Street Fighting & No-Code Tools

Is there ever a time when there isn’t a lot going on? Because it sure as heck isn’t that time right now.

Since you last heard from me, I got sick, I was traveling for work, I’ve been coaching people, I moved, and now the dust is settling and I’m finally trying to get back into podcasting.

The Move

A few posts ago I was talking about leaving the south… then I moved farther south. I know it’s ironic, but that’s how life is.

So I’m not in Atlanta, GA anymore folks, I’m in Jacksonville, FL! I’ve lived in Florida before (even interned at Disney three times in a row), so at least it’s not a completely new area to me. But wow is it hotter than I remember!

Quick poll: do you shower before or after you walk your dogs? Because this is something that is on my mind a lot lately, no lie.

The Work Trip

I had to go to Chicago for a work trip, which was a pretty cool experience. The most meta thing ever was that part where I had to talk about how to run and present a workshop… while inside a workshop! Try to wrap your mind around that, I’ll wait.

The Almost-Fight

Just kidding, we are full steam ahead today, so that’s all the time you get. Because I have to tell you about this architecture tour we went on. Actually the tour was fine, but I almost got into a fight with the Lyft driver on the way. It was insane.

The driver pulled up in a van, but had an attitude about taking me and my co-workers (there were five of us). He suggested I sit in the front because I’m tall. Fair enough, right?

Except the front passenger seat was covered in all kinds of trash and stuff, so when I opened the door he changed his mind and sent me to the back. Weird, but okay. Then we’re all squeezed back there, and this driver starts on a rant about how he’s going to report us to Lyft and charge our credit cards if we break anything. So much hostility!

He’s listing off all the things we can’t touch, we’re chilling in the back waiting to leave, and somehow his app isn’t showing him our destination. Lovely. So we’re in the back giving him directions from Google Maps.

This guy must have thought he was an extra on Fast and Furious, because he starts swerving in and out of traffic, he’s way over the speed limit… It was crazy. All I wanted was to get out of the freakin’ van.

We finally arrive and this guy gets mad over how I opened the door (I did it the normal way: you know, pull the handle and the door opens? Scandalous, I know). And slams his burgundy Chrysler van into park. And then hops out and walks over to confront me. Apparently this guy was really looking for a fight.

My jiu-jitsu mind is thinking: “What’s my approach if I have to take this guy down? He’s obviously a righty. Definitely going to have to do a body-lock, maybe a knee to the belly. No punches, I don’t want to get arrested. But if he steps up to me from the road up to the curb, I probably am going to have to punch him! If I turn my back on him, he’s going to run after him, so I can’t walk away.”

Meanwhile my professional mind is saying: “Dude, I am looking clean in this J. Crew outfit with my khaki pants. Let me go on my tour! I can see the boat for the tour right over there, just leave it alone. I really don’t feel like buying new clothes if this thing goes downhill.”

He approached me three times this way, saying stupid stuff and basically daring me to fight him. Which is pretty bold, considering I had four other people with me! Did he think they wouldn’t even try to help if it came to blows?

Who knows what this guy was thinking, but personally I just wanted things to cool down. I could feel myself deciding to let it go unless he touched me. If he actually touched me, all bets would be off. So it’s probably a good thing that he didn’t.

After he drove off we went on our boat tour, which was cool. But the almost-fight was definitely more memorable. People are so strange sometimes! Shoutout to Chicago… and yeah, I’m probably never going back.

The Big Sick

Do you get sick when you travel? I’m pretty sure that the flight back from Chicago was to blame for me getting a nasty bug after I got home. Not Covid, thankfully, but not a fun experience either.

I was so out of it for two weeks, which sucked. Especially the cough. It’s so awkward coughing in public these days, you know? Doesn’t matter if it’s Covid or not, no one wants to be the guy coughing.

By the time I was feeling better, I was on the road again.

The Other Work Trip

Next thing you know, I was in Wisconsin for another work trip. It was pretty tiring, even for an extrovert like me.

But the bright side of meeting in person is that sometimes you can solve problems a lot quicker than over a bunch of emails and Zoom calls. I don’t recommend always meeting up IRL, but if your team is blocked or there are things you keep coming back to, an in-person meetup could help shake things up. It’s worth a shot!

Anyway, it’s been a busy time and now I’m just trying to get settled and back on track with my business and my content creation. Motivation and growth are what I’m all about right now. Thinking like the “How I Made My First Million” podcast. (Check it out.)

A Weird Stat

Here’s something that kind of blows my mind: only about 2-3% of African American get venture capital funding. I’m one of the many who haven’t gotten it, because honestly I don’t even know how to make those connections.

What is stopping us from getting access to venture capital? Is it lack of interest, lack of resources, lack of connections… or what? I’m honestly curious, and I don’t have the answer. Just something to think about. And if you’re one of those rare African Americans who has used venture capital, hit me up and tell me what that journey was like!

No-Code Tools

A way to build your business without access to loans or additional capital? No-code tools. There are a lot of them out there now, for free or for low membership costs.

No-code tools can really help test the viability of your ideas, and figure out what you need before release. So let’s take a look at some big ones. I can’t personally recommend all of these, but these are the big names you’ll hear most often.

Bubble

Bubble has been around for a while. It’s very widely used, and there is a lot of info out there about how to use it for websites and web apps. You can buy templates, you can do a lot of drag-and-drop and actually build an MVP product without any coding. Super helpful to get ideas and MVP’s out.

Bubble has a free membership with paid upgrades for better plans. But if you’re just starting out, the free plan should be fine.

Adalo

Adalo is more focused on iOS and Android applications. It’s less visual, but it’s great for app-building with a real backend.

You can add a component to accept payments, and start earning real coin with apps you build there - again, zero coding involved. There is a database component, but that’s definitely best for more advanced users. You’d have to spend some time dialing that in since it’s a pretty different setup.

Adolo has three tiers from free to $200. So again, a free option you can use to get started. Awesome stuff.

AppGyver

Cool fact: AppGyver is completely free until you hit $10,000,000 in revenue. That’s a mark of confidence, because how many people really think they are going to hit ten million dollars in revenue?

They don’t have everything, but their flow and interaction components are very cool. Lots of options, lots of drag-and-drop features with if/then switches. You can push to app stores easily, another plus.

FlutterFlow

This one is my favorite! It’s similar to Adalo, it works a lot like Adobe XD, and I really like how customizable it is. FlutterFlow uses Flutter code, so you can download what you’ve made and build it out as much as you want to with additional coding. So it’s no-code with the option to code, pretty seamlessly.

FlutterFlow also uses FireBase, which means you don’t lose data if you move out of their tool. It’s all connected and you don’t have to worry about starting over.

You can use this to make a true, real app because you don’t need an outside coder, you don’t need to hire someone to make a backend for your visuals. Very cool, because that’s what separates a design from reality.

Pricing comes in three tiers, free up to $70. So even the top tier isn’t too bad. Still not as cheap as AppGyver, but hey, you can’t win them all.

What Tools Will You Use?

So I’m curious: what no-code tools do you see yourself using? I’m definitely a fan of FlutterFlow, but all of the ones I mentioned have potential. And there are a lot more out there that I didn’t get to cover today. So lots of options, and lots of opportunities.

No-code tools are super-empowering for designers because they can reduce our dependence on developers. In a typical scenario, we need them a little more than they need us, right? But having some no-code tools up our sleeves balances things out a little so we can make our ideas a reality a little more easily.

How’s Your Portfolio?

Just a quick mention: I am currently opening up more dates for portfolio reviews and other coaching services! If you want some tough love, the honest truth about your portfolio… we need to talk. Come on, you know you want to!