I do think it's a major shift but not in a mutually exclusive way, and maybe not a "paradigm" shift. I think initially, no-code tools were touted as being for non-developers. But now there is a realization that no-code tools are more like "automation" for completing a task. In that mindset, anyone (developer or not) can benefit from using them since it can be/should be/is more efficient. To the extent that no-code tools let a non-developer build and test an end-to-end app as their business, I think that's rare today but I would say we're on our way towards it.
I liken the no-code movement to the introduction of a higher-level programming language. For certain tasks, the higher-level language is more than adequate and a developer (or user) who knows nothing about OSes, file systems or networking, can build an application and probably create value and make money. But the higher-level language doesn't replace the lower-level language overnight, and for certain tasks it'll never replace it.
To use the example you mentioned, if you just want to display a webpage for your co-workers that lets them filter a SQL table, it might take you a few minutes to build that in Retool. If there is a class of such webpages or webapps that could make you money, then it's easy to see Retool as a new higher-level language for building those types of apps.
So, my view is that it's not a paradigm shift for building software, but rather the next step on an evolution towards a more automated process of building software.
I liken the no-code movement to the introduction of a higher-level programming language. For certain tasks, the higher-level language is more than adequate and a developer (or user) who knows nothing about OSes, file systems or networking, can build an application and probably create value and make money. But the higher-level language doesn't replace the lower-level language overnight, and for certain tasks it'll never replace it.
To use the example you mentioned, if you just want to display a webpage for your co-workers that lets them filter a SQL table, it might take you a few minutes to build that in Retool. If there is a class of such webpages or webapps that could make you money, then it's easy to see Retool as a new higher-level language for building those types of apps.
So, my view is that it's not a paradigm shift for building software, but rather the next step on an evolution towards a more automated process of building software.
Disclosure: I founded a no-code web testing app https://reflect.run