No-code has made room for innovation and interesting business ideas – here’s one that we love! Meet CompLab, a marketplace for Adalo components. It’s exciting to see how CompLab is helping people build better, and more powerful apps on Adalo!

Here’s an interview with Daniel Galang (Dim), Hannah Grace Clemente (Han), and Minrie Macapugay

Dim: I work as an app developer and CTO in a no-code agency and in a fitness app company. During my off days, I love to travel with friends and family.

Han: Outside of Complab, I’m a professional Chef and am currently opening a new cafe with some friends. I also like to travel and visit places with natural scenery such as mountains, islands, and beaches.

Minrie: I work as a Product Owner for a Web3 Company called Bictory Finance. I like crypto, NFTs, fashion tech and no-code. I find joy in automating things and simplifying what is complicated.

Starting CompLab to help people using Adalo

Complab is a team of Adalo experts, designers, and no-code enthusiasts who help people all over the world with their No-Code projects. We offer Adalo app development, project customization, UI/UX design, and coaching services according to the needs of our community. We’re also very passionate about growing the No-Code community here in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Minrie: The idea for CompLab (Components Lab) started when Dim and I were learning Adalo, and just like any other new no-code, we wanted to create our own MVP mobile app. Due to the lack of component availability in our country, like payment gateways, we opted to fill in this need by developing Adalo components.

We eventually met other makers in the community looking for ways to improve or customize their apps but couldn’t find people who specialized in building and customizing components.

Initially, we developed and sold our own components specifically made for our own Adalo App. Other users in the community started sending in their requests so we created a new service of component development which led us from one custom request to another.

Now, the team has expanded into app development, coaching services, UI/UX design, and custom component development.

Writing code for a no-code tool

We mainly use Adalo in building app projects as well as React Native as a front-end framework for mobile component development. Since Adalo is built on React Native, it’s easier for our development to make adjustments and customizations inside the platform.

We typically start our projects with Figma designs so everyone can visualize the project first. Then, most of our projects and services are within Adalo, such as mobile app development, app revisions, and 1:1 coaching.

Our team also uses Monday.com to manage the progress of our projects, and our website is built on Wordpress/Elementor.

Obstacles and challenges are normal in the field of app development. They usually revolve around doing complex features that are requested by clients. One workaround that we do is to conduct feasibility studies first in order to manage the expectations of the client.

The team then works together to redesign the process flow of our users to apply the workarounds and help with the completion, launch, and growth of their Adalo projects.

Fixing an app is easier than fixing a business model

Dim: My advice to makers is to always be realistic with their goals for the app. It is very important to plan the business model first before doing app development because it's not gonna be easy redoing the business model in the midst of development.

Second, it is important to have a basic understanding of the tools that you’ll use. For instance, users should have an idea of the tool’s capacity and limitations.

Minrie: I think it’s important to have fun and experiment with no-code tools. Make as many side projects and engage with the community. You’ll never know that there is a sweet spot or business opportunity lying in the corner. That’s how CompLab started, we wanted to solve our own problems and share it with others.

Han: Whether you’re starting with no-code or have been doing this for years, keep persevering to finish that MVP. The no-code space is still quite young and is only getting better and more powerful.

As a non-technical founder, the potential of no-code tools to build solutions to global, real-world problems is what motivates me to expand in this space.

Every small project has significant potential for improving communities all over the world.

We’d love to help you get started and complete your No-Code project.

Book a meeting with us and follow our journey on Twitter!