AI, flow state, and the wild new era of writing code without overthinking it
Introduction
There’s a new coding movement on the timeline, and it’s either the future of software development or the beginning of the end. Welcome to vibe coding where the IDE is lit, the AI is vibing, and you ship code not when it’s perfect, but when it feels right.
It started as a joke. A meme. A developer tweeting about building entire apps based on vibes alone. No specs, no tests, just vibes.
Promo code: devlink50
But the wild part? Tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Replit Ghostwriter made it real. You could actually type vague prompts and get usable code. Sometimes even good code. And just like that, the line between parody and productivity got blurry.
Some devs are embracing the chaos. Others are horrified. Either way, vibe coding is here and if you’ve been confused, curious, or quietly trying it at 2 a.m., this is your ultimate guide.
Where vibe coding came from
It all started with a tweet because of course it did.
In July 2023, AI pioneer Andrej Karpathy casually dropped this gem:
“The hottest new programming technique is called vibe-driven development. You don’t write tests. You don’t structure your code. You just vibe it out. If your code vibes, ship it.”
Link to tweet
That single post sparked a ripple effect across dev Twitter, Hacker News, and every Discord full of half-sleepy coders running on Red Bull and vibes. What began as satire became something else: a surprisingly real look at how AI was transforming the way we write code.
At first, “vibe coding” was a punchline a rebellious roast of agile, TDD, and software best practices. It was the chaotic good of programming memes. The joke went:
- No Jira
- No tests
- No docs
- Just vibes
But something strange happened: people started actually doing it.
Thanks to tools like Cursor, developers were chatting with their code editors and building full-stack apps without writing a single traditional function from scratch. You’d prompt the AI with “make a login page” or “refactor this into async” and boom working code. Suddenly, “just vibing it out” didn’t seem so absurd.
Cursor, in particular, stood out because it integrated an AI assistant directly into VS Code, understood your project context, and let you manipulate your codebase by chatting with it like an RPG NPC. Except instead of asking for side quests, you were begging it to stop hallucinating variable names.
Vibe coding was no longer a joke. It was a vibe shift.
What vibe coding looks like in practice
So what does vibe coding actually look like?
Picture this: It’s 1:37 AM. You’ve got lo-fi beats playing. Your cursor blinks at you like it knows you have no plan. Instead of opening Stack Overflow or whiteboarding logic, you open Cursor and type:
“Add Stripe payments to this app and make it aesthetic.”
Thirty seconds later boom. You’ve got a Stripe integration, tailwind classes, and some animated button you didn’t ask for but kinda love. It even has a hover state. Did you plan any of this? Nope. Are you about to deploy it anyway? Hell yes.
Welcome to the chaotic magic of vibe coding.
The actual flow:
- Prompt it: “Generate CRUD endpoints for tasks using Express.js”
- Let AI cook: Watch Cursor or Copilot autocomplete entire files like it’s possessed
- Click ‘Run’: If it compiles, you’re halfway to done
- Light debug (optional): Or don’t. Maybe it just works
- Ship it: Because who needs a QA team when the vibes are right?
Some developers describe it as flow state on steroids. The AI handles the boilerplate, and you focus on stitching logic together. You’re not writing every line you’re conducting the code.
Others describe it as “praying to the autocomplete gods and hoping the output doesn’t destroy production.”
Either way, vibe coding has become the dev version of improv jazz. There’s rhythm, there’s creativity, and yeah, sometimes it crashes halfway through a solo.
Tools that enable the vibe:
- Cursor: basically ChatGPT built into VS Code, with project context and chat-driven edits
- GitHub Copilot: OG autocomplete god of AI-assisted code
- Replit Ghostwriter: cloud IDE with heavy AI integration
- Codeium: free AI code tool with multi-language support
- Your sleep-deprived brain
In vibe coding, there’s no architecture diagram, no pre-prod checklist — just a hunch, a helper bot, and a hotkey.
The architecture of the vibe
Contrary to what the memes say, vibe coding isn’t just chaos in a terminal. When it works, it’s because there’s a certain invisible structure a kind of architecture powered more by intuition and toolstack than by UML diagrams and sprint planning.
Let’s break down what actually makes vibe coding “work” when it does.
1. Fast feedback loops
Vibe coding thrives when your tools talk back instantly.
- You tweak a line → AI responds in milliseconds
- You prompt a refactor → code changes on the spot
- You hit run → see results immediately in browser or terminal
If you’re waiting on Docker to rebuild, the vibe dies. If your CI takes 9 minutes, the vibe’s already left the building. That’s why devs who vibe keep things light: Next.js, Vite, or even straight HTML/CSS if they’re feeling spicy.
2. Minimal friction = max flow
No Jira, no ticket grooming, no “alignments” vibe coding is allergic to overhead. The more your setup lets you just start building without ritual, the better.
What you do need:
- An AI that understands what you’re building
- An editor that doesn’t get in your way
- A local dev env that feels like you built it for yourself at 3am
3. Context-aware AI assistants
You can’t vibe if your AI doesn’t know what it’s vibing about.
That’s what makes Cursor different it actually scans your codebase, remembers file structure, and lets you chat like:
“Add error handling to this function and use our standard response model.”
And it will do it not perfectly, but fast enough that fixing it is easier than writing it yourself.
This makes vibe coding feel more like pair programming with a hyperactive genius intern.
4. Non-linear thinking
Traditional dev work is top-down: design, write, test, repeat.
Vibe coding flips that. It’s like:
- Jump into a component
- Generate some backend logic
- Suddenly decide you need auth
- Prompt an auth system
- Then redesign the frontend based on that
- Then maybe go back and add a database?
- Or don’t
It’s jazz. It’s spaghetti. But sometimes… it works.
When all these pieces align fast feedback, minimal blockers, a smart AI sidekick, and a willingness to trust the process you’ve entered the vibe zone.
Vibe coding vs real engineering
Let’s be honest: vibe coding sounds fun because it is fun. But is it… engineering?
The short answer? Not really but it has its place.
The long answer? Depends on what you’re building, who’s reading your code, and whether you’re okay with a little chaos in production.
When vibe coding actually works
- Prototyping like a maniac Need to spin up a working MVP over a weekend? Vibe coding is your best friend. You can go from “hmm” to “holy crap it runs” in hours.
- Solo dev projects No one to review your code? No problem. If it works, it works. You’re the dev, the QA, the PM, and the vibe.
- Creative hacking and weekend builds Vibe coding excels when you’re experimenting building stuff that might work, without worrying if it scales.
- Learning how to glue things together For junior devs, it’s a fast way to see patterns and frameworks in action. As long as they remember it’s just the start not the whole game.
When vibe coding will 100% betray you
- Enterprise software Vibe coding into your company’s banking API? Hope you like risk assessments and fired Fridays.
- Security-sensitive systems “I let AI generate the auth logic” is not a sentence your CISO wants to hear.
- Regulated industries Healthcare, fintech, aviation if you need compliance, you need test coverage, traceability, and actual documentation. Vibes won’t cut it.
- Large teams and long-term maintenance If your team of 10+ needs to understand what happened six months ago, vibe coding leaves behind cryptic commentless jazz solos that no one can read without crying.
Here’s the truth: vibe coding is a superpower if you know when to use it.
Just like duct tape, it’s not the tool you use for everything. But it can hold a lot together in a pinch.
The risks of vibe coding
Look, we all love a good speedrun. But vibe coding without boundaries is like playing Jenga with a jackhammer thrilling until it collapses in your face.
Behind the aesthetic terminal screenshots and “deployed in 3 hours” tweets are some very real risks that every dev should know before going full vibe mode.
1. False sense of productivity
AI can make you feel insanely productive. You’re generating code at lightning speed, things compile, and UI elements just… appear.
But speed isn’t output. If you’re not checking edge cases, handling errors, or validating assumptions, you’re basically speedrunning spaghetti.
Just because it runs doesn’t mean it’s right.
2. Black-box understanding
When the AI writes 80% of your code, how much of it do you actually understand?
You might ship a feature, but you won’t know how to fix it when it breaks. And you definitely won’t remember what it does in 2 weeks.
This leads to the dreaded:
“Did I write this, or did Copilot hallucinate it?”
“Wait… why is this API returning HTML?”
3. Bad habits scale fast
Vibe coding can encourage copy-paste brain the tendency to patch problems by asking the AI again rather than stepping back and thinking deeply.
Over time, this can rot your instincts. You stop architecting and start reacting. You stop debugging and start re-generating.
4. No accountability
It’s easy to blame the AI when things go wrong. But guess what?
You’re still responsible.
If the AI writes insecure code, forgets rate limits, or leaks user data that’s on you. There’s no “Copilot made me do it” clause in your contract.
5. The AI doesn’t know your edge cases
The more specific your business logic, the less reliable the AI gets.
- Does your pricing model involve tiered thresholds across four currencies?
- Is your auth flow built on custom tokens wrapped in JWT and sprinkled with magic cookies?
AI doesn’t know that. And if you forget to tell it, it’ll vibe straight through and break stuff quietly.
So yeah, vibe coding feels amazing until it doesn’t. That’s why the smartest devs treat it like power tools: amplifying your work, not replacing your brain.
Cursor ain’t just vibes
By now, you’re probably thinking:
“Okay, vibe coding is fun, risky, and chaotic. But surely there’s some tool making it legit?”
Enter Cursor the unofficial IDE of vibe coding. Except… it’s more than just vibes.
While GitHub Copilot and other tools focus on autocomplete and inline suggestions, Cursor rethinks the entire way devs interact with code. It doesn’t just predict your next line it talks to your codebase like a helpful sidekick who actually read the docs.
So what makes Cursor different?
- Chat-driven code editing
- Want to rename a function across your project? Ask it.
- Need to refactor a React component? Prompt it.
- Forgot what your API does? Cursor will find the route and explain it. Cursor turns your IDE into a conversation and not the kind that makes you want to cry
- Codebase awareness Cursor understands the structure of your project. It knows what’s imported, where things are used, and how different files talk to each other. It’s like pair programming with someone who read your entire repo and doesn’t take coffee breaks.
- Inline edit suggestions with reasoning Cursor doesn’t just spit out code it explains why it’s making a change. You can reject edits, ask for clarification, or tweak them before applying.
- Full-featured refactor commands
Try saying:
“Convert all our old fetch calls to use Axios.”
Or:
“Split this giant file into logical modules.”
Cursor just… does it. You’re still the editor-in-chief, but the assistant is scary good.
Real use cases where Cursor shines:
- Refactoring legacy logic without reading 50 files
- Quickly generating code scaffolding in new projects
- Fixing tedious bugs that require touching multiple files
- Explaining code you didn’t write (or can’t remember writing)
Unlike some AI tools that feel like toys, Cursor feels like an actual productivity layer it’s what makes vibe coding not just possible, but sometimes… productive.
The future of vibe coding
Okay, we’ve memed, we’ve warned, we’ve vibed. But let’s talk long-term: is vibe coding a passing phase or the new normal?
Spoiler: It’s both.
The next-gen dev experience
Vibe coding is more than a meme it’s a symptom of evolution. As AI gets better at understanding code context, dev environments are shifting from being tools to becoming collaborators.
What used to require:
- A plan
- A whiteboard
- A full-stack dev team
- 4 meetings
- 2 Jira tickets
- And 3 existential crises
…can now start with:
“Generate a MERN app with login, dashboard, and dark mode.”
The AI doesn’t always nail it, but it gets scary close and that changes the way devs think.
Senior devs = vibe supervisors?
In this new world, junior devs may rely heavily on AI to scaffold and implement features while senior devs shift toward AI supervision:
- Reviewing and verifying generated logic
- Tuning prompts for reliability
- Teaching best practices the bots can’t
Basically, the vibe coder builds fast, and the vibe chaperone keeps it from crashing the prod server.
New skills, new expectations
Vibe coding introduces an odd paradox: you still need to understand fundamentals but you also need to know how to guide an AI.
Future developers will need:
- Strong debugging skills
- Context-building awareness
- Prompt engineering intuition
- The ability to say, “This smells wrong,” even if the code runs
In short: vibe + verify becomes the new motto.
This isn’t about replacing devs. It’s about redefining how we build with AI as a thought partner, not just a code generator.
How to safely embrace vibe coding
Yes, vibe coding is chaotic. Yes, it can break things. But also yes it’s wildly fun, fast, and creative if you know how to use it without losing your mind or your prod server.
So here’s your unofficial, slightly sarcastic but actually helpful Vibe Coding Survival Guide:
1. vibe → verify
Use AI to get unstuck, move fast, or explore ideas but never deploy blind. Always read the code. Run tests. Click the buttons.
If your brain says “hmm,” trust it. AI writes confidently even when it’s dead wrong.
2. test more than you usually would
AI-generated code tends to be 90% there and 10% catastrophic.
Write tests. Run the app. Check edge cases. Or at the very least:
Click every button like a QA engineer on caffeine.
3. don’t skip structure (just delay it)
It’s okay to jump into code and vibe your way through the MVP. But eventually:
- Name things clearly
- Separate concerns
- Write docs
- Clean up AI-generated nonsense before someone else sees it
Treat vibe coding like a sketch not the final painting.
4. learn from what the AI gives you
Don’t just hit “accept.” Look at why the AI suggested a certain pattern. Reverse-engineer the logic. You’ll level up 2x faster that way.
Sometimes the bot actually teaches you something smart. Sometimes it just makes stuff up. Learn to spot the difference.
5. know when not to vibe
If the feature is:
- Security-critical
- Infrastructure-sensitive
- Involving real money or user data
Put the vibes down. Bring out the diagrams. Do the boring stuff. It’s not worth the vibe-tax when something breaks.
Vibe coding isn’t about laziness it’s about momentum. But with great speed comes great spaghetti risk. Use the vibes to start, and your brain to finish.
Conclusion vibe responsibly
So… is vibe coding the future of software development?
Kind of.
It’s not replacing real engineering. It’s not an excuse to skip fundamentals. And it’s definitely not the answer to every problem. But it is a glimpse into what happens when you pair smart tools with fast ideas and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.
Vibe coding is what happens when developers are given:
- Fewer blockers
- Smarter assistants
- And permission to experiment without the overhead
It doesn’t mean abandoning structure it means bending it when you need to move fast.
Final takeaways:
- Use AI like a co-pilot, not a crutch
- Let the vibes get you started let your skills get it finished
- Don’t be afraid to play, but don’t forget to clean up the mess
If coding was feeling stale, robotic, or overly bureaucratic vibe coding is your reminder that building things can be chaotic and joyful again.
Just vibe responsibly.
Helpful resources & links
- Cursor AI
- GitHub Copilot
- Replit Ghostwriter
- Original “Vibe Coding” Tweet
- The Hype and Risks of Vibe Coding UXDesign
- Cracking the Code of Vibe Coding UXDesign
- Why Cursor Isn’t Just Vibes GitConnected
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