Low Down on Low-Code

In this episode of Lowdown on Low-Code, Rob Koplowitz and John Rymer engage with Nick Cawthon from Gauge to explore the evolving landscape of design and application development. They discuss Nick's journey into design, the current flux in the industry, the impact of AI on user experience, and the importance of understanding user needs in 2025. The conversation emphasizes the human element in design and the necessity for collaboration between designers and developers, highlighting tools like Figma that facilitate this relationship.TakeawaysNick Cawthon's journey into design began with a childhood experience of flow state.The design industry is currently experiencing significant changes and flux.AI is reshaping user experience, making it more about emotions than interfaces.Designers must focus on qualitative research to understand user emotions.Efficiency in design must not compromise the effectiveness of user experience.Understanding user experience in 2025 requires a holistic approach.The relationship between designers and developers is evolving positively.Tools like Figma are crucial for collaboration in design and development.Mitigating risks in design is essential to avoid dead-on-arrival products.The human element in design remains irreplaceable despite technological advancements.

In this episode of Lowdown on Low Code, hosts Dave Marcus and John Rymer engage with Massimo Pezzini, a veteran in the field of integration and orchestration. They discuss the evolution of orchestration as a foundational need for modern business applications, the challenges of data synchronization, and the convergence of integration and orchestration technologies. The conversation also touches on the importance of governance in distributed systems and the growing role of AI in enhancing business processes. Massimo shares insights on how organizations can effectively navigate these challenges and leverage technology for better outcomes.TakeawaysOrchestration is broader than just workflow; it automates end-to-end business processes.Integration and orchestration are increasingly becoming integrated disciplines.Governance is essential for effective orchestration and cannot be an afterthought.AI can significantly enhance business processes when integrated effectively.Organizations should have a unified integration team to address various integration challenges.Mid-size organizations tend to favor integrated platforms due to skill limitations.The complexity of integration challenges varies, requiring different technological solutions.Trust in AI is growing as organizations find well-defined use cases for its application.Data integration and application integration are complementary and should be considered together.The trend is towards platforms that offer a comprehensive suite of services for application development.

This conversation explores the state of low-code technology in India, highlighting its growth, challenges, and the impact of AI on its adoption. The discussion features insights from Abhishek Anant Garg, an analyst at QKS Group, who shares his perspective on the low-code landscape, particularly focusing on the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the challenges faced by Indian vendors in competing with established players in the global market. The conversation also delves into the adoption of low-code by professional developers and its implications for industrial organizations.TakeawaysIndia is a service-based economy with a growing low-code market.SMEs are leading the adoption of low-code technologies in India.Indian vendors like Zoho and Kissflow cater effectively to SMEs.Low-code helps organizations achieve rapid prototyping and automation.AI is expected to significantly boost low-code adoption in India.Governance and maturity in low-code practices are still developing.Professional developers are complementing their work with low-code tools.Industrial organizations are slowly adopting low-code for operational efficiency.Citizen development is in its early stages in India.The partnership between IT service firms and low-code vendors is crucial for growth.

In this episode of Low Down on Low-Code, hosts Rob Koplowitz and John Rymer engage with Colin Teubner and Larson Thune from NavLabs to explore the intersection of low-code development and Agile methodologies. They discuss the journeys of Colin and Larson to NavLabs, the challenges of citizen development, the role of product owners, and the impact of AI on low-code development. The conversation emphasizes the importance of testing ideas, gathering requirements, and leveraging Agile practices in low-code environments.TakeawaysLow-code platforms are evolving and becoming more powerful.Agile practices can be adapted to low-code development.The role of product owners is critical in low-code projects.Citizen development has its challenges and misconceptions.AI can enhance productivity but requires quality inputs.Testing ideas in small batches can lead to better outcomes.Effective communication is key in Agile and low-code environments.Training and coaching can significantly improve Agile adoption.The future of development may involve more AI integration.Understanding user feedback is essential for successful projects.

In this episode of Lowdown on Low-Code, John Rymer and Rick Greenwald engage with Antigoni Kourou, CEO of NEKOD, to explore the critical topic of governance in low-code and citizen development. Antigoni shares her journey from engineering to governance, emphasizing the importance of balancing innovation with control. The conversation delves into the challenges of data management, the role of AI in citizen development, and best practices for establishing effective governance frameworks. Antigoni advocates for an adaptive governance model that evolves with organizational maturity and risk appetite, highlighting the need for collaboration between business and IT.TakeawaysGovernance is essential for successful citizen development.Antigoni Kourou emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation and control.Organizations must identify individuals willing to digitalize processes.Choosing the right platform is crucial for enabling innovation.Processes must be established to guide citizen developers.Data governance is a significant challenge for enterprises.AI can aid in governance but also introduces new risks.An adaptive governance model can cater to different organizational needs.Collaboration between business and IT is vital for effective governance.Governance frameworks should evolve with organizational maturity.

In this episode, Francis Carden and Dave Marcus engage with Shaun Leisegang from Tecala to explore the evolving landscape of Low-Code and automation. They discuss Shaun's journey in IT, the methodologies for implementing automation, the significance of orchestration and governance in AI, and the future of services transitioning into software. The conversation emphasizes the need for businesses to adapt to new technologies while ensuring responsible and effective implementation.TakeawaysLow-Code is a transformative approach to software development.Automation methodologies help businesses identify where to start.AI agents represent the next evolution of automation.Orchestration is crucial for integrating various automation tools.Governance should be prioritized in AI implementations.Businesses must adapt to new technologies to remain competitive.The future will see a shift from services to software.Collaboration between humans and AI agents is essential.Understanding the unique strengths of different technologies is key.Building responsible AI agents is critical for trust and effectiveness.

Writer CMO Diego Lomanto joins Dave Marcus and Rob Koplowitz for a discussion on the coming application landscape. As Agents continue to mature and provide greater and greater value, it's clear that business applications will evolve into something very different from today. Who will provide the market with this new class of applications? It could be traditional enterprise vendors, but moments like this are ripe for disruptors. Diego discusses Writer's focus on the enterprise, the critical differentiation offered by private LLMs, and provides examples of Writer agents driving value in the most regulated, mission-critical environments today. 

In this episode of Low Down on Low-Code, Rob Koplowitz and John Rymer discuss the evolving landscape of low-code application development, particularly in light of the rise of AI and its implications for SaaS. They explore various vendor perspectives, the challenges of integration and orchestration, and the shift towards process automation. The conversation highlights the strengths and weaknesses of established players like Microsoft, Pega, ServiceNow, Camunda, OutSystems, Mendix, Workato, and UiPath, as well as newer entrants in the market like Writer. The episode concludes with insights into their upcoming research report on the AI Application Platform Race.

In this episode of Low Down on Low-Code, hosts Rob Koplowitz and Dave Marcus engage with Daniel Meyer from Camunda to explore the intersection of low-code development, AI, and process automation. They discuss Daniel's journey to Camunda, the evolving role of AI in business processes, and the importance of BPMN in managing complex workflows. The conversation also touches on the future of open-source software, the integration of RPA and IDP technologies, and the concept of the autonomous enterprise, highlighting how organizations can leverage these advancements to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency.TakeawaysDaniel Meyer shares his journey from sound engineering to process automation.AI is viewed through the lens of automation at Camunda.The evolution from manual processes to task automation is crucial.Measuring productivity gains is essential but not the end goal.Personalization of customer experiences will define future success.BPMN serves as a bridge between business and IT.Dynamic execution patterns in BPMN can accommodate AI decision-making.Robust orchestration is necessary for integrating various technologies.The definition of applications is shifting towards unstructured interactions.The future of business processes will be more autonomous and proactive.

In this episode, Angela Stewart discusses the transformative impact of AI on business development and citizen development. She shares her journey from a business background to a tech-focused role, emphasizing the importance of creativity and governance in AI implementation. Angela highlights success stories of AI applications, the evolution of ideation to production, and the risks associated with AI development, particularly in regulated industries. The conversation concludes with insights on the future of work and the necessity for creativity in leveraging AI technologies.Takeaways-AI has revolutionized application development processes.-Citizen development empowers business users to create solutions.-Governance is essential in managing AI implementations.-Creativity will be a key skill in the future workforce.-AI can significantly reduce the time from ideation to production.-Tech debt remains a critical concern in AI development.-Successful AI applications can emerge from simple ideas.-The role of business analysts is evolving with AI tools.-AI can enhance productivity by automating administrative tasks.-Collaboration between business and tech teams is crucial for success.