Dear Traditional Code, we need to talk

Dear Traditional Code,

I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but it has to be said. Although we’ve had a wonderful relationship for years, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, it’s time for me to move on. It’s not me…it’s you.

It’s taken me a few years to realize it, but I can no longer deny the facts. You’re stuck in your ways, and I’m ready to grow. You want to keep the status quo, and I’m ready to innovate. You’re satisfied with what you’re doing now, and I want to make a bigger impact.

Bottom line: You’re holding me back.

I don’t have time for your drama

Serious question: You know that the faster we get our apps live, the faster we realize value—right? Sometimes I feel like you don’t really get it. Every day we spend coding is another day people’s jobs don’t get any easier or customers leave us for companies that offer them applications with a better user experience.

So, what do you do? You shout. Syntax errors! Runtime errors! Compilation errors! Root cause analysis! Plus, you demand endless log reviews. How is that helping anyone?

Sorry not sorry: It’s just too much drama.

You have no chill, and I have no time.

You’re kind of high maintenance

Front-end frameworks, CSS utility classes, the latest database schemas, oh my. You’ve got a lot going on. And while I could deal with it all, I just don’t need the complications. To be at my best, I have to spend less time managing you.

Not to mention, you’ve never accepted that your past relationships are over. I know you’re still trying to be friends with SAP, but you’re not doing it right—and the effort you’re putting in isn’t worth it. Come on, Traditional Code. It’s time to wake up and smell the Kaffee.

You’re fiscally irresponsible (to put it politely)

Let me be more direct: You’re wasting money. I spend months planning and budgeting to arrive at the amount I think I’m going to need to accomplish my goals…and it’s almost all gone by the time we’re halfway through the year.

I know you’re used to a certain lifestyle, but this really has to stop. I do not want to borrow money from marketing. I want to live within my means.

You’re hurting my other relationships

But here’s the real kicker, and the worst of all: You’re hurting my other relationships. And when I say “other relationships,” I mean: my relationship with the business.

Traditional Code, you’re giving IT a bad reputation. You’re giving me a bad reputation. And you’re giving my department a bad reputation.

We’re smart people! We’re hard workers! We want to get the job done! But because of your drama, your high-maintenance attitude, and your absurd spending habits: We can’t.

And that’s really the crux of it, isn’t it? I would have been able to handle the rest if I could still keep it real with the business. But I can’t. You won’t let me.

Also…I met someone

I don’t want to make this harder for you than it has to be, but I do want to be honest with you: I’m leaving you for low-code. I’m leaving you for OutSystems.

Traditional Code, I’ve learned a lot from you. You’ve taught me skills that I’ve used every day to get the job done and to advance my career along the way. In fact, it’s only because of you that I know I have what it takes to move on.

Every time I drag and drop an OutSystems component instead of hand-writing multiple lines of code, I’ll be proud of this decision.

Every time OutSystems automatically fixes a dependency error, I’ll be thankful things are drama free.

Every time I use AI-assisted development to make my project move faster, I’ll have no regrets.

And every time my team uses OutSystems to deliver an app on time and on budget…I’ll be so glad I left.

Sorry, Traditional Code. It’s been real. But the heart wants what the heart wants…and the heart wants OutSystems.

Love,
Every IT Department
(even if they don’t know it yet)