Retool was in my YC batch and the founders were very smart and driven - impressive product and insane growth. As a founder, very impressed.
On the other hand, as an engineer, Retool depresses me immensely. Tech debt accumulation is incredible with these tools - security is impossible - and performance is abysmal. Without exaggeration, I now ask in interviews if no-code tools are encouraged. If yes, I’m moving on. Software engineering cannot have failed so badly that we’re left dragging and dropping with no version control. It’s madness, and I’ll fight it until the end.
No code tools are cool - but they need to be quarantined. To quote the film “the departed”, “I treat them like mushrooms - keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit”.