What is Vibe Coding? A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Software Development

What Is Vibe Coding and How Is It Defined?

Vibe coding meaning refers to an AI-powered development approach where users build software by describing their ideas and requirements in plain language, rather than writing code. If you’ve ever wondered what is vibe coding, it’s a process that uses advanced large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google Gemini, or DeepSeek to instantly translate your instructions into working applications—making the software creation process faster, more accessible, and focused on intent over syntax.

This approach is often called vibe engineering because it empowers both technical and non-technical users to rapidly prototype, iterate, and innovate.

Whether you’re building a new solution or want to know what is vibe app development, vibe coding opens the door for anyone to turn ideas into real, working products.

How Did the Concept of Vibe Coding Emerge and Evolve?

If you have ever wanted to turn your business idea into software, you know the usual pains. Technical skills are hard to master. Traditional projects move slowly. Communication between business and development teams often breaks down.

At Space-O Technologies, we have built many AI-based projects for SME businesses. We have seen how these barriers delay innovation and make product launches stressful.

Vibe coding started as a solution to these real-world problems. In February 2025, well-known AI expert Andrej Karpathy introduced the term “vibe coding.” He explained how you could use powerful AI models, like GPT-4 or Google Gemini, to build software by simply describing what you want.

Karpathy proved this idea with MenuGen, a project built from plain language conversations with AI. His approach caught the attention of developers and business leaders everywhere. The idea spread quickly.

With vibe coding, you can give feedback, test features, and move from idea to product much faster. Anyone can join the conversation, not just coders. Vibe coding took off because it lowers barriers and gives you more control.

Today, it is the fastest way to turn vision into reality using the latest AI technology.

What Is the Step-by-Step Approach to Developing Software with Vibe Coding?

This image presents a step-by-step guide to developing software with vibe coding. It highlights six clear stages, from describing your software vision to launching and evolving your application, making the process easy to follow for anyone.

1. Describe Your Software Vision Clearly

This is the most critical step in vibe coding because everything that follows from initial design to AI-generated code depends on how well you communicate your idea here. The clearer and more complete your vision, the better the AI and development team can translate it into a successful software product.

Begin by outlining your business challenge, desired features, user stories, and key goals in simple, direct language. You do not need to know any technical terms; what matters is that you clearly express what you want to achieve and what your product should do.

Recommended tools for this stage:

• Google Docs or Microsoft Word for collaborative brainstorming
• Notion or Trello boards for organizing ideas and requirements
• Prompt structuring tools like PromptPerfect or PromptLayer to refine your instructions
• Agency-provided onboarding forms or requirement templates
• Mind mapping tools like Miro or Whimsical for visualizing workflows and user journeys

These platforms help you think through your idea, clarify priorities, and capture important project details. Some specialized prompt-generation tools will even turn your raw input into a well-structured brief ready for AI engines.

Remember: The document or prompt you create here will serve as the primary source for the AI-powered vibe coding tool. It tells the system your goal, so take extra care to include all relevant context, user expectations, and business needs.

Example:
Here’s how you might start with a plain statement and refine it into an actionable prompt:

Simple idea:

“I want an AI app that helps users track their fitness routines.”

Refined project prompt using a prompt tool:

“Build an AI-powered web application for fitness enthusiasts. The app should let users log workouts, track progress, set personal goals, and get personalized tips based on their history. Users should be able to register via email or social login, view charts of their progress, and receive weekly motivational messages. Mobile responsiveness and data privacy are essential.”

Tip:

Use tools like PromptPerfect or agency-supplied forms to turn your initial thoughts into a structured project description. This reduces the risk of ambiguity and increases the likelihood that the AI and team will deliver exactly what you want.

In summary, put special effort into this foundational step. The more details, clarity, and structure you provide here, the more effective and accurate your entire vibe coding journey will be.

2. Use Vibe Coding Tools to Generate Your First Draft

Once you clearly define your project vision, your next move is to choose the right vibe coding tool for the job. The platform you use determines how easily and efficiently you go from prompt to functioning application.

Popular vibe coding platforms include Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Claude Code, DeepSeek, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and V0 by Vercel.

Each has its own strengths:

• Lovable is excellent for non-technical users who want to build full-stack apps from prompts.
• Bolt integrates well with GitHub and is strong on backend, payments, and database connectivity.
• Replit is popular for rapid prototyping and collaborative app development.
• Cursor and Claude Code give more developer control when technical adjustments are needed.

If you’re not sure which tool fits your needs, work with a vibe coding agency that has real experience building projects across these platforms. An experienced agency understands which tool works best for different use cases—saving you time and avoiding common mistakes.

Before you start the actual build, take advantage of these platforms’ planning features. Many provide step-by-step planners or prompt enhancement tools to help you break your requirements into structured tasks. This plan helps the AI understand your intent and outputs code or designs that match what you need.

You then input your requirements, either by filling in a prompt, uploading a task description, or answering an onboarding form. The AI analyzes your input and instantly generates the first draft—real code, workflows, and UI screens. You now have a tangible app to review, test, and refine, rather than just a static design or requirement document.

Selecting the right tool means your project starts strongly and avoids frustration later. Good planning lets the AI’s first draft be much closer to your true goals, streamlining every next step of your development journey.

3. Experience and Test the Initial Prototype

Once your AI-generated prototype is ready, it is vital to experience it just as your end users would. Open the demo link or preview environment provided by platforms like Replit, Bolt, or the agency’s custom sandbox. Carefully walk through each feature and screen, clicking every button and filling every form.

As you test, note every challenge, question, or suggestion that comes to mind. For example:

“The login flow needs email verification.”
“Can we change the dashboard to show sales data by week and month?”
“This onboarding screen loads too slowly.”
“Add support for exporting reports as PDFs.”

Write your feedback in natural language, as if you are talking to a teammate. Capture it in a shared doc or the prompt workspace, and don’t worry about using technical terms—the vibe coding tools are trained to understand clear, direct feedback.

You can use testing tools like BrowserStack for cross-browser checks or Postman for API calls to see if everything works on all devices and data flows correctly. User testing tools like Useberry can also help you see how real users interact with the flow.

Testing at this stage is crucial. It reveals hidden gaps, helps you validate your most important features, and provides detailed input for the next round of improvement. The notes and feedback you collect here become new prompts for the AI, making the next version smarter and more tailored to your needs.

This ensures steady progress and keeps every change aligned with your original vision.

4. Refine Through Rapid Iteration and Feedback

Once you have tested your prototype, submit your feedback and new requirements directly to the vibe coding platform—using chat, comments, or a ticket system. Describe each change in plain language. 

For example:

“Switch ‘Download’ button to the top right.”
“Send a reminder email if there is no response in 24 hours.”
“Users should edit their profiles after registration.”

The platform (or your agency partner) will quickly update the app, then send you the new version to review—all changes tracked in one place. Use these short feedback loops to shape your solution with precision.

Tips & Action Items:

• Make feedback specific (“Add search by name” instead of “Make search better”).
• Keep a running list of priorities and group changes by urgency.
• Use screenshots to highlight visual issues or desired changes.
• Review version history to see what’s fixed and what’s new.
• Don’t wait—submit small updates often, so you don’t lose momentum.

Regular, rapid iteration means your project moves forward fast and always aligns with what you need. Each cycle is a step closer to your perfect solution.

5. Enhance With Integrations and Automations

At this point, your core app is shaping up, and it’s time to make it more powerful and business-ready by connecting it to other platforms and automating key processes. These AI integrations streamline your workflow, enable new features, and create a seamless user experience.

How it works:

List out any third-party services you want to connect, such as payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal), SMS/email services (Twilio, SendGrid), or chat tools (WhatsApp, Slack).

Request automations for tasks like sending notifications, triggering follow-up emails, data syncing with Google Sheets, or generating reports.

Share your needs using plain language:

“Add Stripe payments for premium users.”
“Integrate WhatsApp for order status updates.”
“Send daily summary emails to admins.”

A vibe coding agency will implement these using API connectors, pre-built modules from the vibe coding platform (e.g., Bolt, Lovable, Replit), or custom scripts. Always keeping your user flow and business objectives in mind.

Tips & Action Items for This Phase:

• Be clear about what platforms or tools you currently use; this saves time and avoids compatibility issues.
• Prioritize integrations that offer the most value or automate your most time-consuming manual tasks.
• Check if the vibe coding tool you’re using already has pre-built integrations—this speeds up delivery.
• Test each integration thoroughly; use sandbox environments or test accounts to avoid disrupting live operations.
• If security is a concern (payment, personal data), request an extra review and be explicit about compliance needs.

Pro tip:

Map out a simple workflow diagram, showing how data and actions move between your app and external services—which helps everyone visualize the user journey and catch any missing steps.

6. Review, Deploy, and Continue Evolving

This is the phase where your software goes live and becomes available to your users. Up to this point, most steps in the vibe coding process are manageable for non-developers. However, deploying and maintaining an app on real production servers brings a unique set of technical challenges where professional experience matters.

Common challenges at deployment while using vibe coding software:

• Setting up secure hosting, choosing the right server, or configuring cloud services
• Managing environment variables, domains, and SSL certificates
• Resolving unexpected bugs, compatibility issues, or missing dependencies that only appear in live environments
• Addressing compliance, security, or data privacy requirements
• Rolling out updates without interrupting existing users

Even with the best vibe coding tools, the deployment process can be complex and critical mistakes at this stage can cost time, money, and user trust. This is why many individuals and teams choose to bring in a vibe coding agency or development partner at this step—especially agencies, like Space-O Technologies, with both vibe coding and hard-coding expertise.

For context: With an in-house team of developers experienced in both hard coding and vibe coding, Space-O has developed software solutions such as –

AI-Powered Receptionist
Product Recommendation System for e-commerce
AI Document Analyzer for Church
Product Recommendation Chatbot

Based on this broad experience in development, here are the tips and action items for this particular phase of deploying your application on the live server:

Tips & Action Items for This Phase:

• Before deploying, thoroughly test everything in a staging (pre-production) environment to mimic real world conditions.
• Use deployment dashboards or PaaS tools like Vercel, Netlify, Heroku, or the built-in deployment features from platforms like Replit or Bolt.
• Back up your data and document all setup and configuration settings.
• Confirm that all integrations, automations, and APIs work as intended in the live setup.
• Prepare a plan for rollback or emergency fixes if something goes wrong.
• Gather feedback from your first users and monitor app performance with analytics tools.
• Keep a prompt list ready: with vibe coding, you can quickly return to any previous step, prompting the AI to fix issues, roll out improvements, or add new features ensuring your product keeps evolving.

Pro Tip:

If you are new to deploying apps, do not hesitate to get help from an experienced agency. This helps you avoid common pitfalls and makes sure your app is robust, secure, and ready to handle new growth.

By combining the strengths of vibe coding and professional deployment, you ensure a smooth launch and set your digital product up for long-term success.

In What Scenarios Should You Choose Vibe Coding Instead of Traditional Development?

Vibe coding and traditional software development each have their strengths. Choosing the best approach depends on your project’s needs, timeline, team skills, and business goals.

Where Vibe Coding Excels in Software Development:

• Rapid prototyping and MVP development: When you need to validate an idea or bring a new product to market quickly, vibe coding gets you from concept to working demo in record time.
• Small teams or non-technical founders: If your team lacks deep coding resources but you have clear business ideas, vibe coding empowers you to build and iterate without the usual technical bottlenecks.
• Frequent changes and user feedback: For products that evolve quickly based on user input, vibe coding allows for fast, ongoing iterations—no lengthy dev cycles required.
• Collaborative projects: When different stakeholders (business, design, marketing) need to contribute directly, vibe coding’s conversational interface makes it easy for everyone to participate.
• Cost efficiency and reducing initial investment: Projects with tight budgets benefit from automatic code generation, fewer specialist hours, and lower overall effort.

Where Traditional Development Remains the Best Fit:

• Complex, large-scale systems: Projects with intricate architectures, custom integrations, or advanced backend performance usually need experienced developers and manual coding for reliability and scalability.
• Highly regulated industries: If you have strict security, data privacy, or compliance needs (e.g., healthcare or fintech), traditional development allows deeper code control and extensive manual reviews.
• Integration with legacy systems: When connecting to existing software with unique requirements, experienced engineers are often needed to handcraft solutions.
• Long-term, highly customized software products: If you need sustained engineering support, custom features, or highly-optimized performance, the time and expertise of skilled developers will pay off.

What Are the Best Practices for Successful Vibe Coding?

Success with vibe coding depends not just on the tools you use, but on the approach you take throughout your project. Applying the right practices makes your process smoother, helps avoid costly mistakes, and ensures your software truly matches your vision.

Here are some proven best practices to keep in mind as you work with vibe coding platforms:

• Start with a clear, detailed project vision. Clarity drives better results from AI tools.
• Break down complex tasks into smaller, focused prompts for more precise AI responses.
• Use plain, direct language when giving instructions and feedback.
• Test early and often; validate each feature and flow with real use cases.
• Capture every round of feedback and be specific about what needs to change.
• Keep all requirements, feedback, and iterations organized in one shared place (e.g., Notion, Trello).
• Lean on version control or changelog features to track progress and avoid rework.
• Involve your core team and stakeholders throughout the process for diverse perspectives.
• Don’t hesitate to ask specialist agencies for help with integrations, deployment, or advanced customization.

These simple best practices lay the foundation for a smooth, productive, and collaborative vibe coding journey.

What Is the Future Outlook for Vibe Coding and Its Impact on Development?

Vibe coding is already transforming how business ideas turn into software. Because it lets non-technical users talk directly to AI in natural language, more people than ever can start building prototypes, experimenting with features, and iterating on their own digital products. 

The process is friendlier, faster, and makes early development accessible for founders, managers, and creators who do not have a background in coding.

For the near future, vibe coding tools like Bolt, Lovable, Claude Code, and Replit will continue to get better at translating simple prompts into impressive working apps. You can expect rapid growth in what non-technical teams can build:

• MVPs (Minimum Viable Products)
• Internal tools for data tracking
• Simple e-commerce and chat-based apps
• Quick automations and integrations with mainstream services

However, there are still boundaries. As your project grows in complexity such as handling custom business logic, integrating legacy systems, optimizing for scale, or ensuring strong security and compliance the expertise of professional developers becomes necessary. This is especially true when deploying and maintaining secure, high-traffic, or business-critical apps.

That’s where partnering with a full-stack agency like Space-O Technologies makes a real difference. We not only help you get started with vibe coding, but also step in to handle tough challenges that go beyond AI’s current limits, manual debugging, advanced integrations, security checks, and cloud optimization. Our team combines hands-on software engineering and AI experience, ensuring your product not only launches, but thrives.

FAQs Around Vibe Coding 

What is the cost of developing projects using vibe coding?

The cost of developing projects using vibe coding is typically lower than traditional software development. Using DIY tools like Replit or Lovable, costs can be free for basic use or range from $50–$150 per month for advanced features. Agency-built MVPs usually start at $2,000–$5,000, while full-featured applications often cost between $8,000–$25,000 or more. Additional expenses include cloud hosting (generally $20–$200 per month), third-party API fees, and ongoing maintenance.

Are vibe-coded applications secure for business use?

Vibe-coded applications can be secure for business use if you follow best practices during development, deployment, and ongoing support. It is important to include security reviews, authentication, and compliance checks, especially for handling sensitive data.

Will vibe coding replace traditional software developers?

Vibe coding will not replace traditional software developers. While vibe coding makes prototyping and early-stage development easier, experienced developers are still necessary for building complex, scalable, or highly customized solutions.

How do vibe coding platforms handle updates and maintenance?

Vibe coding platforms handle updates and maintenance by allowing you to request changes and improvements through prompts. For major updates, technical fixes, or advanced optimizations, direct involvement from experienced developers is still essential.

Is ongoing support available after a vibe-coded app goes live?

Ongoing support is available after a vibe-coded app goes live, particularly when working with agencies or advanced platforms. This support can include monitoring, bug fixing, feature updates, and performance improvements.

Where can I find experts or agencies to help with vibe coding and advanced development?

You can find experts or agencies to help with vibe coding by checking their case studies, client testimonials, and experience with both AI-driven platforms and traditional coding. Agencies such as Space-O Technologies specialize in vibe coding projects and ongoing software support.