A quick note: I sent an email to >30 Bubble devs who signed up to were interested in joining a learning community for WeWeb and Xano. It seemed like it’d also be useful to a wider audience, so I wanted to republish it here. Let's learn WeWeb and Xano.
Hi there,
You're receiving this email because you showed interest in learning WeWeb and Xano by submitting the form in this tweet.
First, I want to say a huge thank you for your interest! Over 30 visual developers signed up to learn WeWeb and Xano faster, which is fantastic.
However, after giving it some thought over the weekend, I've decided not to launch a learning community as I want to remain focused on growing my software development agency, Rarely Decaf.
That said, I'd love to provide some guidance in this email and links to resources you can use to continue (or start) your journey to learning WeWeb and Xano.
Bubble vs other visual development tools
I acknowledge that most of you come from Bubble backgrounds, which has been a game-changer for the no-code movement.
However, one reason I believe Bubble has excelled as a no-code tool is because it has chosen to be an all-in-one platform, abstracting some of the web development fundamentals that are crucial for understanding how web apps work in general.
From my perspective, some traditional web development topics—such as security/authentication, front-end vs back-end logic, and how the client should interact with the server (and vice-versa)—aren't emphasized as much with Bubble because it's not needed. However, those are some areas required to become a strong WeWeb + Xano builder.
To master WeWeb and Xano (or other visual programming tools), I believe you'll need to shed a bit of this Bubble mindset and adopt more of a traditional web development mindset. This approach will not only help you transition to WeWeb and Xano, but also enable you to more easily switch between front-ends tools (e.g., Flutterflow) or back-ends tools (e.g., Supabase) in the future.
Resources for learning WeWeb and Xano
For context, I don't come from a coding background, but I have used no-code tools since 2017. If you're curious, here's a bit more about me.
I spent the last 9 months leveling up with WeWeb and Xano while building client projects. As a result, Rarely Decaf has become both a Xano agency partner and WeWeb agency partner.
If I set out to learn WeWeb and Xano today, I would use the following resources and communities. I've indicated which are paid and added some personal comments to several.
Fundamentals for Self-Guided Learning:
- WeWeb docs
- WeWeb Academy: I think this is one of best place to start—just diving in and building your own project.
- Xano docs
- Xano YouTube: Xano's videos are phenomenal. They cover Xano, but also some of the web development concepts I mentioned above that I think are crucial to becoming a great WeWeb and Xano dev.
- Technically (paid premium content): This is a great resource to get caught up on technical concepts if you don't have experience as a traditional developer.
- Xano orientation: I'd recommend signing up for orientation if you're new to Xano.
Intermediate Resources & Community Support:
- WeWeb community: the first place I go to search for anything WeWeb-related. If I don't find an existing discussion, I create a new one.
- Xano community: the first place I go to search for anything Xano-related. If I don't find an existing discussion, I create a new one.
- Xano office hours: I'd sign up for office hours if you have a specific Xano question
- Xano Slack (official): this is mildly active with Xano builders
- The WeWeb group: this is an unofficial Slack community of WeWeb builders.
Advanced Help to Tackle the Toughest Challenges:
- State Change AI (paid): Ray Deck is a seasoned CTO who understands the power of no-code tools. For my most difficult challenges (2FA authentication flows, complex caching, etc.), I search through his community or join State Change's group office hours. While it's a bit pricey, there has never been a problem I haven't been able to get unstuck with State Change's help and the ROI is there for my business. They're an excellent resource to learn WeWeb and Xano.
- ChatGPT: ask it to explain more complex topics about front-end vs back-end, database structures, or to write JavaScript (though I've now been using WeWeb's copilot). Here are some more examples of how I've used it in the context of no-code tools.
- Xano Morph: while not too active, I have found a few posts very helpful.
WeWeb and Xano are still relatively new tools, so you might not find answers to every question in existing forums or videos. When in doubt, post questions in the communities or reach out to support.
Additional people to follow
I want to highlight a few underrated Twitter accounts of those that would be great to follow if you're on the journey of learning WeWeb and Xano.
- Victor shares great visual content on learning WeWeb
- Chad shares his journey creating beautiful UI/UX experiences with WeWeb
- Arjay shares his journey of growing a VC-backed business using WeWeb and Xano
I also want to mention Carri Craver. Sadly, she passed away earlier this year, but her early impact on the WeWeb and Xano communities can still be felt across Xano, WeWeb, and State Change forums.
Wide-open opportunity
There's a massive opportunity in using no-code tools—whether as a freelancer, employee, agency owner, or educator. Moreover, by understanding modular no-code tools that help you learn web application fundamentals, you'll be better equipped to adapt to changes in tools and technologies, as the core principles remain consistent over time.
With the scarcity of information currently available, there's a significant opening for those who want to create content, courses, videos, learning communities, or bootcamps to teach others these powerful tools. If you're considering this path, don't hesitate—just start. Once you create content, be sure to tag me, and I'll share it and update this post accordingly.
Embrace the opportunity to make an impact in the WeWeb and Xano community. Best of luck out there.
💡 Interested in becoming a full-time WeWeb + Xano developer?
Last month, I brought on Rarely Decaf's first WeWeb + Xano apprentice who will transition to our first full-time employee (besides me!) next month. As they appreciate with us, they'll learn WeWeb and Xano.
While we're not hiring right now, we'll continue hiring WeWeb and Xano developers in the near future. If you're interested in joining the team and becoming a full-time visual developer with us, let me know!
Even if you're not proficient in these tools right now, we're willing to hire more apprentices with a route to become a full-time developer. You can learn more about the approach here. If you fill out the form, feel free to also send me an email and introduce yourself!