vibe coding
reflections on coding with AI. powerful but dangerous.
the good
- "can trust claude to implement things" — once you know what to build, AI accelerates implementation massively
- prototyping becomes viable in situations it wasn't before — AI makes your time cheap for exploration
- /rewind is a useful tool when things go sideways
- use voice to text — reduces friction, lets you think out loud
the dangers
AI rotting
"AI rotting is such a thing — watch out for it." this is the slow erosion of your own understanding and skills when you let AI do too much thinking for you. the fix isn't to stop using AI — it's to stay engaged.
getting sucked in
"so easy to get sucked in, need breaks at 10 minute intervals." vibe coding creates a flow state that feels productive but can become mindless. the 10-minute break rule forces you to zoom out.
context switching
"multitasking with vibe coding isn't that great; context switch is not great." when AI is generating, the temptation is to do something else. but context switching degrades both tasks.
"whenever it's thinking, don't go to discord — actually think about how it's going." this is the key discipline: use the AI's thinking time to think yourself. review what it's doing, consider what you want next, stay engaged.
poorly vibe coded apps
poorly vibe coded apps are bad. there's a quality floor that's easy to miss when AI is doing the heavy lifting. you still need intentionality about what you're building and why.
the meta-lesson
vibe coding amplifies whatever you bring to it. if you come with clear thinking and a good plan (see software-workflow), AI makes you 10x. if you come with no plan and let it drive, you get a mess and learn nothing.