I shipped my first real app using a vibe coding workflow, and it changed how I think about building products.
The app is TabRush: a lightweight ad marketplace where one Safari tab becomes a spotlight for a sponsor. It’s inspired by the simplicity of early internet ideas, but built for makers and startups who want fast visibility.
Why I built this
I kept asking myself a simple question:
Can one high-attention placement outperform dozens of ignored ad slots?
Most indie teams don’t just struggle with shipping features.
They struggle with distribution.
So I wanted to build something that is:
- easy to understand in seconds,
- fast to use,
- and focused on visibility, not complexity.
My first vibe coding experience
I had used AI-assisted workflows before, but this was the first time I used vibe coding from idea to launch prep.
What worked:
- Tight constraints in prompts
- Short iteration loops
- Fast UI/content experimentation
What didn’t:
- Generic outputs when prompts were too broad
- Inconsistent product voice without clear writing guidelines
- “Fast code” that still needed human product judgment
Big lesson: vibe coding gives speed, but clarity and taste still come from the founder.
How the product evolved
TabRush started as a fun concept and became a clearer product:
- one spotlight tab for the latest sponsor
- side tabs for previous sponsors
- increasing value as new spots are booked
That evolution happened through repeated feedback and build-in-public iterations.
What I learned during launch prep
The final 20% was not just coding.
It was:
- positioning,
- messaging,
- trust signals,
- and making the value obvious in 5 seconds.
Shipping fast is useful. Shipping clear is what converts.
If you’re building with vibe coding
*My practical advice:
*- Define constraints before writing prompts
- Validate product clarity before polishing visuals
- Treat copy as product, not decoration
- Use AI for speed, but keep decisions human
If you’re curious, the product I built is TabRush.
It’s my first full launch using this workflow, and I’m sharing the process publicly as I keep improving it.
Top comments (1)
Cool writeup. The jump from idea to shipped product is the part that trips most people up so its nice seeing someone document the full process. Have you thought about listing it on any of the vibe coded app directories popping up? Feels like theres a growing need for discoverability beyond just posting on dev.to