Master the art of building apps with AI
Vibe coding is the practice of building software using AI as your primary coding partner. Instead of manually writing every line of code, you describe what you want in natural language, and AI tools generate production-ready code for you.
This isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying what you can build. With vibe coding, you can:
Traditional coding: "I need to know how to implement X"
Vibe coding: "I need to clearly describe what X should do"
Not all AI coding tools are created equal. Here's my ranking based on real-world use:
Claude Sonnet 4 is the gold standard for code generation. It understands context better than anything else.
Pros: Best reasoning, handles complex codebases, great at refactoring
Cons: Rate limits on free tier, no IDE integration (yet)
VS Code fork with AI built in. Tab-to-autocomplete entire functions. Game-changer for flow state.
Pros: Seamless workflow, multi-file edits, affordable ($20/mo)
Cons: Learning curve, can be overeager with suggestions
Solid autocomplete in VS Code, works with any language. Great starting point.
Pros: Easy to use, works everywhere, affordable ($10/mo)
Cons: Less powerful than Claude/Cursor, sometimes obvious suggestions
Generate React components with shadcn/ui styling. Instant visual feedback.
Pros: Beautiful UI out of the box, live preview, great for landing pages
Cons: React only, limited to frontend, can be expensive
Build entire full-stack apps in the browser. Frontend + backend + database.
Pros: Zero setup, deploy instantly, great for MVPs
Cons: Can get expensive, less control than local development
AI that can create entire projects from scratch and explain every step.
Pros: Educational, handles dependencies, built-in hosting
Cons: Slower than competitors, can struggle with complex apps
Start with Claude + Cursor if you're serious. Use v0 for quick UI mockups. Try Bolt for throwaway prototypes.
The quality of your output depends entirely on the quality of your prompts. Here's the framework:
❌ Bad: "Make a login page"
✅ Good: "Create a Next.js login page using shadcn/ui components. Include email/password fields with validation, a 'Remember Me' checkbox, and error handling for failed logins. Style it with a dark theme using Tailwind CSS. Return only the React component code."
Single-page site with about, projects, and contact sections. Perfect first project.
Stack: HTML/CSS or Next.js + Tailwind
Classic starter project. Add, edit, delete, mark complete. Store in localStorage.
Stack: React + localStorage or Next.js
Fetch weather data from an API and display it beautifully.
Stack: React + OpenWeatherMap API
Shorten URLs and track clicks. Requires database and API.
Stack: Next.js + Vercel Postgres
Write and publish posts with markdown support.
Stack: Next.js + MDX or Sanity CMS
Search recipes by ingredients using external API.
Stack: React + Spoonacular API
Track income/expenses with categories and visualizations.
Stack: Next.js + Chart.js + Supabase
Save and organize links with tags, search, and public/private sharing.
Stack: Next.js + Postgres + Auth
Build a ChatGPT-style interface connected to OpenAI or Claude API.
Stack: Next.js + OpenAI API + streaming responses
Landing page, email waitlist, Stripe integration, user dashboard.
Stack: Next.js + Stripe + Resend + Supabase
The Mistake: Copy-pasting AI output blindly without understanding what it does.
The Fix: Always read the code. Ask AI to explain any part you don't understand. You're the one who has to maintain it.
The Mistake: Prompting for a complete app in one shot, getting overwhelmed.
The Fix: Break projects into tiny pieces. Build one feature at a time. Get it working before moving on.
The Mistake: Seeing errors and immediately asking AI to "fix it" without reading the error.
The Fix: Read the error message! They're usually specific. Google it. Then paste it to AI with context.
The Mistake: Testing the happy path only, then bugs appear in production.
The Fix: Test empty states, long inputs, special characters, mobile views. Break your own app.
The Mistake: No git, no backups. One wrong prompt destroys hours of work.
The Fix: Use git from day one. Commit after every working feature. GitHub is free.
The Mistake: Using TypeScript, GraphQL, Docker, Kubernetes for a todo app.
The Fix: Start simple. Plain JavaScript. One framework. Add complexity only when needed.
"I'm getting this error: [paste error]
Here's the relevant code: [paste code]
Expected behavior: [describe what should happen]
Actual behavior: [describe what's happening]
Please explain what's causing this and provide a fix with explanation."
Before asking AI for help, spend 5 minutes trying to understand the error yourself. You'll learn faster and build better debugging intuition.