The Trap of Vibe Coding Without a Plan

John Pabi Ntifo — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:03:22 +0000

Everyone in tech is talking about vibe coding right now.

It’s the idea that you don't need to worry about every line of code or small error. Instead, you let AI do the heavy lifting while you stay in a creative flow. You type a prompt, the AI builds it, and you keep moving.

It’s exciting, especially when you need to build something fast during a hackathon or a short sprint.
But after years of leading product teams, I’ve seen a big problem with this approach. If you don’t have a plan before you start prompting the AI, you just end up building a big, confusing mess much faster.

Why AI Needs Your Logic, Not Just Your Vibes
The current AI tools are great at writing code, but they don't understand your business or your users. If you don't know how your data is supposed to move from one place to another, the AI cannot figure it out for you.
When your app eventually breaks, and it will, you get stuck in a frustrating loop. You keep asking the AI to "fix it," but you don't actually know what is broken because you never mapped it out.

Spend an Hour Away from the Keyboard First
In my work as a product leader and Miro Ambassador, I give my teams one simple rule: Spend your first hour completely away from the keyboard.
Sit down with a digital whiteboard and map out the basics:
The Data Flow: Where does information start, and where does it end up?
The Connections: How do the different parts of the software talk to each other?
The User Path: Does this setup actually make life easier for the person using it?
Once you have that simple visual map, your AI prompts become ten times better. You are no longer guessing; you are giving the AI a clear blueprint to follow.

Moving fast shouldn't be an excuse for skipping the basics. Map out how your software fits together visually first, get your team on the same page, and then let the AI help you build it.
What about you? Have you tried vibe coding with AI tools lately? Do you plan out your prompts visually first, or do you just dive right in? Let's chat in the comments!

DEV Community: John Pabi Ntifo

The Trap of Vibe Coding Without a Plan