· Development · 2 min read
The Inner Platform Effect: Why No-Code/Low-Code solutions suck (..mostly)
I absolutely despise using No-Code/Low-Code solutions for anything beyond the most basic tasks. What starts as a quick win often morphs into an unmaintainable mess that makes you question your life choices.
What’s This “Inner Platform Effect” Thing?
The Inner Platform Effect, coined by Alex Papadimoulis,
The Inner-Platform Effect is a result of designing a system to be so customizable that it ends becoming a poor replica of the platform it was designed with. This “customization” of this dynamic inner-platform becomes so complicated that only a programmer (and not the end user) is able to modify it
This describes what happens with most No-Code tools - they try to recreate programming functionality through a dumbed-down interface, essentially building a crappy version of an actual programming language.
It’s like watching someone build a car using only LEGO pieces when there’s a perfectly good factory-built vehicle sitting right there.
The No-Code Nightmare
I once suffered through an order processing system built in Azure Logic Apps with 40+ branching conditions. What should have been straightforward code became this sprawling flowchart monstrosity that nobody could debug without losing their sanity.
This is exactly what the Inner Platform Effect predicts. These tools give you:
Explosively complex workflows - What would be 20 lines of code becomes a spaghetti diagram from hell
Crippled capabilities - You’re constantly fighting against what the platform can’t do
Debugging hell - Good luck finding which of your 50 branches has the logic error
Terrible performance - Everything runs through layers of abstraction that slow everything down
When No-Code Actually Makes Sense
I’m not saying these tools are completely useless. They work fine for:
- Dead simple workflows (emphasis on SIMPLE)
- Basic data shuttling between systems
- Quick prototypes you’ll throw away
- Letting business folks automate simple stuff
Know When to Bail
When you find yourself trying to hack around platform limitations or staring at a workflow that has more branches than kmart, you’ve fallen into the Inner Platform trap.
Next time someone suggests building complex business logic in one of these visual tools, do yourself a favor - walk away and open your code editor instead.
Reference: The Inner-Platform Effect
