My Vibecoding Journey — How I Started Coding With AI

Introduction: Why Vibecoding?

What first drew you to vibecoding?
I have always been interested in coding. There is a certain bit of satisfaction that I get out of problem solving and finding creative solutions to problems. I also really enjoy creating. Creating some new that people have not seen before and to be able to share it with the world. What first drew me to vibe coding was reading about people that were completely non-coders that were creating all these things. I had to try it and understand it further.
Did you see it as a shortcut, a creative tool, or just curiosity?
I see it as a creative tool to make ideas into a reality. I have had ideas for years and it has taken me months of learning or troubleshooting to figure out solutions to problems. When I first used AI to help me code, it was an eye opener. I knew enough about coding to build projects, but with the lack of a formal education in programming I always struggled. Then Vibe Coding came in.
What surprised you most when you first tried it?
The thing that shocked me the most was how rapidly I was able to prototype ideas and see concrete results. Gone were the days of endlessly searching through docs to find answers.

When did you first try ChatGPT for coding?
I started using ChatGPT for coding about 3 years ago. This was purely cut and paste code, troubleshoot compile errors, and iterate.
What tools or platforms did you use (VSCode, Cursor, GitHub)?
Xcode and ChatGPT when I first started. There were some apps that I wanted to build, but I didn’t have the full technical know-how to do it.
What was the first project you attempted (even if it failed)?
First project was a Tailwind, HTML, and CSS website. It is still online today.

What was the funniest or strangest bug you encountered?
When first starting with AI coding or Vibe Coding, when the AI hallucinates was probably the most interesting to me. I don’t feel that it happens as much anymore, but it would feel like you hit a wall, and the AI would just delete tons of your code, and you would painstakingly delete and try and get it back to how it was before.
Did you ever spend hours on something that ended up being super simple?
I feel like each month some of the processes get easier with AI Development. Things that used to take me days to code, can now be completed in hours (sometimes minutes)
What’s the first project you were actually proud to finish?
I have always been into game design, so writing a game demo for an idea I had in my head has to be one of my favorites.

What’s the biggest mistake you made as a beginner vibecoder?
Not researching other tools that people were using or being reluctant to try them out.
How did you learn to give better prompts?
Once ChatGPT5 came out I use it as my prompt helper. But in the past, lots of failed prompts and undos, helped me to learn to write better prompts.
Did you ever build something cool by accident?
Sometime a bug, or adding a few additional words to a prompt can turn into something really cool. I was having issues making a star trail for asteroids, so I went to NASA’s website, found some cool simulations, screen shotted it, and then fed it into Chat GPT. It added some really cool effects.

What tool or extension made coding with AI click for you?
VSCode with the ChatGPT extension. Integrated AI into IDEs helped to make everything click. Helps with building structure too.
How did Cursor or VSCode extensions help you?
Using AI to recommend extensions for me, and guide me along what to do in VSCode helped a ton.
What free resources or communities (Reddit, Discord, blogs) helped?
Any tech that AI recommended for a project I would immediately find the subreddit for it. This helps to see what people are creating and potential pitfalls that they encounter.

Do you still “write code” in the traditional sense, or do you guide AI more now?
I mostly just guide AI now, but I do review code to make sure it is refactored, and structured properly or efficiently.
How has vibecoding impacted your speed, creativity, and motivation?
I am passionate about Vibe Coding. It gives me a lot of satisfaction, and helps tremendously with having a creative outlet.
Do you feel more like a developer or more like a creative director?
I feel more like a creative developer.

What would you tell someone who feels intimidated?
See what others are doing. Learn from them, don’t only rely on AI to guide you all the way. Get some perspectives of real people that use the tools.
What’s the single best first project to try?
Whatever your creative idea is. It will give you the most reward, but break it down into really small pieces and build one at a time.
What do you wish you knew at the start?
How to use VSCode, what extensions to use, and what are some of the approachable tools. As well as how to write good structure, instead of having to start over when code gets out of hand.

What projects do you want to build next?
Several Apps for new parents that will be available on the App Store, as well as games. I have always loved games, grew up with an NES, and creating my own story driven game would be a dream come true. Bonus points if it is really fun too.
Do you think vibecoding will become the norm in five years?
Yes.
What excites you most about the future of AI-assisted coding?
It evolves so quickly and will just keep getting better and better.

What has vibecoding taught you about creativity, persistence, or learning?
Find a passion project, keep at it, try and fail, through determination you will get there eventually.
If you could describe vibecoding in three words, what would they be?
IDEA to CREATION

See also

-Dude