Citizen Development is Evolving into Citizen Enablement: The Shift in Business User Empowerment

Introduction

The concept of "citizen developers" has been a prominent narrative in the tech industry for years. The idea that business users would eagerly adopt low-code/no-code platforms to build their own applications promised to revolutionize how organizations approach software development. However, reality has proven more nuanced.

The Myth of the Citizen Developer

Despite heavy investment in low-code/no-code tools, most skilled business users—whether in finance, supply chain, sales, or operations—don't wake up wanting to learn a new programming language, even if it's visual or drag-and-drop. They take pride in their domain expertise. They want to solve business problems, not debug apps.

Even with low-code platforms, there's still:

• A learning curve
• A need for logical/technical thinking
• A time commitment most users can't afford

As Gartner observed, 75% of large enterprises are using multiple low-code tools—but adoption beyond tech-savvy users remains shallow [1].

In short: The spirit of Citizen Development is right, but the execution needs a pivot.

The fundamental flaw in the citizen developer concept was the assumption that business experts would willingly divert their attention from their core expertise to learn development tools. In practice, domain experts typically:

1. Take pride in their specialized business knowledge
2. Focus on excelling in their primary responsibilities
3. View technology as a means to an end, not an end itself
4. Resist significant disruptions to their established workflows

Business users don't reject technology—they simply want tools that enhance their existing expertise without requiring them to become amateur programmers.

The Emergence of Citizen Enablement

Rather than expecting business users to adapt to technology, the industry is increasingly recognizing that technology must adapt to business users. This shift toward citizen enablement is characterized by:

1. Tools that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows
2. Solutions that leverage familiar interfaces and concepts
3. AI-powered capabilities that require minimal technical knowledge
4. Technology that augments rather than replaces human expertise

Citizen enablement means empowering users to develop software themselves, but with tools that meet them where they are rather than forcing them to become developers [2]. The focus shifts from teaching business users to code to providing them with tools that understand their business language and context.

Technologies Driving the Shift

Several technological advances are accelerating this transition from development to enablement:

1. AI-Assisted Interfaces

Natural language interfaces and AI assistants allow business users to express their needs conversationally rather than through technical specifications. This eliminates the learning curve associated with traditional development environments.

2. Contextual Automation

Modern tools can observe user behaviors, identify patterns, and suggest automations that align with specific business processes—allowing for personalized efficiency gains without requiring users to actively "develop" solutions.

3. Embedded Intelligence

Intelligence is increasingly embedded directly within business applications, enabling data-driven insights and decision support without requiring users to build separate analytical tools.

4. Vibe Coding and Similar Approaches

"Vibe coding" represents a new paradigm where users can express general intentions or "vibes" rather than precise technical specifications. The AI then interprets and implements these intentions, bridging the gap between business thinking and technical implementation [3].

The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy in February 2025, describing a process where users "fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists" [3]. While traditional developers might view this approach with skepticism, it represents a significant step toward democratizing technology creation.

The Changing Role of IT

This evolution doesn't eliminate IT's importance—it transforms it. The IT function is evolving to:

1. Provide governance and guardrails for business-led technology initiatives
2. Focus on complex integration challenges and enterprise architecture
3. Partner with business units as technology enablers rather than gatekeepers
4. Maintain security and compliance across increasingly distributed technology landscapes

Many organizations are establishing "Centers of Enablement" that provide control without restraining the business [4]. These centers create reusable building blocks with best practices and quality checks applied, enabling self-service throughout the organization.

Implications for SaaS

The traditional SaaS model faces challenges in this new landscape. Rather than the "death of SaaS," we're witnessing its evolution:

1. SaaS offerings are becoming more customizable and adaptable to specific business contexts
2. Integration capabilities are becoming paramount as businesses expect seamless connections between tools
3. AI-powered features are increasingly differentiating successful SaaS products
4. The boundary between applications and platforms is blurring as users expect more flexibility

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has even suggested that traditional business applications will be replaced by intelligent agents, with business logic moving to the AI layer [5]. While this prediction may sound extreme, it points to a future where AI agents integrate across multiple systems, abstracting away technical complexity for business users.

Future Outlook

The future lies in tools that meet users where they are, speaking their language and adapting to their needs. Key trends to watch include:

1. The rise of domain-specific AI assistants that understand industry terminology and concepts
2. Increased emphasis on no-learning tools that require zero training
3. The emergence of adaptive interfaces that personalize based on user behavior
4. Growing importance of metadata and knowledge management to enable context-aware solutions

Conclusion

The evolution from citizen development to citizen enablement represents a more realistic and effective approach to business technology. By focusing on augmenting expert users rather than turning them into amateur developers, organizations can achieve greater adoption, satisfaction, and ultimately, business value from their technology investments.

The successful solutions of tomorrow won't ask business users to become developers—they'll empower business users to be even better at what they already excel at doing.

References

[1] Quixy. "Game-Changing Top 60 No-Code Low-Code Citizen Development Statistics." 2025. [2] Kornelius Götz, LinkedIn. "Citizen Development - the enablement of users to develop software themselves." 2025. [3] MIT Technology Review. "What is vibe coding, exactly?" April 16, 2025. [4] Plat4mation. "Why you should establish a Center for Enablement for ServiceNow Citizen Development." February 6, 2025. [5] JetSoftPro. "SaaS is Dead? Microsoft CEO's Shocking Prediction Explained." January 13, 2025.