After the recent post by DHH about “vibe coding”, I too felt the urge to take a plunge into the “vibe coding” pool as to what it is, and why it’s appealing.
Enter the vibe coding
The term “vibe coding” was coined by Andrej Karpathy, who was also a founding member of OpenAI. As Karpathy describes, vibe coding is when you don’t think about code, you blindly trust whatever LLMs throws at you, and you vibe your way into building something.
This approach to software development is made possible by how far language models have come (like Claude Sonnet), along with the rise of AI-powered editors such as Cursor and GitHub Copilot in VS Code. Vibe coding or not, coding with AI is quickly becoming the new default.
Why vibe coding appeals
Traditional software development has a steep entry barrier. You need to learn a programming language, grasp the intricacies of a framework, and spend significant time just getting something basic to work. That complexity often discourages newcomers.
Vibe coding flips that on its head. With high-quality LLMs, you can go from idea to execution almost instantly. The results are often “good enough” to keep moving, without rewriting everything line by line.
It’s not just about speed — it’s about maintaining creative momentum. When the feedback loop is tight, building feels fun again.
After the “vibe rush”
But what happens once the initial excitement, the “vibe rush” wears off?
For some, it’s the start of something deeper. They see potential in their idea and shift gears, using AI as a coding assistant rather than letting it lead. They invest time in understanding, refining, and iterating.
For others, it’s the end of the road. They realize they were never interested in the code itself — just the thrill of rapid prototyping. Once the novelty fades, so does their engagement. The outcome was what mattered, not the process.
Why vibe coding will thrive
Vibe coding dramatically lowers the barrier to entry. It removes much of the intimidation around building software, making it accessible to non-developers, creatives, and solo entrepreneurs.
For example, indie hackers and solo entrepreneurs can test ideas quickly, validate them, and iterate — all without a traditional software engineering background. The world may start to see many more levelsio emerging, building fast and in public.
Ultimately, vibe coding is reshaping how people approach software development. It provides instant gratification, builds confidence, and lets newcomers figure out whether this path is for them. Some will move on. Others will go deeper. But either way, vibe coding opens the door.
Ready to vibe?
If this got you excited about building with AI, now’s the perfect time to dive deeper. Start your journey with A Beginner’s Guide to Using Cursor, the AI Code Editor — a hands-on guide to one of the best AI coding editors available.
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