Vibe Coding
Vibe coding gets you to a first version. It does not make it launch-ready.
Vibe coding means using natural-language prompts and AI development tools to create or change software. It can turn an idea into a working-looking web app remarkably quickly.
The speed is real. So is the gap between “it works when I click through the happy path” and a product that can handle real users, unexpected input and failure.
What vibe coding means in practice
Instead of writing every line of code directly, you describe what you want, inspect what the AI produces and continue through prompts, edits and tests. Tools such as Lovable, Replit, Bolt, Cursor, Claude Code and ChatGPT make this accessible to founders and small teams that could not previously build a working prototype themselves.
It is best understood as a development workflow, not a quality standard. The method can produce a useful application, a disposable experiment or a fragile collection of generated decisions. The difference comes from scope, review, ownership and testing.
Where vibe coding helps
- Turning an idea into something tangible
- Exploring a user journey quickly
- Testing a narrow product assumption
- Building small internal tools
- Creating a focused MVP
- Iterating on interface and copy
- Automating repetitive implementation
- Learning how a product might work
- Reducing the cost of early experiments
Where the speed can hide risk
The happy path looks complete. A normal click-through may work while invalid input, empty states, retries, permissions or interrupted requests fail.
Changes can have distant effects. A prompt that fixes one screen can quietly alter a shared component or break another journey.
Data and authentication need deliberate review. Login, access control, secrets, personal data and third-party services deserve more than a visual check.
The builder knows the unwritten rules. You know which button to press and which input to avoid. A new user does not.
Generated code still becomes your system. Somebody needs to understand how it is deployed, maintained, backed up and changed after launch.
A better route from prompt to product
Start with one user and one important job. Keep the first scope narrow enough to understand. Review the data and authentication model. Test the critical journey outside the builder's own assumptions. Record what is intentionally excluded. Then launch to a controlled audience and learn.
If the idea still needs to become a coherent first product, see my MVP development service. If the app already works and you want an independent launch decision, the software testing service includes a fixed-scope £497 Vibe App Launch Check.
What to test before a vibe-coded app launches
The exact plan depends on the app, but the important questions are consistent. Can a new user complete the core task? Are required fields and unusual inputs handled properly? Do authentication and permissions behave as expected? What happens when data is missing or an external service fails? Does the product remain usable on a phone? Are error messages understandable?
Automated smoke tests are useful for repeating known critical journeys. Human exploratory testing is useful for finding the assumptions nobody wrote down. A launch decision is stronger when it uses both deliberately.
Frequently asked questions
Built something with AI and need a clear next step?
Send me the product, its intended user and the main journey you need to trust. I can tell you whether development, independent QA or a smaller scope is the sensible next move.