The podcast discusses the concept of citizen developers and whether they truly exist. Helen Wall, a guest from Houston, joins the conversation. The term "citizen developer" suggests that individuals without formal development training can create applications using low code tools like Power Apps. While this can bridge the gap between business and IT, it often leads to issues like unorganized apps and security risks without proper governance.

The speakers highlight that citizen developers may lack the time and depth of understanding that professional developers have, leading to poorly designed solutions. Proper project management, clear goals, and governance are essential to making citizen development work effectively. They also touch on the marketing aspect, suggesting that the term may be used to sell more software licenses. However, tools like Power BI can still be valuable for individuals to develop useful solutions that save time.

Looking to the future, the focus should be on helping individuals use these tools to improve their work while ensuring good planning and governance. Organizations need to mature their platforms, understand their capabilities better, and develop a healthy cynicism about marketing claims. The discussion ends with a hint at future topics, such as the democratization of data and Excel pie charts.

You can download Power BI Desktop from here.

If you already use Power BI, or are considering it, we strongly recommend you join your local Power BI user group here.

To find out more about our services and the help we can offer, contact us at one of the websites below:
UK and Europe: https://www.clearlycloudy.co.uk/
North America: https://clearlysolutions.net/