With citizen development, business users can build apps and automate workflows while maintaining a high level of quality.

All without a background in coding.

But you don’t learn to be a citizen developer overnight.

Low-code platforms still require some technical expertise. Your team needs proper training and guidance to ensure the applications and integration they build meet compliance, security, and IT guidelines.

Otherwise, you’ll waste resources while putting your business at increased risk. In fact, without proper training, citizen development can spiral into unchecked shadow IT.

The key to proper training is resources.

We’ve hand-selected the 18 best resources for training your citizen developers.

1. Project Management Institute (PMI)

PMI is the world's leading project management organization. They offer different courses and certifications to help business users succeed in the field.

Recently, PMI launched a citizen development training program. It's packed full of educational resources for citizen development:

  • A handbook for creators
  • Citizen development e-courses
  • News and highlights
  • A community of 700,000 global members

Their goal is to establish and enforce best practices for citizen developers, so you can unlock the full potential of your team and drive change across your organization.

The program is vendor-agnostic, prioritizing value and education for citizen developers. They have an education suite with guiding principles for your team.

The PMI sets industry standards and best practices for citizen development, as it does for project management. It’s the best place to start for resources when launching a citizen development program.

While they have a blog that covers some citizen development topics, they primarily focus on courses and certifications:

  • PMI Citizen Developer Foundation: 1.5 Hours, 3 Modules, 2 PDUs ($79.00)
  • PMI Citizen Developer Practitioner: 6-8 hours, 8 Modules, 6 PDUs ($249)
  • PMI Citizen Developer Business Architect: 6-8 hours, 4 Modules, 8 PDUs ($375)

Finally, PMI has a newsletter people can follow to get the latest updates on all things citizen development.

2. No Code Ops

With over 10,000 ops professionals in their community, No Code Ops is the fastest-growing online community of citizen developers.

The platform focuses on collaboration and knowledge-sharing between its members. And with over 200 content contributors from diverse backgrounds, they have expert insights for everyone.

They offer various valuable resources:

  • Weekly newsletter
  • Detailed guides
  • Free live webinars
  • Interviews with top professionals in the industry
  • AMAs and office hours
  • And even discounts on low-code tools and platforms

3. 30 Days Of No Code

30 Days Of No Code is a one-month course to become a professional developer in no-code.

They offer a range of resources and training designed to help your team quickly learn how to get the most out of low-code and no-code platforms.

It’s a simple platform that focuses on key topics in the space. (Their newsletter has since been discontinued.)

4. Web Architecture 101

Web Architecture 101 is a Medium publication put together by Jonathan Fulton with over 10,300 followers. It aims to help citizen developers understand the basics of website architecture.

A successful project starts with a strong foundation. Citizen developers who want to build apps in a critical business environment need to know how web architecture works.

You need to understand the basics of how a website or app works to create an effective product.

Citizen development works best when you break down silos and get teams working together. This resource will help make collaboration between your teams easier and more useful.

5. Inside NoCode

Inside NoCode is the Reddit for the no-code community. They have threads, discussions, and articles by trending writers to keep you updated on no-code development.

The site aims to be a “one-stop-shop” for the developer space, focusing on three pillars; community, newsletters, and events. Whether you’re looking to share ideas, connect with other professionals, or get support, it’s a great resource for citizen developers.

The website also offers weekly newsletters with important updates about the no-code industry. They have it all: events, tutorials, guides, new products, and feature updates for various tools.

The people behind Inside NoCode aim to make the newsletter as value-adding as possible. Everything they send undergoes quality control to ensure it's relevant and valuable.

6. NoCode Journal

NoCode Journal is an excellent source of information on no-code and citizen development. It has various content to educate and inform readers on the latest trends in the industry.

And it’s led by enthusiastic developers who are platform/tool agnostic, and eager to help develop the industry.

The website covers a range of topics:

It also provides news, insights, and trends from the no-code, low-code, and citizen developer spheres.

Through global collaboration with industry professionals and readers, the website is continuously updated. You'll always find fresh and diverse content for its users.

But the real cherry on the top is their State Of NoCode page.

The page compiles all no-code tools for different objectives. This makes it easy and convenient to find the perfect tool for your project.

7. Nocode Essentials

Whether you're just getting started or already a citizen development professional, Nocode Essentials is your go-to source for information.

The website gathers the best resources about NoCode from all over the web and organizes them in an easy-to-navigate directory. It’s also easy to submit content if you’d like to contribute.

Each resource has a tag so you can quickly find the content that is most relevant to you. Visitors can like their favorite resources and leave reviews, so you know what other people think of the content.

If you don't want to miss out on the most recent NoCode news, you can sign up for their newsletter.

8. Modern Makers

Modern Makers is the perfect place to learn about the growing field of citizen development. It's essentially a weekly newsletter with the latest resources.

By subscribing to the Modern Maker's newsletter, users gain access to the following:

  • Valuable project-building tutorials
  • Book recommendations with key learnings
  • New technologies
  • Product updates of their favorite no-code tools

These resources are all designed to help everyone become a successful citizen developer.

Newsletter subscribers can also learn more about projects created by other members and get advice on their business needs.

9. 100DaysOfNoCode

What started as a Twitter challenge, has now grown into a website dedicated to providing quality, accessible no-code education.

100DaysOfNoCode is the perfect destination for those looking to unlock their inner citizen developer. They’re essentially an online campus, offering support to citizen developers.

Everyone, from beginners to advanced users, can find something that works for them. The website is jam-packed with useful articles about the no-code movement.

But what makes this program truly unique is the range of no-code courses for every level:

  • Intro to No-Code: Ideal for absolute beginners, this guide will help you understand the basics of no-code. You will learn the lingo, landscape, and more to jumpstart your citizen development journey.
  • The 100DaysOfNoCode Challenge: Get daily 30-minute bite-sized lessons delivered right to your inbox. These include guided lessons, tips and tricks, and bonus mini-challenges to take your skills to new heights.
  • The No-Code MVP Bootcamp: Here, you’ll get a truly immersive learning experience as you build projects alongside experts and get 1-1 advice. Plus, join peer groups to collaborate and problem-solve.

The community is over 12,000 members strong and growing, making it a great place to connect with other professionals.

They also offer the “The No-Code Digest” weekly newsletter, which shares the following every Sunday:

  • 10 no-code gems
  • 3 products built with no-code
  • 1 tweet of the week

With all these resources, your citizen developers will have what they need to create better applications confidently.

10. NoCodeHackers

This Spanish website is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning how to become a citizen developer.

It offers free access to a variety of courses and materials which teach people how to use no-code tools and turn their app development ideas into reality.

With easy-to-follow tutorials for all levels, it's the perfect place for citizen developers to start their journey.

Especially interesting are their workshops dedicated to no-code:

  • Bubble Camp: an 8-week program with a professional Bubble developer. The course Includes weekly training sessions and challenges. You learn the basics and best practices for Bubble development, all in an interactive format, with hands-on guidance.
  • No-code Workshop: a 6-week program for just 20 participants. This course will help you build five projects for your portfolio, fast-tracking your career.
  • Flutterflow Camp: a 6-week program that teaches you how to create professional, native apps ten times faster with one of Spain’s Flutterflow developers. Attendees replicate an AirBNB-style project and complete five challenges to show their knowledge.

11. Low-code Daily

Nigel Warren is an expert researcher and devotee of citizen development. His online platform, Low-code Daily, is the best way to stay up to date with all the news and low-code/no-code development trends.

The Low-code Daily delivers a curated digest of webinars, news, and articles. The topics come from leading software developers and sources in no-code/low-code application development.

There's also a newsletter that shares the latest in the industry. And they take submissions if your team wants to share thought leadership on the low-code/no-code space.

12. No Code List

If you've recently started with your no-code journey and need help determining which tool to use, No Code List can help you.

No Code List is an online directory that has made it easier for citizen developers to access necessary tools and resources. The list saves time by giving users a one-stop shop to research and rate no-code tools and services they might need.

With over 300 items in the directory, there's something available for every project. From CRM support to website builder tools, the website has it all.

13. No Code Weekly

A weekly newsletter showing how to build websites, apps, and software with zero coding experience.

No-code and citizen development tools are constantly evolving. Development processes are becoming faster and more accessible to non-experts. No Code Weekly's mission is to keep you updated with the latest news and trends to help you make the most of these tools.

And if you're looking for an extra reason to subscribe, employees of famous companies like Amazon are already part of this newsletter list.

14. Gartner

While not low-code specific, Gartner is an American company that provides tech insights, advice, and tools for IT professionals.

Gartner is famous for its annual "Magic Quadrant" reports. It's a great resource that helps organizations select the most appropriate tools for their project.

The company also offers a wide range of no-code/low-code resources on its website. Case studies, webinars, and reports are just some of the content available.

Gartner also provides tools like Gartner Peer Insights. It helps organizations select the right platform by connecting them with peers using the same technology.

This enables users interested in no-code to get real feedback on their chosen tool before making a purchase.

15. Makerpad

Markerpad is a website where people from all over the world come together to learn low-code development.

Launched in 2019, Makerpad has become a great place for anyone wanting to learn no-code. In March 2021, Zapier (the world's leading automation and integration platform) acquired them.

The website offers free courses, blog posts, newsletters, and job boards. And their content library contains projects and stories from successful no-code entrepreneurs.

If you need help figuring out where to start, Markerpad has a comprehensive curriculum to get you started. The courses are in simple language, designed to take beginners from the start of no-code to certification.

Best of all, it's free!

16. TIMS

If you're looking for a reliable source of information about the best no-code tools and resources, TIMS is your answer!

TIMS is a growing directory of free, no-code tools and resources to help citizen developers and programmers make their project ideas a reality. This library has been expertly curated. And it includes all the tools you need for your project.

Over 250 no-code web apps, extensions, downloadable assets, and more are all accessible in their spreadsheet. You just need to download it.

With categories sorted by objective and tags for easier searching, TIMS makes it easy to find the perfect tools in minutes. And even better, they're all free or offer very affordable plans.

By using TIMS, you can save time and money when launching your projects. This list is an invaluable asset for anyone looking for no-code resources for citizen development.

17. Your Low-Code Platform’s Website

Nearly every low-code platform out there has extensive content on the low-code movement and digital transformation. Most of these platforms have detailed knowledge bases that answer common challenges users have with the application.

And if you can’t find the answers you’re looking for, you can message the support team directly or work with service consultants.

Many low-code platforms work with business development partners who have extensive experience getting more value out of these tools.

18. Quandary Consulting Group

Quandary Consulting Group offers support with setting up, launching, and governing citizen development programs for businesses of all sizes.

We understand that most IT teams are overwhelmed with tasks. Running a citizen development program, despite the benefits, just isn’t possible. But we also understand how vital the proper framework and governance are for a successful citizen development program.

As low-code technology partners and experienced developers, we’ve helped countless clients get more out of these platforms while training their teams.

Reach out to us for more information on how we can help educate, train, and support your citizen development team.