I Tried Vibe Coding

You've probably heard this new buzzword floating around developer Twitter — "vibe coding". But what the hell does it actually mean? And more importantly, is it a good or bad thing for us developers?

After experimenting with this approach on several side projects, I wanted to share my honest thoughts about vibe coding, how it can be both incredibly beneficial and potentially dangerous, and why context matters more than anything.

What The Hell Is Vibe Coding?

In simple terms, vibe coding is a programming approach that heavily leverages AI tools to generate code rather than relying solely on traditional manual coding methods. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it's becoming increasingly popular.

The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy (sorry if I butchered the pronunciation), a well-known figure in the AI community. He made a tongue-in-cheek tweet about it that went something like this:

"There's a new kind of coding I call 'vibe coding', where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists..."

He went on to describe barely touching the keyboard, asking AI to do mundane tasks like "decrease the padding," accepting all diffs without reading them, and just copy-pasting error messages into ChatGPT until they disappear.

It's obviously sarcastic — but it's also disturbingly accurate if you've ever used ChatGPT or Copilot at 2 AM on a side project.

My Take on Vibe Coding

To me, vibe coding represents a new style of development where you're not meticulously crafting every single line of code anymore. Instead, you're collaborating with an AI assistant.

You describe what you want. You experiment. You throw things at the wall and see what sticks. You're not getting bogged down in implementation details — you're maintaining flow and momentum.

It's not about perfect architecture or pristine design patterns. It's about getting stuff done.

The Good: Why I'm Actually Loving This

After incorporating vibe coding into some of my side projects, I'll be honest — my productivity has absolutely skyrocketed. I'm getting more done in less time, and I'm actually learning new approaches in the process.

Here's what vibe coding excels at:

Rapid Prototyping & MVPs

Perfect for getting a minimum viable product off the ground quickly. You can focus on the big picture instead of getting stuck in implementation rabbit holes.

Learning & Exploration

Great for understanding new concepts. If you're taking a course and need something explained differently, AI can provide alternative explanations and examples.

Handling Boilerplate

Let's be real — nobody enjoys writing the same setup code over and over. AI excels at generating repetitive, well-established patterns.

Breaking Through Mental Blocks

When you're stuck on a problem, AI can suggest approaches you might not have considered.

The Bad: Where Things Get Dangerous

But here's where I need to pump the brakes. Vibe coding is NOT a replacement for traditional coding skills, and beginners need to be especially careful.

The Learning Trap

If you're new to programming, you NEED to learn the fundamentals first before you start vibing with AI. Your first serious projects should be your own code, and you should understand every single line.

Otherwise, you'll end up with a pile of code you don't understand — and that's dangerous.

Security & Quality Issues

Unlike low-code tools (which are built by experienced developers with security in mind), vibe coding modifies source code directly without guardrails.

AI-generated code can have:

• Security vulnerabilities
• Outdated practices
• Flat-out incorrect implementations
• Performance issues

The Knowledge Gap Problem

AI models take time to learn new libraries and syntax. The industry changes overnight, but training data doesn't. Sometimes the AI is just completely wrong — not just inefficient, but "the sky is yellow" wrong.

My Rules for Responsible Vibe Coding

Here's how I approach it:

1. I fully understand everything I use from AI generation
2. I know how to fix it if something breaks
3. Never push code to production that you don't understand
4. Use it as a supplement, not a replacement for knowledge

For Beginners: Proceed With Caution

I think it's okay for beginners to experiment with vibe coding if it keeps you excited about programming. Those "aha!" moments are crucial for maintaining momentum.

But this comes with a massive caveat: do this for learning and experimentation only. Not for production code. Not for anything that matters.

You still need to learn:

• Programming fundamentals
• How to debug
• How to read and understand code
• Best practices and security considerations

The Real Talk

Look, I know there are people who think using AI is "cheating" or "not real coding." I think that's a narrow-minded way of looking at it.

The world is changing, and we need to adapt. AI isn't going anywhere, so why not learn to use it to your advantage?

The alternative is... what? Complaining on Twitter? That's not going to stop progress.

Finding the Balance

AI isn't the enemy — it's another tool. Like any tool, it can be incredibly useful or incredibly dangerous depending on how you use it.

The key is finding balance:

• Use AI tools to enhance your productivity
• Don't rely on them completely
• Always understand what you're implementing
• Learn the fundamentals first
• Use it with intention, not as a crutch

Final Thoughts

Vibe coding can be powerful for experienced developers who understand the underlying concepts. It can speed up development, spark creativity, and handle mundane tasks.

But it requires responsibility, understanding, and healthy skepticism.

Don't let AI replace learning the craft — let it amplify the skills you already have.

What's your experience with AI-assisted coding? Are you vibing, or staying traditional? Let me know in the comments.

Want more content like this? Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on social media for the latest web development tips and tutorials.