EPISODE 040 - Career: As a developer, am I at risk from low-code/no-code?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidl and the topic of this week of this episode is, am I at risk from low code, no code as a developer? So are you scared or should you be scared for your job? Because low code, no code might take over your to-dos or your tasks. I want to compare this a little to a previous episode where we talked about will AI take over my job? And I think for easy stuff, easy things, there will be no need for developers. So there is the platform, if this, then that, or Sapir. The end users can easily do like coding stuff, with icons and GUI and everything without a line of code. And in the Microsoft world, this is Power Automate, a logic app. So users or IT stuff without development skills can do automations and tasks automation without any lines of code. There lot of connectors, a lot of actions, whatever what platform is calling their actions or their tasks or their flows or whatever. And it's easy to handle some minor or easy automations or tasks too with those platforms without code with low code. And that's what it is. think easy stuff can be done by end users with an a minor IT background easily with those platforms, the Power Automate, Logic Apps. If this and that's appear, whatever they call, there are a lot of them out there. So you connect to your services, you enter credentials, and then you have a ton of actions you can combine and relate to each other. And then you can do some stuff without any line of code. And if you stick on those easy stuff as a developer, it might get hard to stay on top or maybe

Michael Seidl: it might get hard to stay in your job. And I think for more complex topics, you will still need developers and coding and scripting and guys who know how to write some lines of code. Because we work with, for example, when it comes to AI, and we work a lot with GitHub Copilot since I think one and a half year. And we do a lot of scripting in PowerShell. And of course, GitHub Copilot helps us to write our code, but it's not understanding the needs. in our example, every customer has different needs, different process we need to automate, different steps needs to be done. Of course, some things of that can be done with AI. and GitHub Copilot. I think, I hope, not I hope, I think it is not, you still need someone who understands the process and the complexity of a code. So when it comes to our customers and they're us, they're asking us to automate some easy stuff, we mostly tell them, It might get easier if you use maybe Power Automate or whatever. So we are focused really on complex stuff, complex scripting, complex development, DevOps. Because that's what I think is our value in. It's not that we are just doing clicky clicky and doing some Power Automate flows for the customers. What we do is really complex process automation. And for this, there will be a need in the future, but not for the low key stuff from the low code, no code. So this can be done by low code, no code. And we already talked about AI. And also AI will help IT people without scripting or dev knowledge to write some lines of code. It will not replace a complex

Michael Seidl: thinking complex topics and also as a deaf, you still need to understand what it means to write code, what it means to have complex algorithm and so on. is nothing an AI will replace, but easy stuff like the low code, no code stuff like Power Automate will also be done by GitHub Copilot or other AI systems and help. people without the knowledge of developing to write some lines of code. If they can explain what they want to do, and that's the most important thing. It's the same when you work with JetGBT or other AI systems. You need to write a correct prompt to tell the AI what you want to achieve or what should be the result. And the same is for coding with GitHub Copilot or different systems. As you know, I'm a Microsoft guy, so I'm using GitHub Copilot and we write PowerShell script. So you need to know, need to understand what the result should be, maybe what the input is, what the way from the input to the result is. And this needs to be explained to the AI. And that might be the major thing that is still available for developer. at least when it gets complex, you still need to write some lines of code. So AI in our area helps us to improve the code, helps us to speed up the developing of code. So for example, I know that I have to write 10, 15 lines of an if, else argument or do by loop and everything is clear, I just need to type it in. And here, GitHub Code Pilot comes in place to write those lines for me. And right now, it's really good. So there are no mistakes anymore. And this is the benefit. So developer needs to take the new technology and to improve with the new technology, not fear and ignore it. So take

Michael Seidl: new AI, take the new technology and evolve and grow with it. And then you will have a future as a developer as well. And without the fear of low code, no code or AI is taking your job. I think if you stay on the very basic, so I told this in the previous episode when it comes to AI specifically, then if you stick on In Austria, we have the IBM system, AS400. And if you still stick on this, your future might not be very bright because it's only companies which are afraid of moving on still has AS400, the old system, the black and green screen. And if you're still an AS400 developer, you might have a job, but I'm not sure if you have in five or 10 years. Okay. And that's the same with the new technology. You have to... step up on the train, use the new technology and then you should not or you will not, you haven't been afraid of losing your job or losing your to-dos if you still evolve and still stay on track with new technologies. The same for low code, no code. It's not about are you doing low code or more code, so are you doing scripting or low code. It's just The one thing is not shutting down the other thing. So you can use low code, no code. I use some power automates and some SAPIAS, but maybe more personal thing. I like to code and write PowerShell scripts. So I have a lot of PowerShell scripts in our company for maybe some easier stuff. But I also use low code, no code for something. Maybe my home automation, for example. There is a nice platform. Without writing a code, adding some tasks and actions, everything is fine. So for this, easy things. And you want to look at the Power Automate platform for easy stuff, like maybe do an alert when a mail comes or read an email and forward it when some words are in it. For this, you don't need a developer anymore. This can be done by local platform like Power Automate. So evolve.

Michael Seidl: Go with the future, go with the state, go with new technology. Don't ignore the others. So if low code, no code can do what you are right now doing as a developer, you should definitely try to enhance and do more specific and complex topics. So if low code, no code can do what you do, you should take care about this. Okay. So if you have any questions, Please send me a voice message or a text message on LinkedIn and enjoy your week. Stay productive and bye bye.