Base44's solo founder went from zero to 250,000 users to an $80M acquisition by Wix.
His secret weapon? He never wrote traditional code.
Welcome to the age of conversational programming.
This month, we're breaking down how vibe coding is reshaping startup validation, which tools actually work, and the traps that can derail your progress.
Vibe coding: the new startup playbook
Founders are having conversations with AI and getting working software in return. It’s called vibe coding, and we’re loving it.
→ Why this changes everything: When building becomes this fast, the bottleneck shifts from "can we build it?" to "should we build it?"
Here's the mindset shift:
Old way: Build something you're proud of. Polish it. Perfect it. Launch it.
New way: Build something that works. Test it. Throw it away. Build something better.
When code costs nothing and takes hours, you can test 50 ideas instead of perfecting one bad idea.
Don’t fall into this vibe coding trap
AI makes building feel easy, so it’s easy to assume you can build production software.
AI is incredible at generating small, functional pieces. But real software needs architecture, security, scalability, and maintenance. That's still engineer territory.
⚠️ Security isn't optional: 40% of AI-generated code has vulnerabilities. Never handle real user data in prototypes.
⚠️ Feature creep kills: Easy building leads to endless building. Set time limits.
⚠️ Building isn't validating: Just because you can build it doesn't mean anyone wants it. Ship to strangers within 24 hours.
We’ve found this pattern to be optimal with vibe coding:
- Vibe code to validate - Build fast, test with real users
- Find what works - Double down on the experiments that show traction
- Rebuild properly - Hire engineers to build the real version
- Scale with confidence - Now you know exactly what to build
Vibe coding red flags to watch out for:
🚩 You're debugging AI-generated code for hours
🚩 You're handling real customer data in prototypes
🚩 You're adding features instead of testing assumptions
🚩 You're postponing the "hire engineers" conversation
What to build (and not to build) with vibe coding
✅ Perfect for AI building:
- Landing pages that convert visitors
- Simple tools that solve specific problems
- Internal team dashboards
- Lead magnets and calculators
- Prototype versions of complex ideas
❌ Still needs real developers:
- Apps handling sensitive data
- Systems requiring 99.9% uptime
- Complex multi-user platforms
- Regulated industry software
- Mission-critical business tools
→ If it breaking would hurt your business, hire developers. If it's for learning and testing, build it yourself with AI today.
A roundup of our favourite vibe coding tools
Bolt.new - Our top pick for beginners
- Build React apps directly in your browser
- Why we love it: Zero setup, instant results
Lovable - Best for beautiful interfaces
- Specialised for web applications with gorgeous UIs
- Why we love it: Two-pane interface makes iteration seamless
Cursor - The gold standard
- AI-powered code editor built on VS Code
- Why we love it: Feels like having a senior developer to chat to
💡 Want to see more vibe coding tools? Read our full article about vibecoding your MVP.
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