Vibe-coding: Not for Those Who Can't Code

#ai #coding #softwaredevelopment #vibecoding

Not long ago, I tried Claude Code in my workflow. Before that, I'd used GPT, Gemini, and Claude itself. I also gave Cursor a shot, but it didn't really click. I didn't even like the IDE that much - plain VS Code is just better. More customization options.

So what is Vibe-coding?

Vibe-coding is a software development method where a person describes the desired functionality in natural language, and generative AI (like Claude, ChatGPT, or Replit AI) creates, modifies, and debugs the code.

I often hear the idea that vibe-coding is a process where the developer doesn't understand code at all, and AI does all the work for them.

This is a misconception. In reality, it's the opposite: the better you understand code, architecture, and development principles - the more effective vibe-coding becomes.

Why is that?

Imagine you have a talented junior developer writing code for you. They can quickly sketch out a function, but without your guidance:

they'll choose the wrong pattern
they'll miss edge cases
they'll write code that's hard to maintain
they won't think about security

It's the same with AI. It's a powerful tool, but without an experienced developer setting the direction, reviewing the results, and understanding what's happening - the outcome will be mediocre at best.

What does vibe-coding give to an experienced developer?

Speed. Routine tasks - writing boilerplate, tests, documentation - get exponentially faster. What used to take an hour now takes 10 minutes.

Focus on what matters. Less time spent on mechanical coding, more time on architecture, business logic, and team communication.

Exploration. You can quickly test a hypothesis, sketch a prototype, try different approaches - all without significant time investment.

How I use it

After several weeks of working with Claude Code, I realized the main thing: it's not a replacement for knowledge, it's an amplifier. I still understand what the code does. I can still write everything myself. But now I choose: what to write by hand and what to delegate.

And this changes the development process itself. Instead of "how do I write this?" I more often think "what exactly needs to be done?" The mechanics are left to the tool.