The Zen of Vibecoding
When people ask me what is vibe coding?, I don’t give them a technical definition. For me, vibecoding is about turning ideas into experiences. It’s sitting down with ChatGPT-5 Codex or another AI coding tool, having a spark of an idea, and guiding that idea into something real.
I’ll start with a foundation, maybe a project folder, some basic structure, and a plan. But the real magic comes when I begin to add features. That moment when a button appears, a page loads correctly, or a small game mechanic works? That’s the joy. That’s vibecoding.
I’m not trying to build the next Google or Facebook. I’m trying to bring my thoughts into the world, one small project at a time, and make them available for people to experience. That is the essence of vibecoding to me.
Vibecoding Is About the Experience
When I vibe code, the question isn’t just how do I code faster with AI? It’s how does this process feel? Vibecoding is as much about the state of mind as it is about the output.
Some days it feels like meditation. The rhythm of writing prompts, reviewing results, and making adjustments pulls me into flow. Hours pass without me noticing. Other days it feels like jazz improvisation, riffing with the AI as it throws out possibilities and I steer the direction.
This is what makes vibecoding different from traditional programming. It’s not just execution. It’s exploration.
Small Projects, Big Satisfaction
One of the most common questions beginners ask is how do I start vibecoding? My answer: start small.
My earliest projects were tiny—like building a simple to-do app or a one-page site styled with Tailwind CSS. But finishing them gave me a huge sense of satisfaction. Each completed project, no matter how small, was proof that I could take an idea and bring it into the world.
These small wins add up. Over time, they build confidence. And that confidence is what makes larger projects possible.
The Role of AI in Vibecoding
Some people think vibecoding means letting the AI do everything. But to me, AI-assisted coding is more like having a collaborator. Codex doesn’t know my vision. It doesn’t know the vibe I’m chasing. That’s my role.
The AI helps by filling in the gaps:
- Writing boilerplate code.
- Suggesting better patterns.
- Catching small mistakes before they grow.
But the human role is still central. I decide the direction, the structure, and the purpose. Vibecoding works best when I balance guidance with openness, steering the project but letting AI surprise me.
Presence Over Pressure
For me, vibecoding is a practice in presence. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of building something “useful” or “impressive.” But that’s not the point. The point is to explore, to create, to see where an idea can go.
Some sessions are productive. Others feel messy. But both are valuable. Vibecoding teaches me that the process itself has worth, even if the output isn’t perfect.
What Vibecoding Has Taught Me
- Patience: Not every prompt works. Sometimes you delete and try again.
- Humility: Asking AI to explain things I don’t know has helped me learn faster.
- Creativity: I’ve built things I never thought possible because I let the AI push me in new directions.
- Playfulness: Vibecoding reminded me that coding can be fun again.
Why Vibecoding Matters
So, why does vibecoding matter in 2025? To me, it matters because it lowers the barrier to creation. People who never thought they could build apps, websites, or games now can. It matters because it shifts coding from something rigid to something expressive.
Vibecoding is not just about productivity. It’s about giving people a way to experiment, learn, and play with technology. It’s a cultural shift as much as it is a technical one.
Final Thought
When I’m asked what is vibe coding to me? the answer is simple: it’s joy. It’s turning ideas into experiences. It’s finding flow in the back-and-forth between me and the AI. It’s small wins that add up to big confidence.
Vibecoding is not the end of programming. It’s a new way to practice it. A way that feels more human, more creative, and more fun.
At the end of the day, I don’t vibe code to build empires. I vibe code because the process itself makes me happy. And that, I think, is the most Zen part of all.
See also