How to Do Vibe Coding the Right Way Move fast with AI—without creating a mess.

AI-assisted coding is taking off, and with it comes a fun new trend: vibe coding.

The idea, made popular by Andrej Karpathy, is simple: you tell an AI what you want, it spits out the code, and you just roll with it. You don’t overthink it. You don’t obsess over every line. You just… vibe.

It feels fast, intuitive, and sometimes even magical.

But here’s the thing: if you rely on the “vibes” too much, you’ll end up with code that’s buggy, hard to maintain, and worse—code you don’t understand. Vibe coding can be awesome, but only if you use it with intention.

Let’s talk about how to vibe the smart way.

1. Treat AI Like a Smart Intern

AI is fast and helpful, but it’s not a seasoned developer. Think of it like a junior teammate who can code quickly but doesn’t always make the right decisions. You’re still the lead here.

Better prompt: Instead of saying “Build a dashboard,” say:
“Create a dashboard in React with Tailwind, a sidebar on the left, top navigation, and placeholder cards for future metrics.”

Clear instructions = better output.

2. Make a Game Plan (Even a Quick One)

Before you start typing prompts, jot down what you’re trying to build. It doesn’t need to be perfect — just something to guide the flow.

For example:

• I need a chat app.
• It should have message input, chat history, and live updates.
• Let’s use WebSockets.
• Store messages in localStorage for now.

This tiny bit of planning will save you from future chaos.

3. Don’t Trust Everything the AI Gives You

AI-generated code looks legit, but it can be full of problems — like security risks, bad logic, or missing error checks.

Bad example the AI might give:

app.post('/login', (req, res) => {
  if (req.body.password === 'admin123') {
    res.send('Logged in!');
  }
});

Yikes. No hashing, no validation, no token. Review everything before you use it.

4. Test While You Build — with AI’s Help

Ask the AI to generate tests too. This keeps your code solid and helps you better understand how it works.

Try this: After writing a resetPassword function, say:
“Write 3 tests for this, including one for an expired token.”

Just make sure you still review the tests. Don’t assume they’re perfect.

5. Don’t Let Your Code Become a Black Box

The danger of vibe coding is that you might build something that works — but you have no idea how or why.

Real example: You generate a CRUD system with lots of relationships. A month later, a bug appears… and you’re lost.

Fix it: After each major feature, pause. Read through the code. Rename unclear variables. Add comments. Keep yourself in the loop.

6. Work with the AI, Not for the AI

Instead of prompting endlessly and accepting everything, have a back-and-forth. Ask the AI to improve or simplify things.

Example: If it gives you a monster 100-line component with nested logic, respond:
“That’s too complex. Break this down into smaller pieces.”

Treat it like a team brainstorming session, not a vending machine.

7. Know When to Step In

AI can help with repetitive tasks and boilerplate, but when it comes to serious stuff — like payment systems or authentication — you need to take the wheel.

Why?
Because the AI doesn’t know your edge cases, business logic, or security standards.

Always use your judgment for the critical paths.

8. Document What the AI Can’t

The AI won’t leave notes about why it made certain choices — but you should.

Tiny detail, big impact:

// Using Redis for caching because we’ll scale horizontally later

This kind of comment can save your future self (or teammate) hours of confusion.

9. Stay Skeptical

AI is a fast coder, but not always a smart one. Sometimes it gives you outdated patterns or overcomplicated code.

Example: You ask for a debounce function and get a mess of setTimeout spaghetti.

Just say:
“Write a simple debounce utility using a closure. Keep it minimal.”

Be specific. Push back when needed.

The Vibe Is the Spark — Not the Whole Engine

Vibe coding is about energy, speed, and momentum. It’s fun, it’s creative, and it helps you build fast.

But it’s not magic.

Use AI to accelerate — not to autopilot. Stay involved, stay curious, and stay in control.

That’s how you vibe code the right way.

💡 Fun Fact: “Vibe Coding” Started as a Joke

The phrase came from a playful post by Andrej Karpathy, where he joked about coding by just “saying stuff and copy-pasting stuff” from AI. It sounded absurd — but it hit a nerve.

Now, devs everywhere are talking about how to code with AI responsibly.

Turns out, the joke might have started a real movement.