How does vibe coding compare to traditional coding methods?
Why Vibe Coders Are Shaking Up the Way We Build Software (and Where It Falls Short)
First off, I can’t believe I’m calling it “traditional coding”… but here we are. I’ve been a software engineer for over two decades, and things that used to feel cutting-edge now fall under that label. Writing every line by hand, planning architecture in your head, typing into an IDE for hours. That used to be the way.
But, I’ve never seen a shift like this.
Now? I’m in the world of vibe coding, using AI to turn plain-language ideas into real, working software. I still love writing code, but I’ve also fallen hard for how fast and flexible vibe coding can be
These days, a few of my AI coaching clients have requested we spend a week on building software. These are non-technical professionals… think HR leaders, Sales managers, and marketing folks. We build MVPs and tools using AI-first workflows, and it’s honestly mind-blowing.
I personally use tools like Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot and a few others to turn plain language into working software. But, for my clients, my go-to is Lovable and Bolt. I’ll be sure to cover this in a future post.
But more than my own clients, every day I see brand new ideas come to life (especially from non-technical founders) in the community. Vibe coding makes it faster and cheaper for them, and they don’t need a full-on developer from day one.
The tools aren’t perfect (yet), but for the right use case? They’re game-changing.
What Vibe Coders Are Saying (and Why It Matters)
If you’re already a vibe coder, then you know why it rocks! We love the flexibility and speed. You can literally describe what you want:
“Build me a to-do app with dark mode”
And your AI tries to bring it to life. Some call it revolutionary.
One X user put it like this:
“I’ve spent 200+ hours vibe coding games and apps… ANYONE can do it.” — @MatthewBerman
That’s the magic: no code editors, no syntax errors, just ideas turned into apps.
But here’s the catch:
Vibe coding works until it doesn’t. Complex logic? Business rules? Edge cases? These often break down in AI-generated code, especially when vibe coders rely on it alone.
Vibe Coding vs Traditional Coding: What’s the Real Difference?
Let’s zoom out.
Traditional coding means writing every line manually. Full control, full responsibility.
Vibe coding means describing what you want and letting an AI do the heavy lifting (with lots of guidance and testing along the way).
Why vibe coders love it:
It’s fast.
It’s accessible.
It’s a game-changer for MVPs, landing pages, and non-sensitive tools.
But here’s the tradeoff:
For anything complex… like e-commerce logic, user permissions, or API integrations, traditional coding still offers more reliability, better structure, and cleaner maintenance. Let’s just say it’s a bit more future-proof.
Even Google is on board the AI train, with Forbes reporting that 25% of new code at Google is now AI-generated.
Still, even the most optimistic vibe coder will tell you:
AI code often needs review, refactoring, and testing. A lot of it.
And they’re not wrong. But they’re not completely right either.
Yes, you should absolutely test and refine. But that doesn’t mean vibe coding isn’t a viable way to build real products today.
Because it is.
And for the right use case, it works surprisingly well.
Who Should Try Vibe Coding (And Who Definitely Shouldn’t)
Let’s break it down.
Vibe Coding is Great For:
Professionals who want to move faster
Build internal tools or automate tasks without waiting on engineering.
Business leaders focussed on outcomes
Quickly build and test ideas for internal tools without heavy dev resources.
Non-coders ready to build real apps
Turn plain-language ideas into working MVPs without writing code.
Startup founders racing to launch
Build, test, and iterate fast without hiring a full dev team on day one.
Solo creators prototyping passion projects
Bring your fun ideas to life… games, tools, or side projects.
Experienced developers streamlining their process
Use AI to skip boilerplate and speed up repetitive or early-stage work.
Did you know? 25% of Y Combinator startups now rely on AI for up to 95% of their codebases (LeadDev).
Not Ideal For:
Apps handling sensitive data or user privacy
Think healthcare, finance, or anything involving personal information—too risky without proper security reviews.
Safety-critical systems
If failure isn’t an option (like aerospace, medical devices, or transportation), stick with traditional, rigorously tested development.
Complex enterprise software
Multi-phase projects with lots of dependencies and long-term maintenance needs still benefit from traditional coding structures and engineering discipline.
In short, vibe coders are blazing a trail, but that trail isn’t built for everyone yet.
Where Vibe Coding Struggles (and What to Do Instead)
Let’s be real, not every vibe coding workflow works out of the box. Some common habits can lead to frustration, especially if you’re treating AI like a mind reader instead of a creative partner.
Here are a few common traps vibe coders fall into… and what to do instead:
Trying to build massive apps all at once
If you’re using AI to generate 20,000+ lines of code in one go, the output usually turns into a generic mess.
👉 What to do instead: Start small. Use tools like Claude (sonnet) to map out the structure before you start prompting.
Skipping testing between phases
Without regular testing, bugs build up fast, and debugging AI-generated code after the fact is no fun.
👉 What to do instead: Break your build into phases. Test and document each step before moving on.
Expecting AI to handle edge cases or business logic perfectly
The AI might get close, but it doesn’t understand nuance like a human developer would (well, like some human developers would).
👉 What to do instead: Be specific. Spell out the desired outcomes and guide the AI with clear examples.
Using AI to edit large, existing codebases
AI can get overwhelmed by too much context, leading to messy or unhelpful edits.
👉 What to do instead: When possible, build from scratch. It’s often faster and leads to cleaner results.
If you’re feeling stuck as a vibe coder, it’s probably because your process needs more structure, not because vibe coding itself is broken.
Why Traditional Developers Still Matter (a Lot)
Not gonna lie… real coders aren’t losing sleep over vibe coding (yet). And here’s why:
“Software engineers don’t just type code. We solve problems that need working solutions.” — Simon Willison via New Scientist
Exactly.
Being a vibe coder doesn’t replace problem-solving.
You still need architecture, logic, testing, QA, and critical thinking.
Karpathy himself even acknowledged that debugging AI-generated code is still tough. And developers on Hacker News worry about inheriting “vibe-coded messes” they’ll have to untangle later.
So, if you’re a coder, maybe that is skill worth pursuing… “How to make a vibe-coded product production ready”.
I will write about this in detail soon!
So, Should You Become a Vibe Coder?
If you’re curious about how vibe coding compares to traditional coding, here’s the bottom line:
For fast, simple projects? Vibe coding is 🔥
For complex, high-stakes apps? Traditional coding still rules
Want the best of both worlds? Use AI as a superpower, not a substitute
Vibe coders are pushing boundaries. And that’s exciting.
But every new vibe coding tool needs wisdom to use it well.
So try it. Experiment. Build.
Just don’t forget: code still needs care.
Curious how to become a better vibe coder?
Try starting with a scoped project and a solid prompt structure. Need help with that? I’ve got templates. DM me.
TL;DR
Vibe Coding vs Traditional Coding, In Plain English…
Vibe coding is the practice of using AI to generate software from natural language. It is trending fast, especially among creators, founders, and non-technical teams.
This “describe-it-to-build-it” approach is great for quick prototypes and simple builds. But when complexity or security comes into play? That’s where traditional coding still wins.
Experienced developers (and many vibe coders, too) are cautious. The hype is real, but so are the bugs.
There’s growing curiosity about whether vibe coding can scale, and whether it’s ready for primetime in mission-critical projects.