"Vibe coding" is a term for building software by describing what you want in plain language and letting an AI tool write and run the actual code, while you stay focused on whether the result feels and works right, not on the syntax underneath it.
You don't need to know what a "function" or a "database schema" is to start. You need to know what you're trying to make, who it's for, and how to tell when it's wrong.
A tiny example
Here's the kind of prompt a beginner might write in their first week, and what's actually happening behind it.
Make a page that shows a countdown to my birthday, July 1st. Make it feel celebratory, not corporate.
Notice what that prompt does well: it states the function (a countdown), the specific data (July 1st), and the feeling you want (celebratory, not corporate). That last part matters more than people expect. AI tools are good at tone if you actually give them one to aim for.
What you're responsible for
- The goal. No tool can guess what "done" looks like for your idea.
- The judgment. Does this look right? Feel right? Is this the actual problem you have?
- The iteration. First results are drafts. Vibe coding is a conversation, not a vending machine.
What the AI is responsible for
- Translating your description into working code
- Handling the technical plumbing: syntax, structure, most bugs
- Explaining what it did, if you ask
Lesson 1 of 5 in this course Continue to Lesson 1.2 →