A foot in the no-code door in 14 days

I want to build my first app/s as fast and minimally as possible. However, there is a high chance it will flop even with preliminary research.

It’s fine by me, but would it be fine by an engineer who I drag into it? Finding a match takes effort. At least it takes for me. I can bet it’s not easy for a few of you.

Hence, what people like me can do? Learning code is a way. With all the info products online, it wouldn’t be that hard to pick a learning path. But do I want to be an engineer? What if I want to invalidate the product-market fit and then scale it with the right team of engineers?

There is a solution for us — visual programming tools — no-code.

Challenge

I researched the no-code tool space and betted on bubble.io. It’s been there for a while, and there are successful use cases, fantastic support, and a dedicated community. This is impressive, but I know nothing at this point. I need to start somewhere.

I started tackling the topic, but I knew I needed to structure my learning and keep it away from the rabbit holes. From experience, I knew they would suck out my time and focus on my main goal. Thanks to the Twitter community of indie hackers, it didn’t take me long to figure out that the challenge framework is my game. There are benefits:

Routined = ensures steady progress
Scoped = provides milestone
Focused = limits distractions
Retrospective = simplify self-analysis

There are plenty of challenges, like #100daysofnocode or #100daysofcode or #Ndaysofsth. But I didn’t want to spend 1/3 year scratching the surface to give it a green or red light.

I created one for myself — #14daysofbubble.

How did I learn?

I decided to dedicate 1–3 hours per day to learning. On average, I saved my evening to sit, listen, watch, read, and execute the tasks. Here is the list of learning materials I used to guide myself into the bubble.io jungle:

How it went?

I’m a full-time product designer, in a relationship, with obligations towards my private life. What it means is that 2–3 hours didn’t work out. I managed to dedicate 1.5 hours on average. On the bright side, I didn’t struggle with building the routine or pushing myself into it. It was fun and exciting. Here is the simplified log:

Pre-challenge — the time before I decided to structure the learning into the challenge. I watched the Bubble introduction and fundamentals materials. Then, I started to play with the recipe app (Build Your First Bubble App).
Day 1 — completing the recipe app.
Day 2 — kicking off the Product Hunt Timelapse course (1/4).
Day 3 — Product Hunt Timelapse (2/4)
Day 4 — private life won, and I couldn’t get my hands on the computer.
Day 5 — Product Hunt Timelapse (3/4)
Day 6 — Product Hunt Timelapse (4/4)
Day 7 — digging into Bubble Docs (1/2).
Day 8 — Bubble Docs (2/2)
Day 9 — I discover Buildcamp and kick off Buildcamps’ Bubble Beginners Bootcamp (1/6)
Day 10 — Buildcamps’ Bubble Beginners Bootcamp (2/6)
Day 11 — Buildcamps’ Bubble Beginners Bootcamp (3/6)
Day 12 — Buildcamps’ Bubble Beginners Bootcamp (4/6)
Day 13 — Buildcamps’ Bubble Beginners Bootcamp (5/6)
Day 14 — Buildcamps’ Bubble Beginners Bootcamp (6/6). The last day!

What did I learn?

The beauty of challenges or putting your activities in the scoped blocks is the opportunity to draw lessons. Then, cherry-pick your upslopes and downslopes to reiterate. I have a few:

Bubble.io is super powerful. I expanded my range of possibilities and velocity to deliver.
14 days is enough to get the basics and idea of where to head next. However, learning is subjective and short term allows you to be flexible in picking the follow-up learning path.
1 hour every day is enough to keep you going, but it’s not enough to make substantial progress. I could finish parts of training much faster with 2 hours. It’s something I need to improve ASAP.
Visual programming tools with access to database management allow you to learn coding and app-building basics. I understand the relation between the data and how I serve or mix it much better. Additionally, I am sure I don’t need to learn code now. At least not to the extent I was thinking.
If you know one visual-programming tool, it is easier to use another. For example, I used the Webflow app before, which helped me grasp basic concepts faster.
Following the tutorial from A-Z can be significant. Even in mundane operations, the lecturer can hide tips and tricks to speed up your building process later.
Learning in public — in my case, on Twitter — helped me to keep the routine and motivation. The responsibility towards your audience adds to your inner fuel.

What next?

I started my next challenge — #30daysofbubble. Those 14 days showed me the value of this learning method and how much I need yet to figure out to start building my app.

My hypothesis is that 30 days is enough to kick it off. So now, I will validate it.

If you want to follow my journey, you will find me on Twitter.