by Ben Tossell
A quick recap of some of the most interesting things we've seen this week in no-code.
1. Universe for Mac
https://twitter.com/onuniverse/status/1326963259002400768?s=21
What it is
Universe was a website builder for your iPhone but now they've released their Mac App
Why it's interesting
Universe is the first drag and drop website builder made from the ground up for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It provides you with fast and easy to use tools that make it possible for anyone to make a great looking website, set up an online store, and start taking payments within minutes—for free.
2. Convertkit Paid Newsletters
https://twitter.com/nathanbarry/status/1326322219627155456?s=21
What it is
You can now run paid newsletters using Convertkit.
Why it's interesting
Substack has been getting a lot of attention and paid newsletters are a popular way for creators to build an audience whilst generating income. Now it's no longer just Substack in the game. Convertkit is a hugely powerful email platform (we use it for Makerpad) and now it's become even more powerful.
Some features include:
- Free for up to 1,000 subscribers- 3.5% payment fees (compared to 12.9% for Substack)- Very customizable custom designs- Subscriber referral programs- Automations to drive more sales
Check out the tweetstorm embedded above to see the walkthrough of the features.
3. Approval by Zapier
What it is
A new app from Zapier which allows you to insert an Approval step in the middle of your Zap, halting each task until a human (you, or a colleague) clicks the "Approve" button in your Approval Inbox.
Why it's interesting
Zapier is all about automating workflows. BUT there are times where not everything can be automated, sometimes you need a human as part of that process. That's where "Approval by Zapier" comes in. With it, you can change any Zap into a semi-automated process simply by adding an Approval step anywhere in your Zap. Then, as tasks start running, you can monitor your Approval Inbox and click "Approve" when you'd like a task to continue, or "Reject" in order to halt that task.
Some of the reasons you might want to use an Approval step and Approval Inbox today:
- HR / IT: employees may make a purchase request, vacation request, etc. but the department needs to manually review and approve it before it can continue.
- Marketing: team members may submit social media posts that are manually approved later by the marketing team before being posted publicly.
- Sales: lead forms come in and need to be reviewed, perhaps only Approving the best leads after a manual review.
- QA: submitted items like transcriptions are proof-read for quality before continuing.
- Customer Service: customers may make requests for discounts or refunds that need to be manually reviewed by a representative before approving.
- ...and so much more!
4. Remote Manager's toolkit with Airtable
https://try.airtable.com/remote-work/check-ins
What it is
A team check-in system using Airtable.
Why it's interesting
Remote work is everything right now, more tools and help for those of us working from home is key! Structured check-ins capture invaluable insight into the challenges and opportunities each individual—and the team as a whole—face over time. With a team check-in system, managers can keep everyone on track, no matter where they’re working.
5. Glide Actions
What it is
A workflow builder of action sequences within your Glide app. Think if this thing happens, then that thing happens.
Why it's interesting
Lots of companies are natively incorporating automations/workflows within their tools; Airtable, Calendly, Convertkit and now Glide. Zapier is still the giant here and enables 1000s of actions within those tools new workflow features but for some of the automations to happen within the products, a native builder makes so much sense. It hugely improves the power of Glide apps. This is very exciting.
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