Apps Without Code

Teaching entrepreneurs how to build profitable app businesses (web apps, mobile apps, etc) without writing any code.

Tech entrepreneurship is not very inclusive.

The message from Silicon Valley says that entrepreneurs must know how to code in order to be successful in tech.

Apps Without Code empowers those left behind in the digital economy. We teach entrepreneurs how to build profitable tech businesses (web apps, mobile apps, startups etc.) without writing code.

We have a particular focus on Black/ Latinx populations, who lack equal access to STEM education.

Our proprietary 'education platform' produces amazing results. Graduates of our programs have built technology and licensed it to large companies like Coca-Cola. They've also signed contracts with entire school districts, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for their businesses. The entrepreneurs we serve are creating generational wealth for themselves and their families

All of this is possible because the future of work is changing.

New software tools have emerged that allow entrepreneurs to build apps, algorithms and artificial intelligence, without knowing how to code. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and IBM have developed tools to let you do this. These new tools decrease barriers of entry to tech. In fact, we believe that by 2025, most software won't be made by coders, but instead by doctors, teachers, farmers, and non-traditional entrepreneurs.

In the last two years, we've helped more than 200 entrepreneurs launch tech startups using this new methodology. With backing from MIT Solve, we will launch a 6-city nationwide tour to support 240+ tech startups, led by Black/ Latinx entrepreneurs.

Apps Without Code differentiates by offering non-technical entrepreneurs a do-it-yourself solution at low costs and equipping students with the skills they need to make changes to their own app whenever needed, without costly development fees. While the $19M coding bootcamp market continues to grow, new technologies now allow people to create fully-functioning apps without needing to know how to code. Apps Without Code is training the next generation of tech startup founders. While coding bootcamps are primarily focused on helping people land developer jobs, Apps Without Code differentiates by focusing on quickly building & validating apps using 'lean startup methodology.'

We teach entrepreneurs technologies to build apps, algorithms and artificial intelligence:

- Sharetribe: for marketplace apps
- Mighty Networks: for creating social apps
- AppSheet: for data-heavy applications
- Thinkific: for education platforms
- Bubble: for advanced apps, algorithms, and API integrations

We've built 'learning management technology' to teach entrepreneurs:

- Gamifies learning: points for completing lessons
- Socializes learning: provides an online community for sharing & collaboration
- Delivers live training via video-chat
- Provides group coaching: entrepreneurs talk with each other and get coaching
- Offers 1:1 mentorship: entrepreneurs schedule calls with their 1:1 mentor
- Is scalable: we've served entrepreneurs in 14 countries using this platform

- 240 entrepreneurs trained
- 6 cities visited
- $1MM in revenue generated by idea-stage entrepreneurs we support

Short term: We want Apps Without Code to be the go-to school for cutting edge entrepreneurship skills education. While other companies teach traditional coding and focus on job-readiness skills, there is no strong player in the market teaching tech entrepreneurship skills at scale. 



Long term: Our 5-year plan is to become an umbrella company for several schools (brands) that teach skills needed for building generational wealth through entrepreneurship. There will be a school for real estate entrepreneurship, a school for personal financial planning, a school for tech entrepreneurship, etc.

We focus on empowering Black/ Latinx entrepreneurs, who have been largely excluded from the benefits of the digital economy. This is in large part due to a lack of access to STEM education programs.

Apps Without Code levels the playing field for those left behind in the digital economy. We do this by teaching them how to build profitable tech businesses (web apps, mobile apps, startups etc.) without writing code.

Since 2016, Apps Without Code has helped 200+ entrepreneurs launch tech startups in 14 different countries. 67% of these entrepreneurs have generated real revenue for their businesses through our program.

Our program alumni have licensed their apps to large companies like Coca-Cola. Example: Patrick Anderson launched a company called OPEX Apps through our program. Patrick has an extensive background in the manufacturing industry. Through Apps Without Code Bootcamp, Patrick built a platform to digitally track assembly line progress. His first customer was Coca-Cola. Patrick has generated $75,000+ for his company, despite not having a computer science degree.

Tara Reed is founder and CEO of Apps Without Code. She is a second-time entrepreneur who built an app and algorithm for her first company, without writing a single line of code. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Tara ran marketing initiatives at Google, Foursquare, and Microsoft. Tara did not study computer science in college and has raised $0 in venture capital for Apps Without Code. As a Black, LGBT woman, Tara knows the obstacles facing underrepresented entrepreneurs in the digital economy. Dan Treul, CMO, has an extensive marketing background, having worked with brands such as Volvo, Ford, and Staples.

Our proprietary education platform is at the core of our strategy. Designed and developed in-house, our technology teaches entrepreneurship at scale.

Our platform features:

1) Video lessons — 30+ modules covering business strategy, code-free app development, and marketing
2) Online community — Students share and collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs
3) On-demand assistance — Students can request expert help building their apps, directly within the platform
4) Gamification — Students earn points for completing assignments, which can be redeemed for prizes to help grow their business

Using our technology platform to facilitate education, we can serve an unlimited number of entrepreneurs through our programs as we scale.

If we get support from Solve at MIT we would:
- Run a national tour (a series of two-day workshops in 6 cities across the US)
- Hire and train Startup Coaches to facilitate the training
- Upgrade our online platform to prepare for scale
- Launch a PR campaign designed to educate aspiring Black/ Latinx entrepreneurs about the Apps Without Code methodology

- More customer demand than we can serve. Since we are a bootstrapped company, we are slowly building our team. Today, we have interest from universities like Pepperdine University and nonprofits like the Ford Foundation, but we don't have full sales teams in place yet. Our next critical hire is a VP of Sales which will help us remove this risk.
- External risk of competitors. We must maintain our lead, We need to maintain our industry lead while simultaneously providing the quality of education our customers expect.