Back in March, I started what is now being calling “vibe coding.” This is the term the internet has given to using AI coding to create software using tools like Lovable.dev, Bolt.new, Base44, and Cursor.
These are coding tools that allow you to prompt an AI engine with an idea and a directive, and it will begin coding for you.
And I’ll be honest, I’m extremely impressed. Since I started using this process back in March, I’ve been able to write software not only for myself but also for my clients in a fraction of the time it would have taken me to do this by myself.
It’s hard to exactly quantify the level of efficiency it has added, so don’t take this too literally; but I would say I’m also able to work with the power of about 5 junior developers working directly with me; all by using just Cursor as my new IDE.
And the best part? The code comes back in seconds or minutes, not days or weeks to get a feature built with a bunch of back and forth on what needs to be done.
I can prompt the AI, it will code a feature for me, I can immediately test that feature and continue working. Two hours of working with AI I really feel like is now almost equivalent to 2-3 days of work before March 2025 when I started down this journey.
My Tech Journey - AP Computer Science to Software Consulting Founder
I’ve been a developer and writing software since AP Computer Science when I was a senior in high school, so I’ve definitely written a lot of code over the past 22 or so years.
However, after I started “vibe coding” I’m honestly so much more excited about creating software and building technology.
I went to Virginia Tech and received two degrees in Electrical Engineering where I focused heavily on software based systems while I was there.
When I left Virginia Tech, I spent 5 years working under one of the smartest PhD’s I know that taught me far more than I could have imagined about developing software, managing code, and building strong foundational systems with Linux. Much of my success to date was because I worked directly with him for 5 years as one of their first engineers when the company was small.
At some point I felt like I plateaued a bit and decided to leave there to start out on my own as a freelance and now full time software consulting founder.
While I do believe anyone can now get started with vibe coding if they put in the time to learn how to get started, I believe it’s these 20+ years of experience that is allowing me accelerate building apps. And for the rest of the article I’m going to tell you more about how to leverage vibe coding, but also know that the current knowledge that’s being put out there isn’t quite enough to get you to a production app, at least in my opinion.
You have to be REALLY clear about what you want
When you are developing with AI coding tools, you have to be extremely clear with what you are looking to achieve. You have to be