Blog / vibecoding
What is vibecoding? A plain-language guide
Vibecoding is building software by telling an AI what you want in plain language, running what it writes, and steering it with more plain language until the thing works. You spend your time on intent, taste and testing rather than on typing every line yourself.
Where the word came from
The phrase caught on as AI coding assistants became good enough that a person could describe an app and get something runnable back. It describes a way of working more than a tool: you lean on the model for the code and keep your own attention on what the product should do.
What it looks like in practice
- You describe the outcome you want, not the code.
- The AI writes or edits files, and you run the result.
- You look at what happened, say what is wrong, and repeat.
- When something works, you keep it. When it does not, you back up.
The loop is short. The skill is in describing things clearly, noticing when the output is wrong, and knowing when to stop trusting the model and read the code yourself.
What it is good at
- Prototypes and first versions, where speed matters more than polish.
- Small tools and internal apps you would never have found time to write.
- Learning, because you can read what the model produced and ask why.
- Getting past a blank page.
Where it breaks
The model can be confidently wrong. It can add code you did not ask for, reintroduce a bug you already fixed, or build something that works on the happy path and fails on the first odd input. Security, data handling and anything that costs money deserve a human reading the code.
Projects also drift. After a few dozen prompts it is easy to forget why a decision was made. That is why people who vibecode well tend to keep notes.
Keep a record of what you did
A build log solves the drift problem and doubles as a portfolio. Write down what you asked for, what you got, what broke and what you changed. Six months later you will be glad you did, and so will anyone who wants to learn from your project.
Getting started
- Pick one small thing you actually want, not a startup.
- Choose one AI coding tool and stay with it for the whole project.
- Commit often so you can undo mistakes.
- Write a short note after every working session.
- Show it to someone before you think it is ready.
Keep your own build log
Write numbered entries, follow other builders, and let people watch your idea become real.
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