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Share Your No-Code Story — Help Future Builders

Research Study on Development Practices for Non-Technical Founders

Welcome! You're contributing to the world's first scientifically-validated

No-Code/Low-Code Playbook for non-technical founders.

This MBA research at Stuttgart Media University (Germany) aims to document REAL

practices - both successes AND challenges - to create an evidence-based

guide for building digital products without coding skills.

Your participation matters because:

✓ This research examines the successes and challenges of no-code business or non-profit model development to build an evidence-based framework.

✓ Your experiences (all stages welcome) become part of the research

✓ Only survey participants receive the final playbook

Time: 15-20 minutes

Deadline: December 05, 2025

Your data: Anonymous and used only for academic research

Key Terms Used in This Survey:

✓ MVP (Minimum Viable Product): The simplest version of your product that solves the core problem

✓ Pivot: A fundamental change in your business model, target audience, or core product

✓ No-Code: Visual development without writing code (Bubble, Webflow)

✓ Low-Code: Minimal coding with visual tools (Retool, n8n)

✓ Custom Code: Traditional programming (JavaScript, Python, etc.)

Ready to help build this resource for the global No-Code community?

PART A: PROJECT BACKGROUND

1.What stage is your No-Code/Low-Code project currently in?

Idea/Concept phase

Actively building (MVP/Prototype)

Launched with first users

Active growth (paying customers)

Project paused/ended

Multiple projects in different stages

Sold/Exit achieved

2. How would you describe your role?

Solopreneur/Solo founder

Part of a founding team

Freelancer/Consultant

Employee with side project

Student/Learner

Agency/Service provider

Other -> Please specify:

3. Project/Company Name:

3.1 Project/Company URL:

3.2 Project/Company Foundation Year:

4. When did you start building with No-Code/Low-Code?

< 6 months ago

6-12 months ago

1-2 years ago

2-3 years ago

> 3 years ago

5. Which industry/sector is your project in? (multiple choice possible)

Other -> Please specify:

PART B: BUILD PHASE

6. Which No-Code/Low-Code tools have you used/are you using? (Multiple choice)

Visual No-Code Platforms

6. Which No-Code/Low-Code tools have you used/are you using? (Multiple choice)

AI-Powered Development

Automation/Integration

Other -> Please specify:

7. When choosing your no-code/low-code platform, which factors are or were most important to you? (1 = most important)

Development speed

No technical co-founder needed

Easy iteration and changes

Feature completeness/selection

Community & support

Scalability potential

Cost (initial)

Cost (ongoing)

7.1 If using AI-code tools: How would you describe your usage?

8. How long did it take to build your first MVP/prototype? (if applicable)

8.1 What is or was your total investment (USD/EUR) from idea to first MVP/prototype? (if applicable)

< 500

500 - 2,500

2,500 - 10,000

10,000 - 25,000

> 25,000

8.2 What are your current monthly platform and tool costs? (if applicable)

No-code platform licenses: $ /month

External services: $/month

Other tools (analytics, email, etc.): $ /month

Technical Freelancer: $ /month

Other -> Please specify:

8.3 How long did it take from prototype to launchable MVP? (if applicable)

8.4 How long did it take from MVP to First Paying Customer? (if applicable)

9. What technical background did/do you have?

None (complete beginner)

Basic knowledge (HTML/CSS)

Intermediate (some programming)

Advanced (experienced developer)

10. How many iterations did your MVP go through before launch? (if applicable)

1-2

3-5

6-10

> 10

Not launched yet

11. What was your biggest technical challenge in the Build phase? (optional)

11.1 How did AI tools help address this challenge? (if applicable)

12. Did you use external help? (multiple choice)

PART C: MEASURE PHASE

Your go-to-market strategy and key metrics.

13. If so, which channel did you primarily use to launch your product or plan to use?

Reddit/Forums

Product Hunt

LinkedIn/Twitter

Direct Sales/Outreach

PR/Media (e.g., Shark Tank)

Paid advertising (Google/Facebook)

Haven't launched yet

-> Other, please specify:

14. If launched, can you share your first 30 days metrics?

Not applicable

Website visitors:

0-10

11-100

101-1,000

1,001-10,000

More than 10,000

Not tracked

Sign-ups/Registrations:

Active users:

Paying customers:

1-5

6-20

21-100

More than 100

Not applicable

Revenue achieved (USD/EUR):

1-500

501-2,500

2,501-10,000

More than 10,000

Not applicable

15. Generally speaking, which are or would be your top three metrics for the first 90 days?

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Monthly churn rate

Total active Users

Product-market fit score (NPS, surveys)

-> Other, please specify:

16. Which analytics tools do you use or plan to use? (Multiple choice)

-> Other, please specify:

17. Which was your biggest surprise in your early metrics? (if applicable)

17.1 How did AI tools help address this challenge? (if applicable)

PART D: LEARN PHASE & PIVOTS

Your iterations, pivots, and scaling decisions.

18. Have you pivoted your business model?

No, same model

Yes, once

Yes, 2-3 times

Yes, >3 times

Planning to pivot

19. What type of pivot was your most significant one? (if applicable)

Customer segment pivot (different target audience)

Problem pivot (solving a different problem)

Solution pivot (different approach to same problem)

Business model pivot (changed how we make money)

Technology/platform pivot (switched no-code platforms)

Channel pivot (different distribution strategy)

19.1 Main trigger for pivot (if applicable):

No willingness to pay

Market too small

Technical limitations of our platform

Competition

New opportunity discovered

Investor/advisor feedback

20. How frequently do you release or plan to release new features or updates? (if applicable)

Not applicable

Untitled multi-select field

21. Have you switched No-Code platforms?

Yes

Considering switching

22. Are you still using No-Code?

22.1 If so, what triggered the need for custom code?

Usability

Scalability

Payment System limitations

Investor requirement

Business logic complexity

Reached user Limit

Reached revenue limit

Cost considerations

23. How is your team currently structured?

Non-technically skilled people:

Technically skilled people:

24. Which framework components would be most valuable for future no-code founders? (1=most valuable):

No Code Tool Selection Matrix (choosing the right platform)

No Code Metrics Dashboard Template (tracking the right KPIs)

No Code Pivot Decision Tree (when to pivot vs persevere)

No Code Scaling Readiness Checklist (when to add custom code)

No Code Cost Projection Model (budgeting for growth)

25. How would you like to stay involved with this research?

Send me the final No Code Lean Startup framework

I'm willing to provide feedback on the framework

Include me in future research updates

No deliverables or follow up for me

Share Your No-Code Story — Help Future Builders

Research Study on Development Practices for Non-Technical Founders

PART A: PROJECT BACKGROUND

1.What stage is your No-Code/Low-Code project currently in?

2. How would you describe your role?

3. Project/Company Name:

3.1 Project/Company URL:

3.2 Project/Company Foundation Year:

4. When did you start building with No-Code/Low-Code?

5. Which industry/sector is your project in? (multiple choice possible)

PART B: BUILD PHASE

6. Which No-Code/Low-Code tools have you used/are you using? (Multiple choice)

Visual No-Code Platforms

AI-Powered Development

Automation/Integration

7. When choosing your no-code/low-code platform, which factors are or were most important to you? (1 = most important)

Development speed

No technical co-founder needed

Easy iteration and changes

Feature completeness/selection

Community & support

Scalability potential

Cost (initial)

Cost (ongoing)

7.1 If using AI-code tools: How would you describe your usage?

8. How long did it take to build your first MVP/prototype? (if applicable)

8.1 What is or was your total investment (USD/EUR) from idea to first MVP/prototype? (if applicable)

8.2 What are your current monthly platform and tool costs? (if applicable)

No-code platform licenses: $ /month

External services: $/month

Other tools (analytics, email, etc.): $ /month

Technical Freelancer: $ /month

8.3 How long did it take from prototype to launchable MVP? (if applicable)

8.4 How long did it take from MVP to First Paying Customer? (if applicable)

9. What technical background did/do you have?

10. How many iterations did your MVP go through before launch? (if applicable)

11. What was your biggest technical challenge in the Build phase? (optional)

11.1 How did AI tools help address this challenge? (if applicable)

12. Did you use external help? (multiple choice)

PART C: MEASURE PHASE

13. If so, which channel did you primarily use to launch your product or plan to use?

14. If launched, can you share your first 30 days metrics?

Website visitors:

Sign-ups/Registrations:

Active users:

Paying customers:

Revenue achieved (USD/EUR):

15. Generally speaking, which are or would be your top three metrics for the first 90 days?

16. Which analytics tools do you use or plan to use? (Multiple choice)

17. Which was your biggest surprise in your early metrics? (if applicable)

17.1 How did AI tools help address this challenge? (if applicable)

PART D: LEARN PHASE & PIVOTS

18. Have you pivoted your business model?

19. What type of pivot was your most significant one? (if applicable)

19.1 Main trigger for pivot (if applicable):

20. How frequently do you release or plan to release new features or updates? (if applicable)

21. Have you switched No-Code platforms?

22. Are you still using No-Code?

22.1 If so, what triggered the need for custom code?

23. How is your team currently structured?

Non-technically skilled people:

Technically skilled people:

24. Which framework components would be most valuable for future no-code founders? (1=most valuable):

25. How would you like to stay involved with this research?

25.1 Email address (optional): We will use it solely to send you the Playbook and for no other purpose.

Anything we missed?