ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In our latest episode, Sandro, Marcel, and I explored a topic crucial for anyone working with Appian: training and educating developers.
Many prospective clients approach us, noting Appian is a low-code/no-code platform and wondering if they even need to train their “citizen developers.” Our consensus? Training is absolutely essential.
The true value of a citizen developer is their functional, business-side knowledge. They can become a valuable team member and steer development because they know how the application is intended to be used. The ideal team is a mix—technical experts ensure a technically good application, and business experts ensure it solves the actual problem.
Being a developer, regardless of the technology, requires a specific approach. People need to understand how software in general works and become “software designers,” not just coders. A developer must be able to analyze a complex situation and turn something from a problem domain (like complaining about too many emails) into a solution domain (like reducing manual workload by 80%). A key indicator of a good potential developer is the capacity to ask clarifying questions instead of jumping straight into a solution based on vague or assumption-loaded descriptions.
The goal for training juniors is to get them to an Associate Certified Appian Developer level. Both traditional and non-traditional IT backgrounds need to understand processes and process-driven software, recognizing that a process has a lifecycle with a start and an end. Traditional IT professionals often grasp the technical context quickly, while non-traditional backgrounds often excel at understanding the messy human context in which Appian operates. Juniors must master methodical thinking and debugging, including knowing the Appian platform’s monitoring and debugging options.
We encourage juniors to try solving a problem on their own for 30–60 minutes, check the community, and then come to their lead prepared to explain: what they are trying to do, what they have tried so far, and what the current issue is. This structure helps them self-solve and makes the assistance more effective. Asking “why” repeatedly, a technique officially known as the “Five Whys Method,” can also help break a person out of a narrow view to fix the root cause.
We follow a structured training path. People first complete the Appian Developer Learning Path to understand the platform’s components and intended use. This is often followed by a one-week on-site boot camp where a group works on one application with a prepared use case. During the boot camp, we cover our internal developer’s wiki, including naming conventions and reusable components, ensuring a common understanding for working within our teams. Finally, working in teams and providing regular code review is crucial to avoid reinforcing bad habits, which is why training is expensive—it requires your best people.
Becoming a senior is less about writing quicker SAIL code and more about broadening context and developing consultancy skills. A senior needs to have empathy, understanding that the person paying for the solution has a valid problem and doesn’t necessarily speak your technical language. They also must recognize that process-orchestrating software is an organizational change, requiring an understanding of change management to design transparent processes that don’t frighten users. Seniors need to understand UX/UI design, business processes, and guesstimating non-functional requirements like performance and memory consumption. A true senior has experienced the pain of running something they coded in production and dealing with user issues, which enforces understanding of maintainability and responsibility.
We’re always happy to talk about these topics! If you have any questions, please feel free to send them in!
