Building a no-code product in your niche expertise

What is it:

Insurance for digital nomads

Maker Insight:

"Due to the concept building during the process that it would be closer to 400 hours, but it is a guestimate. If we had known what it would be like from the start it could have been done in 4 hours. We utilize Webflow, Userlike, Jetboost, SuiteDash, and soon CoverGo (no code SaaS for insurtech) and other deployments in the works.

Regarding Webflow: Formatting is the simple part. The mastery comes in the craft of designing something that is not another templated replica but an engaging and unique site that accomplishes it's goal. Once the creative artistry is unleashed it's the simplest platform to build within but many don't take the time needed to process the unique features and possibilities it can unleash."

What did I learn:

1. No-code tool feature: Webflow - when should you use it? Webflow takes mastery to learn. I've personally used it and worked on a using Webflow for 2 weeks before I decided to move off. Like Andrew states here, if you have a mastery already its a no brainer. But if you are trying to validate a product by shipping something, you do not want to lose momentum by learning a tool if you do not have to.

It is my recommendation not to use Webflow unless you have a good understanding of HTML/CSS or design background or familiar with learning tools like Photoshop.

It is also my recommendation to be honest with yourself about what are your goals for your product? Is design going to be a differentiating factor? Who are you selling to?

Even if design is going to be a differentiating factor, it doesn't need to be what you poor your V1 into. Because you can control WHO you share your V1 with. Meaning, the key lesson I have learned when building a product is it's more important to validate a concept with a real thing that people can use or pay for then having a professionally designed website.

In fact I would argue its a greater validation signal if you have a product that is not polished and people are paying you money for it or using it. Because if they look past it being ugly, you know that your product is creating value based on substance and not just looks like a fancy sales landing page.

An example would be 100daysofnocode.com site by Max Haining. When I first landed on his page it was the ugliest website landing page I've ever seen. Max is a good friend so it's okay that I am picking on him a little bit. But his concept was valid and what his product did was good, so I really didnt care what it looked like. ALL I cared about is what is this going to do for me!

That is what you want to validate.

This is a hard thing to learn as a first time Maker because you are making your first project and you want it to be the best thing that anyone has seen. But you must focus on validation over perfect product building.

2. Product Strategy: Having a landing page with a simple hero, subtitle and email sign up. Is this a best practice?

Who knows? If it converts is all that it matters. I have no idea if it converts and would need to understand Andrew's business and how it compares to other sites. But the only way experiment is try things. I would suggest if you are going to create something that is different you use a version as a control so that you can compare it to.

I'd also recommend evaluate what your product is, and who are you selling to. Maybe you have a really tech savvy niche that you are selling to that knows what you do. Or maybe your product spreads by word of mouth, so they main distribution is other Nomads will recommend your product. So a sales page does not matter.

However, I would recommend that the CTA to subscribe is a little open ended and a blind folded experience, and not clear enough. What exactly am I subscribing too and where are you taking me?

I think the CTA to give an email should have more clarity in this instance.

3. Product Strategy: What type of Maker are you? Do you have niche domain experience? What I mean by that is do you have a skill or trade that you are a professional in other than technology? Are you a photographer, an accountant a doctor or like Andrew sell insurance?

I believe the future belongs to Makers who are niche experts in something other than technology. For example the product "Code Return" in this database is created by a photographer named Andrew Vernon. Instead of paying money for a software development shop to create something that doesn't work and ends up charging more money to for a product that doesn't do what you want or inflexible to change it, Andrew Vernon would be held hostage by the software dev agency. Now the power of creating solutions is in the hands of people who know what the the domain specific problems are and now they can solve those problems. Now anyone can be a software developer.

What's interesting about this Maker, Andrew's stack is that traditionally in the past he would have hired a development team to create this service. The fear for most business owners is then getting locked in with the development team and not having the flexibility to update your site. Having the ability to creating it with no-code allows Andrew to have much more control and freedom to his digital experience. This is revolutionizing how business owners approach their digital products.

Once you learn the tool that you're using to create your application, you have the power to change it. The long term cost benefit of something this is exciting.

No-code will democratize software creation, but I believe it is Makers who are domain experts that will stand to benefit the most.