13 Essential Tools that ALL non-tech founders NEED.

You don’t need to know coding to launch or market your startup.

How many times it has happened with you that you have got an app idea and you know it can be amazing and can potentially make you a millionaire? I bet multiple times.

And having that itch that what if you can build a tech startup on the idea that you have is kind of troubling. Isn’t it?

Let me tell you that you are not the only one…

At Indiez, we have spoken with over 600+ non-tech founders. We have also helped 100+ non-tech founders to build applications which went on and raised millions of dollars in funding. All of them had the same itch!

So if you are a non-tech person thinking of building a tech startup, you don’t have to be afraid of the tech world. In fact few of the most successful tech entrepreneurs like Brian Chesky (Airbnb), Michael Dell (Dell), Steve Jobs (Apple) are non-technical.

So not having knowledge of tech should not stop you from building a startup. The only thing that matters is your persistence and belief to build something incredible. If you work hard and smart, you can build the next billion dollar tech company.

The best part is that these days there are tons of SaaS tools available which can help you launch your startup without knowing tech at all!

We have listed a few of the products that you can use to launch and market your startup:

Launching/Testing

In this section, we will cover incredible tools that can help you at the beginning of setting up your business and your own website.

#1 Instapage

Instapage is a powerful all-in-one landing page solution. Boasting world famous clients such as eBay and Hello Fresh, Instapage is the only landing page platform that was built to work with Google. As a result, this is the easiest solution with finding a landing page that fully integrates with AdWords and Analytics.

Pros:

• Easy to use solution
• Near to perfect user experience
• Flexible with regards to your needs
• Great templates to work with
• Full integration with Google

Areas to Improve:

• Some small glitches that prevent a perfect user experience
• Limited images available in their free library

How should I use this tool?

Instapage is a tool that allows you to build a website with value in only a few hours. You can use the tool to play around and see what people want from your website. This will allow you to target the right audience and test the right elements to your site. For example, if you are building a community, you can quickly build a landing page for them and ask for their email addresses. then you can invite potential users to your community with a click of a button. You can then reach out to these people who have you email and ask them what are their needs and wants are. Result — a better product.

#2 Launchrock

Launchrock is a beautiful site building platform that is dedicated to the early stages of your business. It is an incredible tool that allows you to build your own website/application in minutes and thus gives you the ability to go straight into acquiring those first customers.

Pros:

• User-friendly
• Step by step guidance — perfect for the non-techies!
• Live previews
• Quick and fast process
• Concentrates on customer acquisition

Areas to Improve:

• No Multiple Site Support
• Limited functionality

How should I use this tool?

Launchrock is all about launching your product. Like Instapage, you can use email lists to increase the interest in your site. The best thing about Launchrock is how adapt it is for entrepreuneurs. The features on this easy tool allows you to potentially generate traction before you launch your product.

Final Thoughts

Launchrock is perfect for anyone who needs a platform created quickly. It’s user experience is so brilliant that even someone with the most limited knowledge can be talked through with their guidance.

#3 Wix

Wix is a website builder that gives you the freedom to create anything you want. This is a handy tool for both the website building experts and the non-tech founders building for the first time without any knowledge of code.

Pros:

• Excellent Templates
• Flexible
• Allows you to add animations
• Automatic Site Back — Instantly saves your progress
• One of the first ‘big players’ in website creation

Areas To Improve:

• Templates not easy to change
• Adverts on free version

How should I use this tool?

Wix has been around for a while, it is a great simple tool to build your own website. From there, you can market it through different techniques and gain the traction. Like others, this is a fantastic tool to play around with, test your audience and see what will work for you. A quick and simple solution for you to build pages and apps without the need to learn code or hire a software developer.

Final Thoughts

Wix has changed a lot in the last few years. They are regularly making improvements with their designs and user-experience and it is simply breathtaking to see the development speeds achieved by Wix. Non-tech founders should start with the free package to ensure it is the right tool for them.

Building your MVP

This section provides you with some tools to help you build your MVP from scratch. We have also included a solution as this can be a section too difficult for the ‘non-tech’ founders.

#4 Marvel

Marvel is the all-in-one platform powering design tool. Deliveroo, Buzzfeed and Cabify are just some of the many clients that have used it to bring ideas to life and create beautiful digital products.

Pros:

• Free package is super useful to start process
• Web based platform
• No learning or coding required
• Everything you need in one solution
• Aesthetics are beautiful

Areas to Improve:

• Limited library for free templates
• Unable to use animations

How should I use this tool?

Marvel is the perfect tool if you want to design your app, create it quickly and move it straight to testing. Using Marvel will allow you to get your app idea out there at fast speed without the need of external assistance. You can build anything quickly and send it out to users to gain feedback. This is a great tool to build your prototype and decipher any early changes needed.

Final Thoughts

Marvel can be a true staple for anyone who is founding a business without having a techie mind. The platform is so easy that it could be recommended to anyone who is studying or learning how to create mobile apps. It is easy, intuitive, friendly and most importantly — reliable.

#5 Proto.io

Proto.io is a tool that allows you to create fully interactive, high-fidelity prototypes that look and work the way you want it to. Past clients include Amazon, Disney and ESPN who have used proto.io to transform an initial idea into a functioning product.

Pros:

• Swift and easy to use
• All the features needed to create a great app
• Quick process
• No coding required
• Animated and beautiful applications

Areas to improve:

• Some users have feedbacked a difference in their product in the web app and mobile app
• Not enough features for free users

How should I use this tool?

Proto.io allows you to build an app yourself. It feels awesome and brings your idea to life in super speed. You will have your own app without learning any code at all. You can build the prototypes really quickly and get your feedback from potential users at the same great pace.

Final Thoughts

Proto.io is a great tool for a non-tech founder because there is no coding required. It is a much more simple and quick procedure that trying to learn the elements needed with React.js and React Native. They are currently offering a 15 day free trial to get started on building your product with proto.io.

When it comes to building a MVP, Non-tech founders are going to face their biggest struggle.

We have included the solution to this problem.

#6 Indiez *Not A Tool, A Solution*

Indiez is a 100% remote working community that helps you build software like the best Silicon Valley companies. World-famous customers such as Uber and Domino’s are on a list of 250+ businesses that trusted Indiez to deliver on creating a perfect solution to the hurdles they were facing with their applications.

Pros:

• Work very closely with their clients to ensure needs are met
• Tight deadlines are always achieved
• Large community from 30+ countries around the world
• Community members are put through a stern interview process to ensure they are the best of the best worldwide
• Teams working on your project are assembled based on who is perfect for the project.

Areas to improve:

• Indiez is currently working on improving their own content and brand
• Indiez is committed to building an even bigger community based on quality instead of quantity to ensure perfection all round.

How should I use this solution?

Contact us and find out via indiez.io! You can use Indiez as a perfect solution to bringing your product to life within the deadlines you are hoping for. We are up for a challenge and our 100% remote working team allows us to manage our deadlines and ensure that they are hit. Just have a look here at our case studies from major organizations.

Indiez is in the process of really creating something special. Things seemed to be a bit quiet in recent months but it was ‘the calm before the storm’. The list of clients is regularly growing and external reviews are incredibly positive. Indiez has a special connection with non-tech founders and therefore it would be impossible to not include on this list. Apply today to get the Indiez experience and see your product created beautifully and quickly.

Growth and Communication Tools

This final section covers the tools you will need to grow your startup as well as the tools that are perfect for your everyday organisational and business uses.

#7 Tour My App

TourMyApp is a tool that helps you create in-application tutorials that will help guide your users to a perfect web experience. It makes your web application come to life with tours and demo’s suited to your user’s needs.

Pros:

• Great way to engage your customers
• No coding required
• No need for documentation
• Complete customisation
• Metrics reporting available

Areas to Improve:

• Timely process
• Support only available for higher priced packages

How should I use this tool?

This tool will be crucial to driving your conversation. You can guide your customers towards the steps you want and ensure a brilliant experience by your users. The metrics are so clear and you can follow these to see what is working for you and what is not. From there, you will be able to know the right way for you to perfectly interact with your customer.

Final Thoughts

TourMyApp is a great tool for non-tech founders as it allows you to create a unique experience for your users without the need to learn code or anything too technological. The opportunities for growing your business starts with the happiness of the users on your website — this is a great tool to take advantage of creating quality service for everyday users.

#8 Appcues

Appcues is a great tool that allows you to add an experience layer to your product so that you can build user onboarding. Over 800 companies worldwide trust Appcues to improve their user engagement.

Pros:

• No code required
• Easy to use
• Time efficient
• Great marketing tool for your own app
• Capture the perfect feedback

Areas to Improve:

• Limited designs available
• Basic reporting

How should I use this tool?

Appcues is another tool that focuses on conversation and interactions with your customers. Use this tool and its features to create a perfect marketing platform based on the feedback you are receiving. Adding the experience layer of onboarding gives you an opportunity for instant feedback and also learning what future customers will want.

Final Thoughts

Appcues will help you truly engage with your customers. The best ways to improve your business and your product is via the feedback you receive from your customers daily. Using Appcues is perfect tool for a non-tech founder who wants to help their business grow without needing to learn or understand any code.

#9 Slack

Slack is where all your work happens. If you are kicking off a new project, hiring a new employee or even planning a meetup. Slack is the best way to communicate and share every element of your working day.

Pros:

• Communication tool for mobile and desktop
• Ability to create channels for different departments
• Can build a community of external members who you can share information with
• As the #futureofwork is 100% remote — it allows total communication
• Fast to download, fast to use

Areas to improve:

• Currently a tool much better for internal use than for sharing information to users
• Notifications are better on a mobile app than the desktop

How should I use this tool?

So many startups use Slack as it is a perfect tool for clear communication. You can use it in so many ways: Create channels, On board customers to IM with, Create your own community, Team management etc. You can easily and instantly chat with other users and send files, images or anything that you may need to within your company. The future of work is remote working and this is an essential tool to communication for colleagues based in different continents.

Final Thoughts

We had to include Slack! Everyday, Indiez community members can contact each other with ease due to this tool. It allows team members in Spain to chat instantly to colleagues in India in a painless simple way.

#10 MailChimp

Mailchimp is a marketing platform that allows you to send emails/postcards/newsletters to your marketing mail list. You can create beautiful content that can be sent to 1000’s of people with the touch of a button.

Pros:

• Can send multiple emails to multiple customers
• Really easy templates
• Anyone can design and use their tools to create beautiful marketing material
• Thorough reporting — track success rates
• Available via desktop and by mobile app

Areas to Improve:

• Limited automation
• Can be expensive if you need to email more than 12k people

How should I use this tool?

Mailchimp is the marketing solution that will help you deliver multiple brilliant campaigns. You can implement the lists that you have built up by sending them different types of newsletters and emails. You can even design a beautiful template to add to your campaigns which will speed up a process and allow you send daily or weekly updates to your email lists. You should be using Mailchimp before you have even launched….build your community.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Mailchimp is incredible. It is a great way for a non-tech founder to create and design their own email marketing campaigns. The reporting will help you test what works for your campaigns and allow you to know what you can change to ensure success with your emails.

#11 Typeform

Typeform is a versatile data collection tool for professionals. It provides an easy and refreshing solution for asking and answering questions. It’s easy and uses a motivational tone to invite the best answers to your questions

Pros:

• Create beautiful looking surveys
• Works great regardless of platform
• Easy to brand
• Easy to create
• Clean interface with excellent customisation

Areas to improve:

• Customer support not 24/7
• Typeform branding on every form

How should I use this tool?

Typeform allows you to create surveys in rapid speed. You can use the tool for anything that requires a form being filled in. Job applications, Customer feedback, Signing up to newsletters, the list is endless! You can find out so much from your typeforms that it becomes a research tool as well. If you use Typeform wisely, you can build your own database that you can market to with Mailchimp.

Final Thoughts

Typeform is phenomenal tool for any non-tech founder to use. It allows you to create surveys for any need. You can perfectly align your brand with all the surveys and easily implement it with any form you may have on your website.

#12 Airtable

Airtable is a smart organization and collaboration tool that offers any sized team a single and centralised platform to manage projects, customers and ideas. Airtable is a flexible tool that enables users to organize everything and anything.

Pros:

• A refreshing new alternative to a spreadsheet
• Simple data driven layout
• Allows a great tracking tool for the whole team
• Fantastic communication tool
• Easy to use — no learning required

Areas to improve:

• Lack of restrictive access — everyone can see everything
• A lot of manual input — not a lot of automation

How should I use this tool?

Airtable is not just a spreadsheet, it is a handy organizational tool. You can use this to organize your work and your teams. There are so many different ways to use Airtable that I advise you to click here and find out for yourself. This is a must have tool for every entrepreneur!

Final Thoughts

Airtable is a fantastic tool that non-tech founders need when we are facing a professional future of remote workers. It allows everyone to track and keep up with what people are doing and allows input from all members of the team. A great way to completely organize your remote team.

#13 Asana

Asana is a task and project management solution that facilitates team collaboration and communication. It allows you to create projects and tasks within those projects to ensure a truly organised workflow.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Aesthetically engaging
• Allows the most disorganised person to become organised
• Easily accessible via desktop and mobile application
• Notifications to ensure full communication

Areas to improve:

• Once you choose your format, it cannot be changed
• You can’t see all the tasks in one place

How should I use this tool?

You will use Asana daily! This is the best way to communicate and ensure delivery on your projects. You are able to organize your days perfectly while also tracking what you are doing as well as colleagues. You can create different calendars which will be transparent across your business. You are able to tick off anything you have completed and you will never ever be able to forget to do a task again!

Final Thoughts

Asana is going to be essential to your growth as a business. It will allow your team to interact and collaborate with each other in a very simplistic nature. You are able to track your projects progress and fully understand how much work your employees are completing. It is the most simple and effective organisation tool for even the least technological person.

These are just some of the ‘must-have’ tools that we believe will help you flourish when founding your own business. Without some of these tools, we would not have been able to create a successful remote community with the top 1% of startup talent.

Need help building your product? Indiez will be here for you when you need something building. Our remote community will help you on your way and build you a product very fast. We have the top 1% startup talent in the world and we will guarantee to hit your deadlines.

Let’s build awesome. 🙌Starting up? Do it right! Join 100+ amazing founders who built successful products with Indiez.Know more about us here — Indiez.io

13 Essential Tools that ALL non-tech founders NEED. was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.