STUDENT STORY

From Tech Expert to No-Code Creator

How Cidália rediscovered her creative edge—and launched two real-world projects in the process.

Meet Cidália Rodrigues

Educator at heart. Tech lover by nature. Always learning.
Cidália is a systems analyst and former computer science trainer with nearly 50 years of wisdom and curiosity under her belt. From classrooms to corporate projects, her journey’s been driven by one belief: tech should make life easier. When she joined NoCode Institute, she was already juggling full-time work, evening trainings—and a deep desire to reconnect with her creative side.
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"I didn’t expect the course to impact me this deeply. It wasn’t just about learning tools—it was about reconnecting with what lights me up. That moment when someone realises tech can actually make life easier? That sparkle in their eyes? I felt it again—for myself."

Cidália Rodrigues
Academia de Novos Talentos Digitais, 2024

The Challenge

Despite her tech background, Cidália felt stuck.

She’d dabbled in low-code, even enrolled in a NoCode course before—but life had pulled her away.

When this new cohort opened up, she took the leap… but immediately questioned if she could keep up.

“I saw the weekly missions and thought—this is serious. How will I manage it all?”

With work, training, and no extra time, she worried she might drop the ball again.

The Transformation

“If there’s no deadline, I’ll find a reason to postpone. But this time, I didn’t.”

From day one, Cidália realised this wasn’t just another “watch-when-you-can” course.
It was real work, with real people, building real things. And that changed everything.

She threw herself into learning Glide, Softr, Airtable, and Zapier—tools that pushed her to think differently than she had as a traditional developer. At first, that shift was uncomfortable.
She hit roadblocks. She got frustrated.
But she kept showing up—and when she did, something clicked.

She stopped trying to code her way through everything.
She let the tools do their job.
And suddenly, projects that had been collecting dust in a digital drawer started coming to life.

First, she built a pantry management app she’d been dreaming about for years. Then, a powerful financial calculator for an actual client—no simulation, no theory, just hands-on, meaningful work.

Along the way, she also unlocked something unexpected:
The soft skills she didn’t know she was missing.
Focus. Clarity. Purpose. A renewed sense of confidence in her own pace and path.

“The course didn’t just give us tools—it gave us the space to grow. No pressure for perfection. Just support and structure so we could go as far as we could.”

Behind the scenes

Favourite tool

Glide

Favourite mission

Her own pantry management app “Food Saver”

Biggest challenge

Letting go of ‘developer mindset’

Most valuable learning

Structure and soft skills matter as much as code

What’s Next for Cidália?

Cidália’s re-energized.

She’s exploring new no-code tools, sketching ideas for new apps, and looking to bring automation and simplicity to the everyday processes of others—especially independent professionals. Mentoring and teaching? Still part of the plan. But now, with sharper tools and bigger ideas.

Project Highlight

In the final stage of the Cohorts, students have the opportunity to work in a real project to develop not only technical skills, but also soft skills like client management, problem-solving, prioritization, and negotiation. Always with the support of our Mentors.

Client: Tira da Gaveta

Mission: A financial sustainability simulator for career-changers and entrepreneurs

Tools: Softr, Airtable, Zapier, responsive design for all devices

Features:

✅  Built a web-based calculator to help users determine a viable hourly rate and and monthly income targets.

✅  Summarized key results via email.

✅  Available only for clients through authentication.

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What idea have you been putting off—just waiting for the right push?

Cidália didn’t take this course to switch careers. She took it to reconnect with her purpose, her creativity, and her power to build. If you’re feeling stuck, curious, or ready to make something real—maybe it’s your turn, too.

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