What Vibe Coding Is
Vibe coding is software development through natural language conversation with AI models. You describe what you want to build. The AI writes code, creates files, and configures your application. The term captures the conversational, intuitive nature of this development approach.
Traditional coding requires manual syntax, debugging, and dependency management. Vibe coding abstracts those tasks. You focus on describing requirements and reviewing outputs. The AI handles implementation details.
This approach works across many application types:
- Web applications
- APIs and backend services
- Data processing scripts
- Automation tools
- Mobile and hybrid apps
The AI generates code in languages such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, and many others.
Vibe coding exists on a spectrum. Some developers ask AI for small snippets. Others build entire applications without writing a single line manually. Your level of involvement depends on project complexity and personal preference.
What Vibe Coding Means
Vibe coding means shifting from direct code manipulation to intent expression. You explain what the software should do, not how to do it. The AI translates your intentions into executable code.
The word “vibe” reflects a casual, flowing interaction. You hold a conversation with your AI assistant that feels natural rather than strictly technical. You iterate on ideas through dialogue instead of low level syntax edits.
This approach helps democratize software creation:
- Non-programmers can build functional tools.
- Domain experts create software for their own workflows.
- The barrier to entry drops for anyone with clear ideas and the ability to explain them.
Vibe coding also means accepting AI-generated code as the primary artifact. You review and test the output. You steer direction through prompts. Direct editing still matters but becomes secondary to conversational refinement.
How Vibe Coding Works
Vibe coding runs as an iterative loop between you and an AI model:
- You describe your application at a high level.
- The AI asks clarifying questions or starts generating code.
- The AI creates project structure, source files, and dependencies.
- You review the output, request fixes, and ask for new features.
- The AI updates the code based on your feedback.
- The cycle repeats until the application meets your requirements.
Under the hood, large language models trained on massive codebases power this process. They learn syntax rules, framework conventions, and common design patterns. They apply that knowledge to your prompts.
Context is critical. The AI needs information about goals, constraints, and target users. Better context produces better code, so many developers begin with a detailed project brief.
Some vibe coding platforms give the AI direct access to your environment. The AI can:
- Create and edit files
- Run commands
- Execute tests
Other platforms generate code that you copy into your own tools.
When Did Vibe Coding Start
Vibe coding emerged as a recognizable practice in 2023.
- 2021: GitHub Copilot launched with focused code completion.
- Late 2022: ChatGPT introduced conversational code generation.
- March 2023: GPT-4 improved multi step coding capabilities. Developers began building full features purely through conversation. The phrase “vibe coding” surfaced in online communities.
- 2023: Claude’s extended context window enabled long running coding sessions with persistent history.
- Late 2023 to 2024: Dedicated vibe coding platforms such as Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, and v0 appeared and refined conversational workflows.
- Late 2024: Computer use capabilities gave models direct access to development environments. They could run commands, install packages, and execute tests, moving vibe coding from code snippets to full application development.
Who Coined Vibe Coding
The term “vibe coding” surfaced organically in developer communities. No single person claims credit.
- Developers on Twitter, Reddit, and Discord began using it to describe relaxed AI assisted development.
- Indie builders showed side projects created through ChatGPT conversations.
- Content creators popularized the phrase in videos and blog posts.
By late 2023, “vibe coding” appeared in technical articles, talks, and even analyst reports as conversational development became more common.
Where to Vibe Code
Vibe coding happens across many platforms, each with different strengths.
- Cursor
- VS Code based editor with integrated AI.
- You prompt inside your project, and Cursor generates code in context.
- Supports most languages and frameworks.
- Claude with computer use
- You describe your project and Claude creates files, runs commands, and tests code.
- Works with any stack when given access to your environment.
- Lovable
- Specializes in React web apps.
- Handles project setup, styling, and backend wiring.
- Deploys easily to Lovable Cloud.
- Bolt
- Builds full stack apps through chat.
- Generates frontend, backend, and database schema.
- Provides preview environments and exportable code.
- Replit with Replit Agent
- Combines a cloud IDE with AI agents.
- Sets up projects, installs dependencies, and runs apps in the cloud.
- ChatGPT with code interpreter
- Great for Python scripts, data analysis, and automation.
- Executes code in a sandboxed environment.
- For other languages, you copy generated code to your own tools.
- v0 by Vercel
- Focuses on UI components.
- Generates React components from interface descriptions.
- GitHub Copilot Workspace
- Starts from GitHub issues.
- Plans the implementation and writes code across multiple files.
- Integrates with normal Git workflows.
Which Vibe Coding Platform Is Best
The best platform depends on your scenario:
- Lovable or Bolt for rapid web application prototyping.
- Cursor if you want AI inside a familiar VS Code style editor.
- Claude with computer use for maximum flexibility and any stack.
- Bolt when you need full stack generation including APIs and databases.
- Replit Agent when you want integrated development and hosting in one place.
- ChatGPT with code interpreter for quick scripts, data work, and experiments.
- v0 by Vercel when you primarily need high quality React UI components.
You can mix tools. Many developers design UI in v0, let Claude or Cursor wire up logic, then host with another platform.
Can Vibe Coding Get You a Job
Vibe coding builds several valuable skills:
- Translating problems into clear requirements.
- Communicating technical goals to AI systems.
- Reviewing and improving AI generated code.
Companies increasingly value developers who use AI tools effectively. Vibe coding experience shows you know how to leverage these systems.
A strong vibe coded portfolio helps:
- Real applications demonstrate practical ability.
- Documentation of your conversational workflow shows how you think and iterate.
The skill profile differs from traditional programming. You still benefit from understanding:
- Architecture and design patterns
- Data structures and algorithms
- Basic debugging and performance concepts
Junior roles may still emphasize fundamentals and hand written code. Senior roles focus more on outcomes. If you can ship reliable products quickly, the exact method matters less.
Vibe coding fits especially well with:
- Freelance and contract work
- Solo founders and indie hackers
- Internal tooling and MVP development
Why Vibe Coding Is Bad
Vibe coding has real downsides. Ignoring them creates risk.
- Variable code quality
- AI code often works but may not be optimal.
- Performance, scalability, or readability can suffer.
- Debugging difficulty
- You may inherit large blocks of unfamiliar code.
- Tracing subtle bugs becomes harder without understanding the implementation.
- Platform dependency
- Outages, rate limits, or policy changes disrupt your workflow.
- Weak fundamentals
- Relying only on AI slows your growth in core concepts that matter for complex systems.
- Maintainability issues
- Inconsistent patterns across files.
- Sparse comments and limited tests.
- Testing gaps
- Most generated code ships without comprehensive unit or integration tests unless you ask for them explicitly.
- Security risks
- AI can produce insecure patterns, weak validation, or outdated practices.
- Sensitive surfaces like authentication and authorization need careful human review.
Used carelessly, vibe coding can produce fragile systems that are hard to maintain and easy to attack.
Will Vibe Coding Replace Programmers
Vibe coding will not remove the need for programmers. It will change what programmers do.
Humans remain essential for:
- System design and architecture
- Selecting technologies, defining boundaries, and planning integrations.
- Deep debugging and incident response
- Diagnosing complex failures in production environments.
- Code review and quality control
- Evaluating AI output for correctness, performance, and security.
- Novel algorithm development and research
- Solving problems that do not yet have standard patterns.
The role shifts from “person who writes every line” to “person who directs AI, shapes architecture, and validates outcomes.”
Some effects to expect:
- Fewer low level tasks for junior developers.
- Higher expectations around product thinking and communication.
- Greater leverage for experienced engineers who combine architectural skill with AI fluency.
Vibe Coding Deployment with noBGP
Vibe coding speeds up development. Deployment still blocks many projects.
Traditional deployment demands:
- Server provisioning
- Networking and DNS configuration
- SSL termination
- Security hardening and monitoring
This requires DevOps skills that many vibe coders lack.
noBGP removes that deployment barrier for vibe coded applications.
- Your AI model provisions infrastructure through conversation.
- You describe what you built and how it should be exposed.
- The model uses noBGP to create compute nodes with the right resources.
- The noBGP agent installs automatically and receives your application code.
- Dependencies install, services start, and your app receives a secure URL.
Key properties:
- No manual networking configuration.
- Encrypted tunnels handle connectivity.
- Private or public URLs appear immediately.
The pattern works with any vibe coding platform and any stack:
- Build in Cursor, Claude, Lovable, ChatGPT, Bolt, or Replit.
- Deploy to noBGP regardless of language or framework.
Updating and scaling also become conversational:
- Tell your model to deploy a new version.
- Ask it to scale out to more nodes or scale in to save cost.
Vibe coding plus noBGP deployment creates an end to end workflow:
- Describe what you want to build.
- The AI generates the application.
- Describe where and how it should run.
- The AI deploys to noBGP and returns production URLs.
You move from idea to production through natural language only.
