What Is Vibe Coding? The AI-First Development Approach Explained
Manas Takalpati
Founder, Blue Orchid
In early 2025, Andrej Karpathy posted a casual observation that gave a name to something thousands of developers were already doing. He called it "vibe coding" - and the term stuck because it captured a real shift happening in software.
The Origin
Andrej Karpathy - co-founder of OpenAI, former head of Tesla's Autopilot AI team - described how he'd stopped writing code traditionally. Instead, he described intent to AI tools, barely looked at the generated code, and just... vibed.
The post resonated because it wasn't aspirational. It was descriptive. One of the world's best AI engineers saying: I don't write code the old way anymore.
What Vibe Coding Actually Is
Vibe coding is building software by describing what you want in natural language and letting AI generate the code. You focus on intent and design. AI handles syntax and implementation.
Traditional: Write code → debug → test → iterate Vibe coding: Describe intent → AI generates → review → refine
The cognitive load shifts. Traditional coding requires thinking about what you want AND how to express it in a programming language simultaneously. Vibe coding separates those concerns.
Who It's For
Experienced developers - 3-5x productivity multiplier. You catch AI mistakes fast. Use it for tedious parts while coding critical logic manually.
Founders - Build prototypes without hiring developers. Test ideas in days, not months.
Beginners - Access to software creation that didn't exist two years ago. Build working apps by describing what you want.
Designers - If you can describe interfaces precisely, you can now build them.
What It's Not
Not magic. AI makes mistakes. Review is not optional.
Not the end of programming. Understanding code still matters.
Not just autocomplete. It's multi-step autonomous code generation.
For the full workflow, tools, and common pitfalls, read the Vibe Coding Complete Guide. Ready to start? Try the Vibe Coding Tutorial.
Frequently Asked Questions
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