Our latest Portraits of Builders features Wes Wagner, founder of Rarely Decaf. In this interview, he shares his journey from a no-code beginner to a systems architect leveraging visual development, his vision for the future of the industry, the role of AI in app building, and more!
I’m the founder of Rarely Decaf, a tech consultancy focused on helping established service businesses improve operations and launch new offerings through custom software. My journey started with basic automation tools and has evolved to architecting scalable enterprise solutions using platforms like WeWeb and Xano.
Since 2017, I've worked remotely, often splitting time between the United States and Latin America. I'm currently based near Indianapolis, settling down a bit as I start a family—priorities definitely shift!
Besides tinkering with technology and AI, my passion is traveling. My wife's from Mexico City, and I've spent significant time across Latin America. I love cooking, trying different cuisines, and exploring new coffee shops. Long walks and bike rides are also essential.
My first exposure to no-code tools and the broader visual development movement was around 2016 during college. Bored with classes, I got involved in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, working for startups and learning about these emerging platforms. Around this time, for an early startup idea, I even built a functional MVP using tools like WordPress, Zapier, Airtable, and Typeform—a testament to getting something tangible out quickly.
In subsequent roles, often in marketing or growth as a team of one, delivering results meant building systems for my own work using tools like Airtable, Zapier, and Make to automate and manage processes efficiently.
Later, I worked for an online school whose entire business ran on Airtable, Zapier, Make, and Typeform. It was eye-opening to see them process 6,000-10,000 applicants monthly with just one admissions person, thanks to heavy automation. This experience really drove home both the incredible power of these tools for automation at scale, but also starkly highlighted their inherent limitations for more complex, bespoke functionalities.
I eventually left to launch my own fintech/edtech startup. I built the MVP using platforms like Airtable, Zapier and Make. With that MVP, I raised money from Village Global, a well-known venture capital fund. While that startup ultimately didn't succeed, it reinforced my conviction about the power of these tools for rapid product validation and underscored the critical importance of the underlying business strategy itself.
My learning process has been a long journey, starting back around 2016 with those first tools. Initially, it involved a lot of Googling, digging through forums, and hands-on experimentation.
In the last couple of years, as I focused on building more complex, scalable systems using advanced visual development tools, my learning accelerated significantly. Resources like the Technically newsletter were helpful, and the arrival of ChatGPT and other AI tools dramatically sped up troubleshooting and understanding new concepts.
Around 2022, as I transitioned more towards building truly scalable enterprise software, I hit a wall on a client project. What they needed, especially on the frontend, couldn't be cleanly achieved with the automation-focused tools I knew well. It required complex workarounds and embedding other services.
That’s when I discovered WeWeb. My first thought was, “This is exactly what I've been looking for.” It offered the flexibility for true visual programming, allowing me to build precisely what was needed without hitting platform constraints.
I explained to the client we could use the familiar tools, but it would likely become a fragile, “duct-taped mess.” I proposed WeWeb. They asked if I could build it, I said yes, and dove in.
Moving from tools like Airtable and Zapier to platforms like WeWeb and Xano was a significant leap. The previous tools abstracted away important web development concepts like authentication methods, client-side state management, robust data structures, and web development fundamentals.
Suddenly, I needed to understand: How does authentication really work here? When should API calls be made? How should data be managed client-side vs. server-side? How do I design a scalable backend?
Luckily, WeWeb's documentation and community forum were helpful resources, as was the support from partners like State Change, as I navigated these new concepts.
I appreciate the level of abstraction WeWeb provides. It makes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript visual and accessible, while still allowing you to drop down closer to the code when necessary. This balance makes it incredibly efficient to build customized, scalable, and secure frontends.
My focus is growing Rarely Decaf by partnering with established service businesses, particularly those facing complex operational challenges. Our initial engagement often centers on building custom systems using platforms like WeWeb, combined with AI, to deliver immediate value—streamlining workflows, saving costs, and reducing operational overhead and stress.
But the real, long-term value we deliver extends far beyond that initial system. It lies in becoming a true strategic technology partner. Drawing on my background in startups and building MVPs, I work collaboratively with business owners and COOs. Together, we explore how the combination of modern visual development tools and the latest AI/LLM capabilities can not only optimize their current state but also shape a forward-looking vision. We help them redefine what's possible within their business model, often unlocking entirely new, tech-enabled service offerings and ensuring they are positioned for future growth.
I'm also personally transitioning from being the primary "doer" to the strategic lead—building the team and systems so the business runs effectively without my hands in every technical detail.
Visual development and AI are a powerful combination. No-code/visual dev initially accelerated programming logic definition. Then LLMs integrated into coding platforms caught up in some ways. But now, visual development platforms are integrating both approaches, creating an even faster development cycle.
They offer flexibility: start with AI generation, refine visually, and drop into code for deep customization. WeWeb is well-positioned here, blending all three modes (visual, code, AI) seamlessly.
I anticipate more bundling of development tools. Instead of managing separate services for databases, coding environments, hosting, etc., we'll see more integrated platforms that simplify the stack, letting builders focus on maybe just two or three core development environments while abstracting away “devops”.
Adoption will also grow significantly. Visual interfaces offer a more intuitive way to build complex applications. Traditional coding platforms might find it challenging to compete solely by adding AI code generation–I think the UI/UX of the development experience itself is critical. That's where platforms like WeWeb, built with a focus on the developer interface, have a distinct advantage.
Right now, we're a team of four (myself included). We serve a couple of key clients, including one core anchor partner we've worked closely with for three years, becoming their dedicated tech team.
We thrive on these long-term partnerships, not one-off projects. After building an initial system to address immediate needs, the relationship deepens. As clients grasp the potential of modern tools and AI, we become their strategic sounding board and execution partner for ongoing innovation.
This journey often evolves from solving operational pain points towards actively exploring how technology can help them lead in their industry—creating new services and ensuring they're future-proof.
Looking ahead, my primary focus is building Rarely Decaf as a team and scaling our impact beyond my direct involvement. The goal is to cultivate deep partnerships with a handful of additional core clients by the end of the year, allowing our growing team to deliver exceptional quality and strategic value, rather than just increasing volume.
Two main things:
First, just start building something real. When you inevitably hit roadblocks, use AI tools (like ChatGPT) relentlessly. Ask questions, understand blockers, get code snippets or explanations—it dramatically accelerates learning.
Second, spend time understanding core web development principles, even if you don't write traditional code. Find resources geared towards explaining concepts like APIs, databases, client/server interactions simply. Knowing the "why" behind the visual tools is crucial for building robust applications.
And remember to enjoy the process!
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