TL;DR:
- Vibe coding is when you describe what you want to an AI tool in plain English and it writes the code for you
- Andrej Karpathy coined the term in February 2025, and Collins Dictionary named it their Word of the Year
- You don’t need to be a developer to build tools, landing pages, calculators, and internal apps for your business
- The best results come from clear prompts, iterative feedback, and knowing when to bring in a real developer
- Security and code quality are real concerns, so vibe coding works best for prototypes, MVPs, and internal tools
You have probably heard the term “vibe coding” floating around by now. Maybe your developer mentioned it. Maybe you saw it on LinkedIn. Maybe Collins Dictionary naming it their 2025 Word of the Year finally got your attention.
Either way, vibe coding is not going away. And if you run a business, you should know how to use it.
This post breaks down what vibe coding actually is, how to do it, when it makes sense, and when you should probably pump the brakes.
What Is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding is a way of building software where you describe what you want in plain English (or whatever language you speak) and an AI tool writes the code for you. You don’t need to understand JavaScript, Python, or any programming language. You just need to be clear about what you want the end result to look like.
The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy, co-founder of OpenAI and former head of AI at Tesla. In February 2025, he posted on X about a new style of development where you “fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists.”
That post set off a firestorm.
By spring 2025, searches for “vibe coding” had jumped over 6,700%. By end of year, roughly 84% of developers were either using or planning to use AI coding tools. In Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 batch, a full quarter of the startups had codebases that were 95% or more AI-generated.
This is not a fad. This is a fundamental shift in how software gets built.
How Vibe Coding Actually Works
The process is simpler than you think. Here is the basic loop:
Step 1: Describe what you want.
Open an AI coding tool (more on which ones below) and tell it what you need. Be specific. Instead of saying “build me an app,” say something like “Build me a calculator where a user enters their monthly ad spend and their conversion rate, and it outputs their estimated cost per lead.”
Step 2: Let the AI generate the code.
The tool will produce working code based on your description. In many cases, you will see a live preview of the output right away.
Step 3: Test it.
Click around. Does it do what you expected? Does the layout look right? Is anything broken or confusing?
Step 4: Refine with follow-up prompts.
This is where the “vibe” part really kicks in. You tell the AI things like “make the button bigger,” “add a field for average deal size,” or “change the color scheme to match our brand.” The AI adjusts and you keep going.
Step 5: Repeat until it’s done.
Most vibe coding projects involve several rounds of back and forth. The first version is rarely perfect, but each iteration gets closer.
The key insight here is that you are acting more like a creative director than a developer. You are telling the AI what the end product should do and look like, and the AI handles the technical implementation.
The Best Vibe Coding Tools in 2026
There are several solid options depending on what you are trying to build:
Cursor is probably the most popular vibe coding tool right now. It is a code editor powered by AI that lets you describe what you want and generates the code in real time. It reportedly crossed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, which tells you something about adoption.
Claude Code from Anthropic is a command-line tool that works really well for more complex projects. If you have some technical comfort, Claude Code is incredibly powerful for building full applications.
Bolt.new and Lovable are browser-based tools designed specifically for non-developers. You describe what you want, and they generate a full working app you can deploy. Great for prototyping and MVPs.
Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is another AI-powered editor that has gained traction with developers who want AI assistance built into their workflow.
Google’s Firebase Studio and AI Studio have also entered the game, letting you go from a prompt to a deployed application without writing code.
For business owners and marketers who are not technical, Bolt.new and Lovable are usually the easiest starting points. For those with a bit more comfort around code, Cursor and Claude Code unlock much more flexibility.
What Can You Actually Build with Vibe Coding?
This is where it gets exciting for business owners. Here are some real examples of things people are building without traditional development teams:
Lead generation tools.
Calculators, quizzes, and assessment tools that capture contact info and provide value at the same time. We have written about how tools like these fit into a broader conversion rate optimization strategy, and vibe coding makes them dramatically faster to build.
Internal dashboards.
Need a quick tool that pulls data from a spreadsheet and displays it in a clean format for your team? Vibe code it in an afternoon.
Landing pages.
While dedicated landing page builders still make sense for high-volume campaigns (we covered the best options in our law firm marketing tools roundup), vibe coding gives you complete creative control when the templates feel too limiting.
Chrome extensions.
Small browser tools that solve a specific problem for your audience. These can double as lead magnets and brand-building assets.
Content tools.
Apps that help your team repurpose content, generate outlines, or automate parts of your content workflow. If you are already thinking about AI implementation for your marketing stack, vibe coding is one of the fastest ways to build custom solutions.
Prototypes and MVPs.
Got a SaaS idea? You can build a functional prototype in a weekend and put it in front of real users before committing serious development budget.
How to Get Good Results (Tips from Experience)
Vibe coding is not magic. The quality of what you build depends heavily on the quality of your prompts and your ability to iterate. Here is what we have learned from building tools this way:
Be absurdly specific in your first prompt.
The more detail you give upfront, the better the first draft will be. Don’t say “build me a contact form.” Say “build me a contact form with fields for name, email, phone number, and a dropdown for service type. The dropdown options should be SEO, PPC, Content Marketing, and Other. When submitted, it should show a thank you message and send the data to a webhook.”
Break big projects into small pieces.
Trying to describe an entire complex application in a single prompt rarely works well. Build one feature at a time, test it, and then add the next piece.
Copy-paste errors directly into the chat.
When something breaks (and it will), just paste the error message into the AI chat. Most of the time, the AI can diagnose and fix the issue immediately.
Keep a running document of what you have built.
As your project grows, the AI may lose context on earlier decisions. Having a reference doc you can paste in helps keep things consistent.
Know your limits.
Vibe coding is great for prototypes, internal tools, and marketing assets. If you are building something that handles sensitive data, processes payments, or needs to scale to thousands of users, bring in a real developer for the production version.
The Risks You Should Know About
We would be doing you a disservice if we did not talk about the downsides. Vibe coding has some real limitations:
Security vulnerabilities are common.
Research has found that AI-generated code contains significantly more security flaws than human-written code. One study found that roughly 10% of apps built with a popular vibe coding tool had critical security issues. If you are handling user data, credit cards, or anything sensitive, get a developer to review the code before you put it live.
Maintenance can be tricky.
Code that you did not write and do not fully understand is hard to fix when something breaks six months later. For throwaway prototypes, this is fine. For tools you plan to run long-term, it is a real concern.
It can make you slower on complex tasks.
A study from METR found that experienced developers were actually 19% slower when using AI coding tools on complex projects. The lesson: vibe coding excels at straightforward builds, not intricate engineering challenges.
Quality varies.
The AI will sometimes produce code that works but is poorly structured. Think of it like hiring a fast but sloppy contractor. The house looks fine from the outside, but the plumbing might be a nightmare.
Where Vibe Coding Fits in Your Marketing Strategy
For business owners, the real value of learning how to vibe code is speed. You can test ideas, build tools for your audience, and create marketing assets without waiting on a development team or paying $15,000 for a custom build.
Here is how we think about it at Foxtown Marketing:
Use vibe coding for speed and experimentation.
Need a calculator for a blog post? A quiz for lead gen? A quick internal tool for your team? Vibe code it. The cost is your time, and the turnaround is hours instead of weeks.
Use traditional development for scale and security.
If the tool works and you want to scale it, hand it off to a developer who can clean up the code, add proper security, and make it production-ready.
Use both together.
The smartest approach is treating vibe-coded prototypes as proof of concept. Build it fast, test it with real users, and then invest in a proper build once you have validated the idea.
This is especially relevant if you are thinking about how to optimize your content for AI-driven search. Interactive tools, calculators, and custom resources built through vibe coding can create the kind of unique, high-value content that both traditional search engines and AI assistants love to reference.
And if you are a business owner exploring how AI can fit into your overall marketing operation, vibe coding is just one piece of the puzzle. We have helped businesses across industries figure out where AI creates real leverage and where it is just noise. You can see how we approach AI implementation for marketing and what a fractional CMO partnership looks like when AI is part of the strategy.
Parting Thoughts on How To Vibe Code
Vibe coding is not going to replace software engineers. But it is going to let a lot of business owners, marketers, and non-technical founders build things they never could before.
The barrier to entry for creating custom software just dropped to near zero. The question is no longer “can I build this?” It is “should I build this, and what is the fastest path to a working version?”
If you want to start vibe coding today, here is your homework:
- Pick one small tool or feature your business needs
- Open Bolt.new, Lovable, or Cursor
- Describe what you want in as much detail as possible
- Iterate until it works
- Ship it
That is it. No computer science degree required. No six-figure development budget. Just a clear idea and the willingness to talk to an AI until it builds what you need.
Welcome to the new era. The vibes are strong.
At Foxtown Marketing, we help businesses figure out where AI creates real leverage in their marketing. Whether you want to learn how to vibe code with custom tools, build automation workflows, or implement a full AI marketing strategy, we bring the expertise so you can focus on running your business. Let’s talk.
Ethan Priest is a cofounder of Foxtown Marketing and the creative force behind everything visual. From digital ads and video to full brand refreshes, Ethan makes sure every piece of content looks sharp and fits the bigger marketing picture.
But Ethan’s not just a designer. He brings serious analytical chops to the table, with deep expertise in SEO, PPC, website optimization, and the data that ties it all together. He’s the guy who can build you a beautiful landing page and then tell you exactly why it’s converting (or not).
More recently, Ethan has become one of the team’s go-to specialists in AI marketing and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), helping clients show up not just in traditional search results but in AI-generated answers and recommendations. As the way people find businesses continues to shift, Ethan is already ahead of the curve, making sure Foxtown’s clients don’t get left behind.
His background spans graphic design, motion graphics, and multimedia production, and he’s known for turning complex ideas into visuals that actually land. He works closely with the entire Foxtown team to make sure every project hits the mark and looks great doing it.
While many dream of being digital nomads, Ethan proudly calls himself a “digital slow-mad,” taking his time as he explores the world one country (and coffee shop) at a time, currently based in Lisbon. When he needs to recharge, you’ll find him nose-deep in a fantasy novel, chasing mountain trails with his camera, hunting for local art scenes, or experimenting with new animation techniques just for the fun of it.
Ethan lives by the belief that creativity isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life, and every adventure feeds the next project.
