Programmer or product manager or traditional software company?
Editor’s note: This article is from the micro-channel public number “technology leadership” (ID: jishulingdaoli), Author: water does not rushed, editor: Emma.
After I wrote two popular science articles on “low code” and “zero code”, and an article introducing “the difference between low code and zero code”, old K said to me: “Let’s dig deeper ( Zero) Why code, write low code, why can it be done in China in the past two years?”
There are countless articles on the origin of “low code” on the Internet, but most of them are based on macro-historical review and retelling, and there are no lack of clichés. But this time, I chose to approach the first groups of software vendors, customers, and product teams who have personally experienced low-code localization, and dig deep into them for the answer behind the “why”.
In order to make everyone more interested after reading the following, this time we conclude first:
1. The origin of everything is chaotic. The first batch of domestic software vendors to be “low code” did not start to do “low code” seriously;
2. The first batch of domestic “low-code” product teams all have very “naive” product thinking;
3. “Low code” is just a concept and adjective applied to the software, and the actual function is the essence of the product;
4. The first batch of “low-code” domestic customers are the strongest support for the rapid growth of the first-generation products, and they are extremely tolerant, recognized and support the development of “low-code”.
01 Great Wilderness: Targeting the SME market
The time is set to be around 2015. At that time, domestic SaaS software was in a turbulent period. Many software vendors were looking for opportunities and inspirations. To be a small SaaS software might become a “explosive product”. At the same time, the more complex toB data software for BI and report types has already taken over most of the domestic medium and large enterprise customers.
Because each software is not the same, data migration is also more troublesome, so once a company has selected a certain software, it will basically not abandon or purchase new software. The market for medium and large enterprises has basically become a certainty. To gain a higher level in the software market, it is necessary to lock in new potential customers-small and medium-sized enterprises.
At that time, the concept of big data has been proposed and discussed, but the related technical tools are still in the development and continuous iteration.Government agencies will set foot in this field.
Small and medium-sized enterprise managers also have the concept of “big data” and want to systematically integrate all-business data, and obtain more accurate and scientific basis for business decision-making by cleaning, sorting, and analyzing data. However, the methodology and tools suitable for SME managers have not yet emerged or are fully formed, and they are stuck in an embarrassing situation.
Traditional software vendors want to capture the market of small and medium-sized enterprises, and at the same time want to participate in the saas software track, so they have laid the foundation for entry. The awakening of managers of small and medium-sized enterprises to data management and their inability to systematic business management and internal data analysis have released a little signal of opportunity for software vendors.
02 Creation: Reaching the Same Goal by Different Routes-Online Form Tool Software
Following this signal, software vendors have found some inspiration and direction for product design, but this is still far from the final low/zero code APaaS. It is easy for people to think that software vendors created the first batch of low-code localized software by directly learning from early foreign low-code products. But in fact, the first batch of “low-code” domestic software vendors were not serious about making “low-code” software at the beginning. Moreover, their product teams initially had very “naive” product thinking.
Yuan Zhaojiang, one of the founders of Partner Cloud, once said in an interview that Partner Cloud has experienced three trial and error product changes from the initial partner network development to the present. At first, the team didn’t know what kind of enterprise collaboration application to build, so it borrowed from foreign Yammer and made the enterprise internal collaboration communication software.
Although the new product has been favored by many customers at once, Yuan Zhaojiang’s team has reflected on the fact that small and medium-sized teams have almost no social needs due to the small number of people. Therefore, this product does not really meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and will not go far.
Later, he launched the team version of Evernote in the field of data collaboration. However, the team was unwilling to be a small application, so it took a year to launch “Partner 3.0”, known as a one-stop enterprise collaboration solution. The product has become “big”, but Yuan Zhaojiang can hardly describe what product it is, and he has fallen into doubts about the product. After learning from the pain, the team subtracted the product, cut 2/3 of the functions, and finally launched the partner cloud form-which is today’s partner cloud.
Compared with the story of partner cloud, Jian Daoyun’s start appears to be “lower and higher.”
In 2015, Fanruan set up a small product team, planning to launch new software and enter the small and medium-sized enterprise software market, but at the beginning, it didn’t think about what software it would need. After thinking about it for a long time, the team decided to build a simple internal data collection and management tool to solve the troublesome problem of using Excel to manage data, so that the company can standardize data processing. In 2015,Jiandaoyun 1.0 was launched; in 2017, Jiandaoyun was officially commercialized.
I am very surprised how Fanruan, who is good at fine reporting and BI software, has made the reporting tools lightweight. Shan Lanjie, head of Jiandaoyun’s business, told me: “At that time, most of Jiandaoyun’s team members were recruits in the industry. This way, there was no set thinking, so I could let go of it, return to the basic data structure requirements of business, and do the simplest business data. Management software.”
Simple tools have been loved by many small and medium-sized enterprises. In the first year of commercialization, Jiandaoyun had thousands of customers (at that time the Jiandaoyun team did not even have a salesperson), and in the following years, the number of customers increased by 100% each year. Speed, quickly open up the market. Because there are more users, the Jiandao Cloud team has acquired more and more user needs, and has a faster and deeper understanding of user needs, and iteratively produces more and more complete business data management software.
I asked Mr. Shan a question: “Did you know that there was a ‘low code’ at the time?”
Zong Shan said with a smile: “I don’t know. We don’t pay much attention to concepts, but to what value to users and what problems to solve. Everyone crosses the river by feeling the stones. While we are doing it, we feel that we need to Make the tools easy to use, and small businesses can use them. Later, we found that Jiandaoyun’s product philosophy is compatible with “low code”, so we slowly used it to summarize product features.”
Many “low-code” products on the market also come in this way. “Low-code” is just a concept or adjective applied to software, and the actual function is the essence of the product.
03Reclamation of wasteland: the first batch of “low-code” seed customers who are tolerant, recognized, and enthusiastic
Guess who is the first batch of users to use Jiandaoyun-IT geeks? Internet company?
Yes, but only part of it. Most of them are small vendors such as glasses shops and fruit shops downstairs. Unexpectedly!
When Jian Daoyun’s team developed the 1.0 product, they personally invited small shop owners such as fruit shops, optical shops, and grocery stores on Mobai Street to become Jian Daoyun seed users. Most bosses are invited to become the first users based on their interest in product features and the benefits of solving business process management problems.
Shan Zong said that although seed users do not have the awareness of “low code” and only have CRM, ERP, and invoicing system concepts, they believe in the value of Jiandaoyun’s products and will enthusiastically provide feedback and product requirements. Will also be happy to recommend people around you to use Jian Daoyun.
As the user scale expands and the prototype of the product gradually emerges, college teachers, technology bloggers, technology workers, and even small departments of large companies such as Siemens and Budweiser have become the early users of Jiandao Cloud.
The first batch of Partner CloudUsers are more direct and intimate. They are all old fans of the partner cloud product team when they created DiscuZ!. Knowing that the team has switched to toB software, they followed to understand, discuss, experience, and even strongly support partner cloud products.
The Rubik’s Cube netlist is the ancestor of domestic “low-code” software. I checked its earliest customer case reports and found that in 2012, the Rubik’s Cube netlist successfully delivered a “low code” store data management system to Manfu Jewelry, which can be regarded as the earliest domestic software that enlightened customers to use “low code” products. One of the manufacturers.
To summarize how the first batch of “low-code” software vendors acquired the first batch of customers, we can only say: Surprise, surprise.
The concept of “low-code” software is too new. It is difficult for ordinary people to understand at first, so Jian Daoyun chooses to introduce and recommend face-to-face, and at the same time use sincerity to gain user trust. The partner cloud team has a fan base and relies on trust endorsement to attract the first wave of users. Use sincerity in exchange for trust, and the users won will not be bad.
04 Ending words
The reason why “low code” can be done in China. I think there are several points: the promotion of the software market situation, the early exploration and trial and error of “low-code” software vendors, and the gradual clarity of the management needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and the initiative to find solutions. The trilateral action, running-in, and mature commercialization finally made the “low-code” software gain a foothold in the domestic market.
This article is the longest time it takes to collect materials since I wrote it. I searched the entire network about the first batch of domestic low-code ISV reports, and conducted an in-depth interview with the business person of Jian Daoyun and colleagues I talked about a lot of product experience. I am getting closer and closer to history, and I see more and more footprints left by our predecessors.
There are many people in the IT industry criticizing “low code”, and each has its own reasons. But after I finish this article, I want to say:
If you don’t get closer and don’t see the development footprint of domestic “low code” with your own eyes, you won’t really understand China’s “low code” pioneering path; In the process of a real thing, how many people have set foot in trying, searching for a way out, and knowing the truth.
I like the fearlessness of the Jiandaoyun team and let it go; I admire the self-criticism of the partner cloud team, and constantly ask what products I want to do most in my heart; I can’t help but admire the Rubik’s Cube Netlist’s first exploration in the earliest stage, and Now it has developed a diversified and specialized product line.
I believe that every reader wants to see everything in a more comprehensive perspective. And after understanding how China’s earliest “low-code” products opened up wasteland, we will no longer take for granted the perspective of God, lacking a dialectical and historical evaluation of the development of each “low-code” product Choice, cityField status, strengths and weaknesses, etc. This is another layer of value that this article wants to bring to everyone.
Reference:
1. Interview record with technical leadership and Shan Lanjie, head of Jiandaoyun business
2, “Suo Suyi, CEO of Rubik’s Cube Netlist: A series of qualitative changes brought about by no code is the real revolution” Chinasoft Net
3, “Discuz! Founder…everyone can become a developer in the future” iResearch
4, “Forum Engine Discuz! The team shot again… “36kr sweet and sour
5. “Partner Cloud Form Yuan Zhaojiang: Three Years of Grinding a Sword, Greed and Success on the Road to Entrepreneurship” Entrepreneurship State