Meeting the founders and dreamers who prove you don’t need to code to create something real, just curiosity and a few drags and drops.
A few years ago, building an app or online business meant one of two things: learning to code, or paying someone who could, often tens of thousands of pounds, just to get a basic version up and running. For many would-be founders, that was where their ideas stopped.
But a quiet revolution has changed all that. It’s called “no-code”, and it’s rewriting the rules of who gets to build software.
No-code tools let people create websites, apps, and programs without writing a single line of code. Instead of programming languages, you use drag-and-drop builders and visual workflows, like designing a PowerPoint, but for entire apps.
It means that anyone with an idea, such as teachers, freelancers, or small-business owners, can now bring it to life.
That accessibility is also reshaping how startups get off the ground. In the tech world, founders often start with what’s called an MVP, or minimum viable product, a stripped-back version of a product designed to test an idea quickly and cheaply. No-code platforms make that possible without the need for a technical co-founder or major investment.
![Product demo by head of design [Bubble]](https://www.artefactmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bubble-Tour_-London__6b786ac1-8026-4780-919d-4f12d1e534f0-682x1024.jpg)
At the centre of this movement is Bubble, one of the pioneers and biggest players in the no-code space. Founded in 2012, the company has become a cornerstone platform for people building web apps visually, and we went along to the London stop of their European tour to find out more.
Hosted in a bright warehouse in Shoreditch, the event brought together hundreds of founders and freelancers, eager to explore how no-code tools are changing the way businesses are built.
The atmosphere was electric, with big screens, bursts of applause, and whoops after every product reveal. Bubble’s co-founder Emmanuel Straschnov took the stage to share the company’s vision, joined by entrepreneurs who’d built successful ventures using its no-code tools. It was a celebration of how far the movement has come, and how it’s redefining what’s possible for anyone with an idea.
When I first tried to start an online business, the cost of building an MVP was way out of reach. So, I decided to learn to code myself. How hard could it be, right?
I was so wrong. I spent countless nights watching tutorials, scrolling through forums, and trying to make sense of a language that felt completely foreign. No matter how much time I put in, it just wouldn’t click, and I ended up feeling defeated.
Then, almost overnight, no-code arrived. Platforms like Bubble, Webflow, FlutterFlow, and Wix made it possible to build digital products visually, dragging, dropping, and connecting things together without writing a single line of code. For the first time, what you could dream in your head, you could actually build yourself.
That’s what drew me to the Bubble Conference: not just to see what’s next in the world of no-code, but to meet the people turning their ideas into reality.
“If I can do this without writing a line of code, then I can help others do it too.”
Harish Malhi, founder of Goodspeed
The first person I spoke to was Harish Malhi, founder of Goodspeed, a company that helps creators and businesses use no-code to build digital tools and platforms. After his fireside chat on stage, I caught up with him for a quick conversation and asked him where it all started for him.
“I didn’t have a tech co-founder,” he said. “And I didn’t have much money either. But I had an idea to create a space where people could share skills, knowledge, and experience.”
With no background in development, Harish started with the basics. “The first version of my idea was built using Typeform and Stripe glued together,” he laughed. “Then I moved to Wix, and eventually to Bubble.”
Those early experiments grew into Goodspeed, which now helps others do exactly what he once did: prototype and build their own ideas. His company now builds internal tools for businesses and helps others launch MVPs that have grown into profitable ventures.
“If I can do this without writing a line of code,” he told me, “then I can help others do it too.”
Later in the day, I met Cameron Marshall, a designer and creative technologist. At one of the demo booths, he was learning how quickly he could build an app interface for his fitness company.
“It lets me get ideas in front of people fast,” he told me. “I can build a quick prototype, get feedback, and figure out if it’s worth pursuing before wasting too much time or money.”
For Cameron, no-code isn’t about skipping fundamentals; it’s about removing friction from the creative process. “It lets me move quickly and make mistakes cheaply,” he said. “Sometimes I just need to build something I can throw away.”
His phrase “throw away” came up a lot throughout the day. Many no-code founders treat early prototypes as disposable: build fast, learn fast, start again.
“For me, it’s about accessibility,” he added. “You can now test an idea for £30 a month instead of £30,000 in development costs. That’s huge.”
“You can now test an idea for £30 a month instead of £30,000 in development costs. That’s huge.”
Cameron Marshall, designer and creative technologist
As I moved between talks and demo stations, that same energy was everywhere, people showing prototypes on laptops, pitching ideas over pastries, and lighting up as they saw what was possible.
When I bumped into Harish again later, he summed it up perfectly. “No-code is like Lego or Ikea,” he said. “You might not carve a table from wood, but you can assemble one. The pieces are there; you just have to put them together. Even my mum gets it now.”
That accessibility has become one of no-code’s biggest strengths. It’s opened doors for people who might not have had the money, network, or technical background to start before, especially women, people of colour, and those outside traditional tech hubs.
At its core, the movement isn’t about replacing developers. It’s about giving more people the power to build, test, and create on their own terms.
As the day wound down, I couldn’t help but reflect on what I’d seen. The no-code world is evolving fast, from side projects to serious businesses making millions.
What stayed with me most was Harish’s journey: from glueing together Typeform and Stripe to running a business that now powers hundreds of others.
Anyone with an idea can now test it, refine it, and share it with the world. The future of creation won’t just be coded, it’ll be designed, dragged, and dropped by anyone curious enough to give it a try.
Featured image courtesy of Bubble