“Vibe coding” sounds like a meme. It’s not. It’s a genuine shift in how software gets built.
The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy (OpenAI co-founder) in early 2025. By the end of the year, Collins Dictionary named it Word of the Year. Now it’s how 25% of Y Combinator startups build their products.
If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, this guide will get you up to speed.
What is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding is building software by describing what you want to an AI, rather than writing code yourself.
The “vibe” part comes from how you communicate. Instead of precise technical specifications, you describe the vibe you’re going for. “Make it feel modern.” “I want it to work like Instagram but for recipes.” “Can you add that smooth animation thing?”
The AI translates your vibes into actual code.
This sounds like magic until you try it. Then you realize it’s actually practical. People with zero coding experience are building functional apps in hours.
How It Actually Works
The typical vibe coding workflow:
- Describe what you want - In plain English, tell the AI what you’re trying to build.
- AI generates code - The AI writes the code, sets up files, creates the structure.
- You review and refine - Look at what it made. Ask for changes. “Make the button bigger.” “Add dark mode.”
- Iterate until done - Keep refining until you’re happy with the result.
- Deploy - Push it live. The AI can help with this too.
The key insight: you’re not learning to code. You’re learning to communicate with AI about code.
The Main Tools
Several tools enable vibe coding. Here are the big ones:
Claude Code (by Anthropic)
Claude Code is the hot tool right now, especially with the Opus 4.5 update. It runs in your terminal or through the Claude interface and can build complete applications from conversation. Best for: anything, really. It’s the most capable option.
Cursor
Cursor is VS Code (the popular code editor) with AI built in. It’s more developer-focused than Claude Code - you see all the code and can edit directly. Best for: developers who want AI assistance, not AI doing everything.
Lovable
Lovable is designed for non-coders. Describe your app, get a polished result with nice design. It handles deployment too. Best for: non-technical people who want the most polished output.
Bolt.new
Bolt runs entirely in your browser. No installation needed. Type what you want, watch it build in real-time, deploy instantly. Best for: speed and quick prototypes.
v0 by Vercel
Specialized for UI components. Describe a interface, get React code. Best for: front-end design and components.
What You Can Actually Build
Let’s be realistic about capabilities:
Definitely achievable:
- Landing pages and marketing sites
- Simple web apps (to-do lists, trackers, dashboards)
- CRUD applications (create, read, update, delete data)
- Forms and data collection tools
- Chrome extensions
- Simple mobile apps
- Automation scripts
Possible with effort:
- Full-stack applications with databases
- SaaS products
- E-commerce sites
- Apps with authentication and user accounts
Still difficult:
- Complex systems with many moving parts
- Apps requiring high security (banking, healthcare)
- High-performance applications
- Anything at massive scale
The sweet spot is MVPs and personal tools. Things that would take a developer days or weeks can be done in hours.
Getting Started Today
Here’s your first week learning vibe coding:
Day 1: Pick a tool and set it up
I recommend starting with Bolt.new (no installation) or Lovable (most beginner-friendly). Just get something working.
Day 2: Build something trivial
Make a personal website. Or a simple calculator. Something you can complete in one session. Get the feel for the workflow.
Day 3-4: Build something slightly harder
A habit tracker. A simple game. A tool that solves a small problem you have. Push into unfamiliar territory.
Day 5-6: Learn to debug
Things will break. Learn how to describe problems to the AI. “This button doesn’t work” becomes “When I click Save, nothing happens. The console shows this error…”
Day 7: Deploy something
Put something on the internet. Share the link. Having a live project makes it real.
Tips from People Who’ve Done It
Lessons from the community:
Be specific about what you want
“Make it look good” gets generic results. “Use a dark theme, rounded corners, subtle shadows, and a blue accent color” gets what you actually want.
Iterate in small steps
Don’t try to describe your entire vision at once. Build the foundation, then add features one by one.
Learn enough to understand errors
You don’t need to write code, but understanding error messages helps a lot. The AI can explain them to you.
Use screenshots
Most tools accept images. Show them what you want. “Make it look like this” with a screenshot is often clearer than words.
Save your work frequently
AI sessions can time out. Code can get lost. Use version control (Git) or at least copy your code somewhere safe.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Expecting perfection on first try
Vibe coding is iterative. Your first attempt won’t be perfect. That’s fine. Refine it.
Trying to build too much at once
Start small. Very small. Smaller than you think. Build confidence before scaling up.
Ignoring the code entirely
You don’t need to write code, but glancing at it helps you understand what’s happening. Over time, you’ll pick up patterns.
Not testing as you go
Check that each piece works before adding more. Debugging a small problem is easy. Debugging a mess of problems is hard.
Master Vibe Coding
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Vibe coding isn’t replacing developers. It’s creating a new category of builder.
People who couldn’t build software before can now create tools, test ideas, and solve their own problems. The barrier to entry has dropped dramatically.
If you’ve ever had an app idea but thought “I can’t code,” that excuse is gone. The tools exist. They work. The only question is whether you’ll use them.
Open a vibe coding tool. Describe something simple. Watch it appear.
That moment when your words become working software - that’s when you’ll understand what all the hype is about.