The vision of code-free programming has existed for decades. Software engineers have always dreamed of empowering non-technical users with the same creative tools that programmers have access to. 

For many years, the underlying technology of the web was not powerful enough to make this dream a reality. Platforms such as WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix have allowed for some of the functionality of programming without writing code, but the scope of what those tools could accomplish was limited.

Today, the web has caught up. Improvements in browser technology and client devices mean that the end user has access to more powerful technology. The API economy encapsulates large amounts of functionality into cheap, well-defined functionality. No-code platforms are finding success among developers and non-developers, after persisting for several years as their technology matured.

Bubble is a code-free platform for building websites, startups, and internal tools. Emmanuel Straschnov and Joshua Haas are the founders of Bubble, and they join the show to tell the story of Bubble, and give their perspective on engineering, business, and the low-code movement. 

The story of Bubble is strikingly similar to that of no-code tools Airtable and Webflow, which we have covered in previous episodes. All of these products have taken years to get to maturity, with no shortcuts–only gritty, difficult engineering problems and performance improvements. Each of these no-code platforms has an inspiring story behind them, and persistent founders who eventually got their product to success.