Taking Low-Code to the Next Level: How to Drive Growth in Your Organisation

What steps should you take to advance low-code projects beyond the start-up phase? And how do you ensure these initiatives don’t fail prematurely? To successfully accelerate low-code adoption, organisations must foster a growth culture, develop a clear low-code vision, and have the courage to take on new and challenging projects. These were the three key takeaways from the Ciphix event “Taking Low-Code to the Next Level”, held on 13 June in Culemborg.

The power of a growth-oriented culture

To discuss the importance of team culture in driving success, Ciphix invited Brian Farley, the legendary baseball coach who led the Dutch national team to an unexpected World Championship victory in 2011.

Brian highlighted three essential principles for creating a winning team—principles that also apply to IT teams driving low-code adoption:

1. Authentic Leadership – True leaders focus on helping their team grow. Their mindset directly influences the team’s atmosphere. A positive leader fosters a positive team culture.
2. Being Your True Self – Team members perform better when they feel safe to be themselves. A leader who encourages authenticity creates an environment where people feel valued.
3. Active Listening – Real teamwork starts with listening to one another. This builds trust and drives collaboration.

According to Brian, only in a growth culture can teams fully unlock their potential. In a fear culture, employees focus on avoiding mistakes rather than striving for excellence.

Reaching the ‘Stretch Zone’

Brian also introduced the concept of the stretch zone. This is the space just beyond a team’s current skill set—challenging yet achievable. Setting goals too high leads to the panic zone, where people feel success is impossible. But in the stretch zone, progress leads to fulfilment, happiness, and team cohesion.

His closing message? Start with yourself. Ask yourself daily: What impact do I want to have on my team? When every team member does this, the result is a high-performing team.

A Clear Low-Code Vision is Crucial

Beyond a strong team, a clear vision is essential for scaling low-code. Arjo van Oosten, VP of Digital Transformation at Mendix and founder of the Mendix digital transformation framework, explained how organisations mature in their low-code journey:

• Project-level: Low-code is tested on small-scale initiatives.
• Programme-level: The organisation sees value in low-code but lacks a clear strategy.
• Strategic-level: Low-code is embedded in the company’s strategy, driving innovation and competitiveness.

A well-defined low-code vision provides focus, connection, and inspiration. It helps teams prioritise projects, align efforts, and continuously identify new opportunities.

The Five P’s of Low-Code Success

To successfully implement low-code, Mendix outlines four key pillars (4 P’s): People, Process, Portfolio, and Platform. A fifth P has now been added: Promotion. CIOs must actively promote early successes, documenting value to encourage wider adoption and integration.

Scaling Low-Code at Mourik

Stef Koomans (Low-Code Programme Manager) and Jaap van der Welle (CIO) from Mourik shared their experience scaling low-code within their organisation.

Their key lessons:

• Start small but impactful—early success creates momentum.
• Engage key internal stakeholders from the start to boost adoption.
• Measure baseline performance to clearly demonstrate value.

Their ultimate goal? Generating revenue through low-code applications. To achieve this, they now focus on app portfolio management, infrastructure, and recruiting additional developers.

Growth Requires Courage

The event concluded with a Q&A session where speakers emphasised the importance of stepping outside one’s comfort zone. True growth comes from pushing boundaries.

Where do you want to be in 10 years? The gap between today and that vision is what drives low-code to the next level.

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