🔗https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/vibe-coding-as-a-software-engineer
by Gergely Orosz and Elin Nilsson
1. What is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding refers to the emerging trend where developers lean heavily on AI tools to generate code—sometimes without fully understanding the details or verifying the results. It blurs the line between AI "taking the wheel" and developers using AI as a support. The difference? In vibe coding, the developer lets the AI run with the task and only intervenes if something looks off. It's like AI pair programming, but with the human taking a backseat—at least initially.
2. Vibe Coding Tools
Several tools are powering this movement. GitHub Copilot continues to be a staple, but tools like Claude Code are gaining traction for their ability to handle longer contexts and write coherent code snippets. ChatGPT is still a reliable option for many. These tools allow developers to move faster in early stages of development or exploration. Choice of tool often depends on the developer’s workflow, task complexity, and the model’s coding strength.
3. Use Cases
Vibe coding shines brightest in prototyping—when speed and creativity matter more than clean, production-grade code. Developers use it to brainstorm ideas, spin up minimum viable products (MVPs), or even build better developer tools. It offers a low-friction way to test concepts and see what might work—without worrying too much about perfection.
4. Vibe Coding Examples
The article highlights two telling stories: one, of an experienced iOS developer who built a working app in just three hours using AI; and another, of a product manager who, stuck with their vibe-coded app, decided to learn Swift to complete it. These stories illustrate both the creative boost and the limitations of the approach: vibe coding can get you surprisingly far—but not always all the way.
5. Reminder: It’s Not Production Ready!
A crucial caution: code generated by AI, especially in a vibe coding session, is not ready for production. It may contain security flaws, inefficient logic, costly API calls, or bugs. Developers must review, test, and harden the AI-generated code before shipping it. Skipping this step risks serious consequences in live environments.
6. What Will Vibe Coding Change?
Vibe coding is a glimpse into the future of software development. With agentic LLMs becoming more autonomous and capable, engineers will be able to build faster than ever. But far from replacing software engineers, these tools will increase the demand for skilled developers who combine technical depth, product sense, and architectural thinking. Vibe coding won’t remove the need for engineers—it will amplify the value of the best ones.