No Code, No Problem: Easy-to-Build Apps for Everyone

Notes from Chris

Episode 1709

Sardar Azimov found his side hustle while waiting in the long queue for a food truck. It was a hot summer’s day in Miami, and he wished there was a way he could order his food in advance and pick it up when it was ready. Or, at least, be able to go stand in the shade while it was being prepared.

As the CEO of a Marketing Agency called Skief Labs, Sardar was familiar with the power of native apps for a business. Customers love the experience of using their smartphone to order food, shop for clothes, access content, or just share updates with friends. (I mean, chances are you’ve already used one or two apps like that today, right?) But, Sardar had a problem: he wasn’t a coder, and had no desire to become one.

One of the byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic for Sardar was that he had a little more time on his hands than usual. Client projects at his agency had slowed way down, which allowed him to devote time to learning new skills. So, he began exploring different ways to create apps that didn’t require an in-depth knowledge of coding languages. That’s when he stumbled upon the perfect solution.

Specifically, Sardar came across two tools called Glide and Adalo. They allow creators to build “No Code Apps” using their platforms. Basically, that means you can choose all of the features, designs, and interactive elements of your app without ever having to put in a line of code. It’s a little like using a drag-and-drop website builder like Wix or Squarespace, but for apps, and it means that anyone can get started creating professional-looking apps.

Sardar realized that if people were willing to invest in freelance developers to build apps from scratch, there may also be a market for his no-code approach. After all, it allows him to create apps more quickly for a much lower cost. So he created a listing on the marketplace Fiverr to offer his services.

Sardar set the prices for his work based on two factors: the complexity of the app, and the time it would take him to complete. He found that simple apps with just a few screens could be turned around in a couple of days. He charged a maximum of $1,200 for them. Larger apps could extend to a couple of weeks, with feedback and revisions, and prices for those start from $2,500. These prices were still affordable in the world of app development, but were at a rate where Sardar felt comfortable and well-compensated for the work he was doing.

Sardar’s listing quickly became a hit. There was a large market of people who had tried to create No Code apps for their businesses, but had hit snags along the way, and needed someone like him to help them complete their project.

There was also a market for businesses who wanted a bootstrapped minimum-viable product for their app idea, and Sardar could offer them a quick and easy way to test a product with their audience. So, as time went on, Sardar used his marketing skills to word his Fiverr listing to speak directly to these audiences.

As a result, Sardar now makes a good extra income from his no-code side hustle, without spending any money on startup costs or marketing. He’s happy with the number of leads coming in being relatively small, especially as his day job picks up as we come out of the pandemic.

Next, he wants to look at how he can use his No Code skills to add another element to his agency.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more about Sardar at his website, Skief.co and his Fiverr profile.
• Looking to build your own app, check out Glide and Adalo

SEE ALSO:

• 40,000 People Use This Web Developer's Side Hustle Every Day: How a San Francisco commuter became part of the original iPhone launch with a hustle that now helps more than 40,000 people every day.
• Foreign Correspondent Launches Career App: A globetrotting journalist builds financial independence through a career-coaching app aimed at promoting gender equality.
• Clean Eating App Leads to Relatable Results: Two Aussie friends create a profitable app to encourage flexible clean eating.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,