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Inside vibe coding: the AI-powered shift from typing code to describing ideas

Author

Shruti Singh
October 28, 2025

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Dear Reader, 👋

What if building an app was as simple as having a conversation? What if you could describe what you want to create in plain English, and AI would write all the code for you?

Flipped.ai's weekly newsletter reaches over 75,000 professionals, innovators, and decision-makers worldwide.

This week, we're exploring vibe coding, a revolutionary approach to software development where you skip the syntax and focus on the vision. With AI assistants that generate, refine, and debug code through natural conversation, vibe coding is democratizing app development for everyone—from seasoned developers to complete beginners.

The era of line-by-line coding is evolving. This isn't just about writing code faster; it's about thinking bigger, building bolder, and making creation accessible to all.

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From code to conversation: The rise of vibe coding

What exactly is vibe coding?

Think of vibe coding as having a conversation with a really smart coding buddy. Instead of writing code yourself, you simply tell an AI assistant what you want to build in plain English (or any language, really).

Want a recipe app? Just say it.
Need a startup name generator? Describe it.
Building a user dashboard? Explain what it should do.

The AI takes your instructions and generates working code. No syntax memorization required.

The term was coined by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy in early 2025, and it's quickly becoming the go-to approach for developers and non-developers alike who want to build faster and think bigger.

Two flavors of vibe coding

1. Pure vibe coding

This is the "move fast and break things" approach. You trust the AI completely, barely looking at the code it generates. Perfect for weekend projects, quick prototypes, or when you just want to see if an idea works.

Karpathy described this as "forgetting that the code even exists." It's all about speed and exploration.

2. Responsible AI-assisted development

This is where vibe coding gets real. The AI generates code, but you review, test, and own the final product. Think of it as pair programming with an AI that never gets tired.

This approach is ideal for professional projects where quality, security, and maintainability matter.

How does vibe coding actually work?

The code-level loop

This is your tight, iterative workflow for perfecting a specific feature:

  1. Describe your goal – "Create a function that reads a CSV file"

  2. AI generates code – It writes the initial version

  3. Execute and observe – Run it and see what happens

  4. Provide feedback – "Add error handling for missing files"

  5. Repeat – Keep refining until it's perfect

The application lifecycle

This is the big picture – taking an idea from concept to a live app:

  1. Ideation – Describe your entire app in one prompt

  2. Generation – AI creates the UI, backend, and file structure

  3. Iterative refinement – Add features and make changes through conversation

  4. Testing and validation – Review for security and quality

  5. Deployment – Deploy to the web with a single click

Traditional Coding vs. Vibe Coding: What's different?

Feature

Traditional Programming

Vibe Coding

Code creation

Manual coding line by line

AI-generated from natural language prompts

Your role

Architect, implementer, debugger

Prompter, guide, tester, refiner

Coding expertise required

Higher (knowledge of programming languages and syntax)

Lower (understanding of the desired functionality)

Primary input

Precise code

Natural language prompts and feedback

Development speed

Generally slower, methodical

Potentially faster, particularly for prototyping

Error handling

Manual debugging based on code comprehension

Refinement through conversational feedback

Learning curve

Often steep

Potentially lower barrier to entry

Code maintainability

Relies on code quality, developer skill, and practices

Can depend heavily on AI output quality and user review

The bottom line? Traditional coding makes you think like a machine. Vibe coding lets you think like a human.

Your vibe coding toolkit: Google cloud edition

Depending on what you're building, Google offers three powerful tools:

Google AI studio

Best for: Quick ideas and rapid prototypes
Skill level: Beginner (no coding experience needed)
Superpower: Single-prompt app generation and one-click deployment

Perfect when you want to go from "I have an idea" to "here's a live app" in minutes.

Firebase studio

Best for: Full-stack applications with databases and user accounts
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
Superpower: Complete backend integration with Firebase

Ideal when you're building something real – user authentication, databases, the whole package.

Gemini code assist

Best for: Professional developers working on existing projects
Skill level: Intermediate to advanced
Superpower: In-editor AI assistance within your IDE

This is your AI pair programmer that lives right inside VS Code or JetBrains.

Getting started: A quick guide

With Google AI Studio:

  1. Describe your app: "Create a startup name generator with a text box and button"

  2. Refine the design: "Make the background dark gray with bright green accents"

  3. Deploy to Cloud Run: Click the button and share your live app

With Firebase Studio:

  1. Describe your full vision: "Create a recipe-sharing app with user accounts and a homepage"

  2. Review the blueprint: Refine the plan before code generation

  3. Generate and iterate: Make changes through conversation

  4. Publish: Deploy your production-ready app

With gemini code assist:

  1. Generate code in your IDE: "Write a Python function to read CSV emails"

  2. Refine existing code: "Add a domain filter parameter"

  3. Generate tests: "Write pytest unit tests for this function"

Why this matters for you

  • If you're a non-developer: You can finally build that app idea you've been sitting on. No need to learn Python, JavaScript, or any programming language. Just describe what you want.

  • If you're a developer: You can skip the boring, repetitive parts and focus on the creative problem-solving you actually enjoy. Build faster, experiment more, and spend less time debugging semicolons.

  • If you're a business owner: You can prototype ideas quickly, test concepts cheaply, and move from idea to MVP faster than ever before.

The big picture

Vibe coding isn't about replacing programmers – it's about democratizing creation. It's about making software development accessible to everyone while giving experienced developers superpowers.

We're moving from a world where you need to speak the computer's language to a world where the computer speaks yours.

And honestly? That's pretty exciting.

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Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to continuing this journey of growth and innovation together!

Happy building,
The Flipped.ai Team