Vibe Coding Explained: The New Way to Build Apps with AI

Written by tomaszs | Published 2025/05/21
Tech Story Tags: vibe-coding | ai-coding | software-development | cursor | ai-tools | developer-productivity | no-code | copilot

TLDRYou don’t need to be a programmer to build an app anymore — thanks to vibe coding. This article breaks down how AI lets you describe features in plain language while it writes the code for you. Whether you're non-technical or an experienced engineer, this workflow boosts speed, clarity, and creativity.via the TL;DR App

You’ve probably heard the phrase: “You don’t need to be a coder to build an app anymore.” That’s the essence of vibe coding. But what does it actually mean — and why is it such a game changer for both non-coders and experienced developers?

Let’s start with something familiar. When you’ve got an idea — say, launching an ice cream truck — your first instinct is usually to handle everything yourself. You’d buy the truck, install the equipment, fix it up, do the paperwork, pay the taxes… all solo.

Why? Simple: the more you do yourself, the more money you save.

But at some point, you hit a wall. Not everything can (or should) be done alone — and coding might be one of those things. Maybe you’re a QA tester, a Next.js developer, a data scientist, or someone who’s never touched code in your life. But you’ve got an idea worth building.

That idea could be anything — a mobile app, a web app, a storefront, or a digital product.
And normally, that means hiring a developer.

Now here’s the challenge: developers tend to fall into two categories.

  1. Affordable but risky. You might get something functional, but it won’t be what you envisioned. Fixing it later gets expensive.
  2. Skilled but pricey. You get high quality — but you’ll need serious funding. And most people with a good idea don’t have investors lined up.

So where does that leave you?

That’s where vibe coding comes in.

Vibe coding is a way of building software by collaborating with AI. You don’t write the code yourself — you describe what you want in plain language, and the AI writes the code for you.

There are tools that support this out of the box — like Windsurf, Cursor, Codex, and VSCode with Copilot. You open the editor, chat with the AI, and watch your idea take shape in real code.

And here’s the surprising part: vibe coding isn’t just for people who can’t code. As a professional software engineer, I use it every day. The AI handles the repetitive stuff, fills in the blanks, and accelerates my work — so I can focus on what actually matters: architecture, scalability, UX, clean abstractions, and delivering real value.

Whether it’s me or the AI who types the code is irrelevant — what matters is that the result is good.

Vibe coding helps me deliver faster, stay in the flow, and honestly, be a better engineer.

And if you’ve ever felt blocked because you can’t code — or can’t code enough — this is your chance. You don’t need to know everything. You just need to know what you want to build. AI will help you get there.

To sum it all up:

Vibe coding is the process of building software by chatting with AI that writes the code for you. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a senior engineer, it’s real, it’s powerful, and it’s redefining how we build.

If you don’t know where to start: subscribe to my vibe coding newsletter, where I share actionable tips every week for free so you can manage AI to write perfect code.

While we’re at it, check out also my latest 459-page e-book called Vibe Coding Bible that help people like you become frontiers of the new way of building apps!

And if you’re a founder, check out also my latest e-book: AI for Founders, where I share 100 AI tools for people like you to help in every step of the round to turn your idea into reality.


Written by tomaszs | Software engineer with 16y of pro exp. Tech blogger featuring interesting news and tips about computer science
Published by HackerNoon on 2025/05/21