my MVP after checking out StackOverflow, no-code forums and Medium (bigger inspiration).
If you go to Twitter and check out #NoCode all you hear about is Bubble 😀. It’s definitely the giant in the industry and community and a great option!. I tried Bubble back in the days when I worked for a venture builder and personally didn’t fit me. I think this is because I learned HTML, CSS and Javascript and Bubble’s way of adding elements to a page is so different. Last year December, I was searching for a web application builder that I would like. I like no-code tools like Webflow, but it’s not meant for building web applications. I had already heard about Bildr and done some research on it and as I was trying it out, I realized this is exactly what I needed. It follows HTML and CSS principles, the team is very hands-on with the support and you can add any Javascript library and write your own functions!
As mentioned I decided to use Bildr for the frontend but in the end, I also decided to use their backend. I generally prefer an independent backend like Firestore or Xano as it gives me more flexibility and control but building with Bildr’s backend becomes so much faster and more flexible so I decided on this one.
To start out with I create a simple list of tasks I need to do for the MVP launch, it really shouldn’t be too long or too complex as it’s after all an MVP! As you can see I was planning for the MVP additional features like search and community, but it was simply pointless so early on to have search as there was nothing to search for 😀