Is Citizen Development the end of professional developers?
People are increasingly dropping the terms 'low-code' and 'no-code', even outside the usual tech bubble. There are rumours that 'the end of manual programming is over, everyone can now develop something!'. Citizen Development is on the rise. But what does this imply for professional programmers?
When I was 12 I started programming. Now I hardly write any code anymore, but focus on scaling our business.
The concept of coding is still in my fingers. Set up logical structures that test and adjust. So I am convinced that that logic, which I first applied in my code, is also an added value for my work now.
It is no different for our team. Our full-stack developers, project managers and analysts all have these skills. In addition, they know the tricks of the trade thanks to experience.
That's why I believe that the need for good programmers will always be there. They understand every letter, every line and the logic of the systems. And also apply it while working with low-code systems such as Mendix or Betty blocks.
At Cubitec we use our own Java-based low-code platform: Nabu. This allows you to quickly build applications and then platforms by connecting existing building blocks. Platform ready? Then we maintain this 24/7.
An article by Forrester discusses that the low-code market could be worth $14 billion by 2024. In addition, it is stated that existing IT departments could feel threatened by low-code and Citizen Developers. Although that is possible, this is fairly short-sighted as the article states: 'viewing IT as the sole provider of technology solutions in a business is truly last-century thinking'.
So no, the end of programming is far from in sight. Programmers' knowledge is and will remain crucial to build and maintain scalable applications. Building a new application may seem like an end goal, but it is in fact just the beginning.
In the years following the launch of an application, technical support is needed and grows with the changing needs of users. For that reason, technical expertise remains vital.
The need for good programmers has therefore never been higher.