How a marketer changed career to no-code developer after seeing an Instagram advert

Briefly introduce yourself

My name is Tobi Gbemisola, and I’m a Bubble developer based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Prior to switching to full time Bubble development, I used to be a digital marketer. It is what I started to do right after I completed my university studies in 2015.

Although I had the opportunity to switch to tech much earlier, I considered marketing to be something I was more passionate about until I wasn’t as much anymore.

Right now, I’m working as a freelancer building apps on bubble (mostly) for clients in different locations around the world.

I also build my side project, JobHunch, whenever I can due to how busy I can get!

Not to forget that I currently work as a bubble coach at SkillHat, a tech career accelerator located in Ontario, Canada, in the capacity of guiding the developers and product teams as they create apps for their learning process.

The JobHunch dashboard, one of Tobi’s side projects.

By some random coincidence or luck, I was scrolling through Instagram on my phone one day in 2020 and that was when I first came across Bubble through a video ad, that said you can build anything without coding.

Describe your career journey prior to discovering no-code

I graduated from the university with a second-class upper in Psychology eight years ago. At the time, I knew I was not going to practice being a psychologist right away, but I had two major career choices - human resources or marketing.

I decided to opt for the latter, although my choice was a gradual process. I chose marketing because for many years prior I used to love writing articles as a student journalist and as a blogger.

In my first job after school, I was a manager at a youth organisation and realised how much I liked to do brand awareness and marketing for them. This led me to choose to become a social media manager, eventually morphing into becoming a digital marketer.

I worked in this capacity for several years at different companies in Lagos, sometimes leading teams and projects outside of that domain.

Meanwhile, I always had lots of product ideas and started to write them down in a note. I also began to silently resent my work in marketing due to its limitations and & not-so-great conditions and started to consider other career options.

I tried to learn to code in 2017 through the Andela Learning Community, an initiative by Andela to train people to become software engineers. But due to work pressures, I did not complete the program and stopped learning or trying. So when I was thinking of a career change, I looked at returning to that or a choice between becoming a product manager or a product designer. I opted for the latter.

This was towards the end of 2019. So when the pandemic struck months later, I began my tech career by enrolling in a design Bootcamp and taking online courses about design on Skillshare.

Also, around the same time, I was working to launch a product called Thrilly, a marketplace app to bring people looking for fun together and help them find activities to do. I used my newly acquired design skills to create UI screens on Figma and UX research for Thrilly. The only issue was how to code the designs.

How did you discover no-code?

By some random coincidence or luck, I was scrolling through Instagram on my phone one day in 2020 and that was when I first came across Bubble through a video ad, that said you can build anything without coding.

I was a bit sceptical at first because I did not think that was possible. So after a while, I began to do my research about bubble and discovered the wonderful world of no-code. I was fascinated.

Naturally, I started to learn how to build Thrilly using bubble and within two months of watching tutorials on YouTube and asking questions in forums, I had a working prototype I could launch with.

From there I knew bubble was only going to get bigger and more popular. I was still holding my marketing job but started to consider a career in building apps at that point.

It was not until a year later after I had successfully gone through the Airdev’s Bubble boot camps that I finally made a leap into full-time Bubble development!

I had no savings from my marketing job or a guarantee for getting jobs in Bubble development but I knew it was time, in fact, I felt it was a decision I should have made much sooner. Not long after, I started to receive messages from clients through my social media accounts and began to work with them to build products.

In the same year, I built a second side project, JobHunch, which provides a way for working professionals to foster their career growth through company reviews and finding tech roles in our job board.

I planned to use my income from being a bubble developer to bootstrap the idea to profitability, and I’m still on that journey!

Describe how no-code has changed your career trajectory

I started to earn more too. It feels good to see something you built being used by other people.

No-code opened many new doors of opportunity for me. Previously, I was limited to working on all kinds of products and goods as a marketer, which was difficult and exhausting.

The demand for creativity in that line of work was very high even though it did not earn me that much. I could only work on products at the end of the process, not at the start of it.

All of that changed as I began to do more Bubble development work.

I met lots of new people through my work and social media. I worked with clients from the US, India, Spain, Canada and other parts of the world.

It also enabled me to take an idea from my notes and bring it to life at little cost compared to hiring a full-stack software developer. I started to earn more too. It feels good to see something you built being used by other people.

How are you leveraging your previous skills and experience in your new career?

My understanding of human behaviour and psychology allows me to approach app development from a u ser-centred perspective.

As a bubble developer, I am able to leverage my previous skills and experience in digital marketing in several ways.

Firstly, my background in digital marketing has given me a strong understanding of user behaviour, which I am able to apply when creating user interfaces and user experiences for my clients' apps.

My understanding of human behaviour and psychology allows me to approach app development from a user-centred perspective. I can anticipate users' needs and design interfaces and experiences that are intuitive and easy to use, which in turn leads to better engagement and satisfaction with the apps I build.

Additionally, my experience in leading teams and managing projects in my previous career has helped me to effectively manage and communicate with my clients, and ensure that their projects are delivered on time and to their satisfaction.

I also get to work well with product teams composed of a product manager, UI/UX designer, and other developers.

Furthermore, my background in social media management has also provided me with a solid understanding of how to promote and market apps, which I am able to use to help my clients to increase their user base.

Finally, my ability to write and communicate clearly, which I developed as a student journalist and blogger, has helped me to write clear and detailed documentation for my clients and also to help them understand how to use the apps I build for them.

What were the biggest challenges to learning no-code and making the career change?

The biggest challenges to learning no-code and making the career change were:

Learning a new skill set: As someone who had never coded before, learning how to build apps using a visual programming language was a significant challenge. I had to learn a new way of thinking and problem-solving that I wasn't used to. I particularly struggled with database logic and API integrations at the start.

Adapting to new workflows: In my previous career as a digital marketer, I was used to working on projects with a specific set of tools and processes. Switching to no-code development required me to learn new tools and adapt to new workflows, which was challenging at first.

Finding reliable resources: As no-code development is a relatively new field, finding reliable resources such as tutorials, forums, and support groups was a challenge. It was difficult to know which resources were accurate and up-to-date.There weren’t as many tutorials on certain features.

Staying motivated: Learning a new skill takes time and effort, and there were moments when I felt like giving up. It often felt lonely as none of my friends was as interested in bubble as much as I was. Staying motivated and maintaining a positive attitude was challenging, especially when progress seemed slow.

Fear of the unknown: Making a career change can be daunting and I had to confront my fears and doubts about my ability to succeed in a new field. It was hard to take the leap, but I realized that no matter what happens, it was a step forward. I had to believe in myself and my capacity to see things through.

Networking and finding clients: As a freelancer, it was difficult to find clients and network with other developers and potential clients. Building a portfolio of work and creating a strong online presence was important to me but was time-consuming.

Despite these challenges, I was determined to make the career change and I was able to overcome them by being persistent, seeking help when I needed it, and learning from my mistakes. I also found that the more I learned and the more I built, the more confident I became in my abilities as a no-code developer.

What were your biggest lessons learned?

I learned that it takes patience, perseverance, openness to learning new things, seeking help, practising, networking and embracing failure to succeed.

Patience and perseverance were key lessons that I learned while learning no-code and making the career change. Learning a new skill set and adapting to a new field takes time and effort, and it's important to be patient and not to get discouraged by setbacks.

I discovered that being open to learning new things is essential for success in no-code development. The field is constantly evolving, so it's important to be adaptable and willing to learn new tools and techniques. You can’t be too rigid and stuck on one way of doing things.

Another important lesson I learned is the importance of seeking out help and support when needed. Joining forums, asking for help from more experienced developers, and taking courses helped me to overcome challenges and improve my skills.

I learned that the more I practised building apps using no-code, the more comfortable I became with the process and the better my skills became.

Networking is key to success in this field as it allows you to connect with potential clients, collaborators, and other developers. I have made friends along the way that have bailed me out when I got stuck with a project or needed an extra hand.

I learned that building a strong online presence and creating a portfolio of work is essential. I discovered that failure is a natural part of the learning process and that it's important to embrace it and learn from it. Failure can be a valuable teacher and it helps to build resilience.

Lastly, I learned that the field of no-code development is constantly evolving, and it's important to never stop learning and staying updated with the latest trends and tools in order to remain competitive and relevant. It is okay to start with one tool but you should learn other complementary tools as well to enable you to do a lot more.

Overall, through my journey as a no-code developer, I learned that it takes patience, perseverance, openness to learning new things, seeking help, practising, networking and embracing failure to succeed. And also, staying updated with the latest trends and tools is important to remain competitive and relevant.

What’s your plan for the next 5 years?

In the next five years, my plan is to continue to build and innovate using no-code tools such as bubble. I believe that no-code development is a powerful tool that can be used to create efficient and effective solutions for various industries.

I plan to continue to improve my skills and knowledge in this field by taking on more challenging projects and experimenting with new features.

Additionally, I plan to combine my knowledge of no-code with code in building anything. I believe that having a solid understanding of both no-code and code development will allow me to create even more powerful and versatile solutions.

I will be learning and adding code development to my toolset to enhance my skills and offer more options to my clients.

I also plan to travel more and meet people from the no-code community. I believe that networking and collaborating with other developers and experts in the field is essential for staying updated with the latest trends and tools.

I hope to meet more people in the no-code community and share my experience and knowledge with them.

Lastly, I plan to build and launch more apps to solve existing problems in society. I believe that no-code development can be used to create solutions that can have a positive impact on society. I plan to focus on building apps that solve real-world problems and make a difference in people's lives.

What advice would you give to others hoping to change careers the way you did?

Start now and don't wait for the perfect opportunity or the perfect time.

My advice to others hoping to change careers the way I did is to not be afraid of starting.

]Making a career change can be daunting, but it's important to remember that it's never too late to pursue your passions and goals. Take the leap now and don't let fear hold you back.

I would also advise staying focused, consistent and disciplined. Learning a new skill set and adapting to a new field takes time and effort, and it's easy to get discouraged.

However, it's important to stay focused on your goals and to be consistent in your efforts. Avoid falling into laziness and procrastination, as it will only slow down your progress.

Another important point is that there's never a right or perfect time. Start now and don't wait for the perfect opportunity or the perfect time. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to take that first step. Starting now will give you an advantage and it will provide you with a head start.