Vibe Coding Explained: Automate Work Without Being a Programmer
Vibe coding means AI writes the code while you set the task and check the result. What you can build this way, which tools you need and where the catch is.
Vibe coding is a way of building software where AI writes the code and a person describes in plain words what is needed, runs the result and says what to fix. The term was coined by researcher Andrej Karpathy in early 2025, and within a year it went from a joke to a normal way of working.
Vibe coding in plain words
Building a bot or a scraper used to require knowing a programming language. Now you can open Claude Code or Cursor and write: "Make a script that pulls new leads from a spreadsheet every morning and sends a summary to Telegram." The AI writes the code, runs it, sees the error and fixes it.
Your role changes: you do not write code, you set the task, check the result and make decisions. Like a manager rather than a developer.
What you can build with vibe coding
- Automation scripts. Move data between systems, build a report, rename hundreds of files.
- Scrapers. Collect prices, news or reviews from websites.
- Telegram bots. From a simple quiz to an assistant powered by a model.
- Websites and landing pages. Fast, no page builder, with clean markup for search.
- Internal tools. Small dashboards and tables that fix one specific pain for your team.
- n8n extensions. Custom code inside a workflow where standard nodes fall short.
Which tools you need
| Tool | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | An AI agent that works in a terminal or app and edits project files itself | When you want AI to handle the whole task |
| Cursor | A code editor with a built-in AI agent | When you want to see the code and edit it together with AI |
| n8n | A workflow builder | When the job is connecting services rather than writing a program |
I use all of these every day. This website, for example, was built with an AI agent: I set tasks, checked the result in the browser and said what to change.
How to brief the AI so it works
- 01Taskthe outcome in words
- 02CodeAI writes it
- 03RunAI sees the errors
- 04Your reviewwhat is off
- 05Doneruns every day
- Describe the outcome, not the code. Not "write a Python function" but "every day at 9:00 I need a summary of yesterday's leads in Telegram".
- Give sample data. Show what a lead, a table or an email looks like.
- Define success. "If there are no leads, send 'no leads', not an empty message."
- Move in small steps. First reading the table, then sending a message, then the schedule.
- Check every step. Run it, look at it, say what is wrong.
Where the catch is
Vibe coding gets you a working prototype very fast. Problems start when that prototype has to keep running every day.
- AI does not know how your system breaks. A service times out, an empty email arrives, a token expires. Unless you say so, it will not build in protection.
- Secrets. Access keys never go into code or chat. They live in a separate protected file on the server.
- Code nobody understands. If something breaks in six months, you will have to dig in. Ask the AI to write clearly and leave a short README.
- The illusion of done. "Works on my machine" and "works every day unattended" are different things.
My own rule: AI writes the code, but you are responsible for what the system does in production.
Where to start
Pick one routine task that costs you half an hour a day. Describe it the way you would explain it to a new hire. Open Claude Code or Cursor and ask for it. A first working automation usually takes one evening.
If you want to get there faster and with protection against the usual failures from day one, I teach this in one-on-one sessions using examples from production systems.
FAQ
Do I need to know how to code for vibe coding?
No. You need to describe the task clearly and check the result. A basic understanding of files, folders and the terminal helps a lot.
Which is better for vibe coding, Claude Code or Cursor?
Claude Code is handier when you want to hand over a whole task and look at the result. Cursor is handier when you want to see and edit the code as you go. Many people use both.
Can you build a serious product with vibe coding?
Prototypes and internal tools, definitely. A system that runs under load every day needs someone who understands architecture and watches reliability.
Where can I learn vibe coding?
There are more courses every month. I run one-on-one sessions and team training: we take your task from a description to a working system.