No-code is a superpower (until it isn't).
n8n and Make let me ship a working ops backbone in days. Here's where I draw the line between glue code and real code.
I've shipped revenue-generating systems where the entire orchestration layer was an n8n workflow. It would have taken weeks longer to write the same thing in Python with a queue and a scheduler.
The trap is treating no-code as a destination instead of a runway. The minute a workflow has branching logic you can't reason about in a glance, or a function node with 60 lines of JavaScript, you've left no-code territory and entered untestable-spaghetti territory.
My rule: no-code for the spine — webhooks in, integrations out, simple branching. Code for anything that needs tests, types, or a real review process. The boundary moves over time, but the rule keeps the system honest.