Product designer and MVP engineer, Jonathan Oranu, has carved a niche in the tech world by building high-impact digital products, without writing traditional code. His expertise in no-code tools and design has led to the development of intuitive dashboards, enterprise platforms, and marketplaces that serve thousands of users. Currently, he’s working on Resume Hatch, an AI-driven job application tool optimised for hiring systems, and Figure 8, a product studio helping startups launch faster and smarter.

Oranu, in this interview explores why the future of digital product development doesn’t center on code alone and how this shift is reshaping teams, timelines, and the very way digital products are brought to life.

Is it possible that software developers are becoming less significant?
Not at all. Developers still play a critical role, especially in complex architecture or integrations. Nevertheless, there are new areas growing in this field. What we’re witnessing is a redistribution of who can build. Designers, founders, and domain experts can now create a working prototype in very little time. Even so, this doesn’t make engineers obsolete; rather, it means their skills can now be used more effectively.

You say that the future of building products goes farther than coding alone. What exactly do you mean?
In the traditional approach, developing software means writing lines manually, detecting bugs, and deploying it. However, the focus is currently on outcomes instead of procedures. What matters is working systems, not only a bunch of code. With platforms like Bubble, Cursor, and AI-powered agents in the workflow, we can develop logic, link databases, and design flexible interfaces without touching code. People now look at systems instead of just syntactic analysis.

How has your own work reflected this shift?
On projects for cap-table management, new job applications, and reservations, I’ve mainly formed solutions by using no-code tools and automation. For this reason, they can handle real-time logic, connect to external APIs, and support thousands of users. Because the technology has advanced, we are now able to design long-lasting products with well-organized systems and tracking features. That shifts the way product teams work on a basic level.

What’s driving the adoption of no-code and AI in product development?
Speed and clarity. Testing quickly is important to founders. Customers are seeking smooth and efficient services from the very beginning. No-code tools make it less complicated to move from an idea to finished work. AI makes this better by shortening the time it takes to get feedback, suggesting better design options, and helping set up how work should be done. Instead of jumping ahead, this means getting rid of any unnecessary stages.

There are those who say no-code platforms are not capable of scaling. What’s your opinion about it?
The way a product is organised is more important for scalability than the tool used for development. If everything in your system is methodically planned, your pipelines work smoothly and your design is careful, scaling it will mostly be a matter of optimisation, not starting from scratch. Some Bubble apps are capable of managing large organisation’s operations.

What advice would you offer to early-stage entrepreneurs planning product development now?
Make sure you don’t begin with the stack. Think about results first. For what purpose is your user logging in? What kind of experience will ensure they stay involved in the presentation? After you know the purpose, think of the most direct, quick, and uncomplicated way to get your message across. There are occasions when using code is helpful. At times, it is not. The main goal is to allow users to use something real, so you can see what needs to be changed and adjusted.