Today, we’re exploring a concept that has fundamentally changed my perspective on what can be achieved individually. It’s a source of immense confidence, proving that any creative or business idea can be brought to life without a team of developers. We’re talking about Vibe Coding.
Simply put, Vibe Coding is the art and skill of creating code and building applications with the assistance of artificial intelligence. This article isn’t a deep, exhaustive course—that would be a vast undertaking. Instead, the goal is to give you enough information to get started today. By the time you finish reading, you can open your computer and begin a journey that could, in 2026, lead to you launching the very application you’ve always dreamed of but never could build due to the high cost of hiring programmers.
That barrier has crumbled. In the age of AI, all you need is a computer and a subscription to an AI service to power the model that will act as your co-pilot.
What You Can Build with Vibe Coding
Before diving into the theory, let’s look at what’s possible. I built several projects using Vibe Coding, starting with minimal programming knowledge beyond some basic concepts from my university engineering courses. What you can create far surpasses that simple foundation.
For instance, you could build a professional website for a personal brand or publication. Imagine a clean, beautifully designed site that showcases your articles and encourages readers to subscribe. It could feature dynamic content, such as automatically pulling in your latest work, and include all your social media links in one central hub. With AI, you can even implement advanced features, like automatically switching the content and data sources when a user toggles between different languages.
Another powerful application is a “Web CV.” Instead of a static PDF or a generic LinkedIn profile, you can create a dynamic, visually appealing personal website that serves as your resume. It can detail your experience, showcase your strengths, and even include an FAQ section to proactively answer questions a recruiter might have. This isn’t just a document; it’s a demonstration of your skills, proving you can build tangible products.
The Essence of Vibe Coding
So, what exactly is Vibe Coding? The term, translated by one AI as “programming by feel,” is surprisingly accurate. You don’t need a formal education in programming to get started. However, Vibe Coding is a skill in itself. A skilled Vibe Coder can outperform a traditional programmer on certain tasks by becoming adept at collaborating with AI coding assistants. The capabilities of these AI models have become extraordinarily powerful, often surpassing the average human programmer in specific domains.
The fundamental shift is this: the biggest challenge used to be how to execute an idea. Today, the challenge is simply what the idea is.
Anyone, regardless of their background in technology, can now take a unique idea and build it. The focus has moved to the quality of the idea, its potential benefit to users, and your persistence. It’s not magic; the process involves overcoming problems, learning as you go, and investing hours of work. But the path from concept to creation is now measured in hours of learning and iteration, not years of formal training.
The term “Vibe Coding” was coined by Andrej Karpathy, a luminary in the AI world with experience at OpenAI, Tesla, and other major companies. He introduced the concept in February 2025, so it’s a relatively new field. But in AI, time moves at an accelerated pace. The time to start is now.
Your Vibe Coding Toolkit
To get started, you need the right tools. There are many paths, and the “best” one is subjective. It’s about what works for you.
- Core AI Models:
- ChatGPT: The versatile, all-purpose choice.
- Claude: An AI model from Anthropic, particularly strong in coding tasks.
- Specialized Coding Platforms:
- Codex: A specialized model from OpenAI, fine-tuned for programming.
- Replit: An all-in-one platform founded by Jordanian entrepreneur Amjad Masad. It’s arguably the best place for individuals to build, design, and deploy applications from a single interface. You can go from idea to a live, revenue-generating app without ever leaving the environment.
- Cursor: An AI-first code editor, similar in feel to VS Code but built from the ground up for AI-powered development.
- VS Code: The industry-standard code editor. It can be supercharged with AI extensions for tools like Codex and Claude, bringing AI assistance directly into a professional development environment.
Most of these tools require a subscription, typically around $20/month for personal use. For small projects, this is more than enough. As your ideas grow, you might need to invest more, but by then, you’ll have a clear vision and the confidence to back it.
The Vibe Coding Workflow: An Iterative Cycle
The process is a continuous loop, not a straight line. It’s more art than science.
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The Idea (Prompting): It starts with your idea. But don’t rush. Think deeply about it. What’s the simplest version you can build that still provides value? Who is the user? A well-thought-out idea translates into a better initial prompt. Write a clear description of what you want to build in plain language (English is often most effective).
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Code Generation: The AI agent takes your prompt and begins generating code.
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Testing and Observation: You take this code and run it in an environment like VS Code or Replit. As the code is generated, you can often see the application taking shape in real-time. Test it. Does it work? Does it do what you expected?
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Refinement and Feedback: The first draft will rarely be perfect. You’ll find bugs or realize your description was incomplete. You then go back to the AI and provide feedback: “Please adjust this,” “Change that color,” “Add a button here.” You remain in this loop—prompting, testing, refining—until the application matches your vision.
The challenge is no longer how to build, but what you want. Your job is to guide the AI with clarity and persistence until you reach the desired outcome.
Advanced Technique: Giving Your AI a Brain
To elevate your Vibe Coding, you can create a “brain” or memory for your AI agent. This is done through simple text files within your project.
In tools like Claude, you can create a file named claude.md (or agents.md in other systems). This file contains your “rules of engagement”—instructions for the AI agent. For example:
Before executing any new request, review all existing files to ensure the task has not already been completed. If you encounter an error during execution, analyze the error, propose a fix, and apply it automatically without waiting for my input.
This file becomes the AI’s core directive. As you gain experience, you’ll refine this file, making your AI assistant progressively smarter and more aligned with your workflow.
You can also use other files to provide context:
journey.log: A log of changes, errors, and learnings.concepts.md: A file explaining the core concepts of your project, especially for complex ideas.
The AI can read and understand these files in seconds, giving it a deep, contextual understanding of your project. This is a form of context engineering, and it’s a crucial skill for advanced Vibe Coding.
A Live Demonstration: Building with Replit
Let’s move from theory to practice. While advanced developers might use command-line interfaces (CLIs) like Claude Code or Codex CLI for maximum control, most people will find AI-powered editors more than sufficient.
VS Code with extensions for Claude or Codex provides a fantastic environment. You can chat with the AI, ask it to explain code, or have it build features, all while it sees the entire context of your project files.
But for a truly seamless experience, let’s look at Replit.
I gave Replit a simple prompt:
“I want a webpage that quickly explains the basics of Vibe Coding. It should include a button that takes users to the Codex website to learn more.”
Replit’s AI agent started thinking. It named the project “Vibe Navigator” and created an execution plan. Using its design capabilities, it generated a visually stunning landing page, complete with a custom image.
The generated site was professional. It included:
- A clear definition of Vibe Coding, crediting Andrej Karpathy.
- A list of the best programming tools, with Replit at the top.
- Clickable buttons that lead to the respective websites for each tool (Replit, Cursor, Co-pilot, Claude, etc.).
- A section encouraging users to get started, with links to further reading.
The entire process, from a simple text prompt to a functional, well-designed, and deployable website, happened within minutes. And with a single click of the “Publish” button, the site could be live on the internet. Replit even handles purchasing a custom domain for you. It is the only platform in the world that takes you from idea to development, testing, security, database management, and global deployment in one place.
The Future is Yours to Build
Hopefully, this exploration has been inspiring. If the advanced tools seem daunting, start with Replit. It’s an excellent, intuitive starting point where you will learn a tremendous amount just by experimenting.
The most important takeaway is to begin. The barrier to entry for creating software has never been lower. The question is no longer “How can I build it?” but “What great idea do I have?” The AI will handle 80-90% of the execution for you. The rest is your vision and your drive.