If you feel vibe coding has given you superpowers, this post is for you.

As a fellow superhero with over 20 years of experience (35 or so since I got the first taste), I have some thoughts to share with you¹.

When my non-programmer colleagues excitedly tell me about the apps they are prompting Claude to create in their free time, I see a very familiar look in their eyes. I’m sure I’ve had the same one many times in all these years. Getting your computer to help you scratch that itch for a new product, finally setting up that home automation project, organizing your recipe collection with an app made perfectly to your specification… it makes you feel like the world is at your fingertips. And in some ways, it sure is².

Now, let’s get to the topic of this post.

Every programmer³ starts the same way. After the first successes, our instincts tell us that from now on we can make our own software. We’ll always get just what we need, for cheaper. And if we’re lucky, maybe there’s someone else who also wants their apps served in just the same way as we do!

When a programmer decides to pick up running, they think: I could build my own run tracker.

When a programmer has to do accounting, they ask: why wouldn’t I build my own…?

When a programmer gets excited about tracking temperatures, they buy a Ruuvi tag and start thinking of creating a custom dashboard using the data provided by the gadget.

When a programmer… When a vibe coder… In this way, you and I, we are the same. I’ve just had a bit more time to live with this desire to build, and I’ve learned that there’s usually already a (pretty good) app for the task at hand⁴.

The time you tinker on your app (with or without AI) is time not doing the thing you started building the app for.

Had I decided to use Claude to build my own running app instead of paying for Strava, I wouldn’t be running today. I would be ironing out the last quirks of the app, figuring out how to deploy it securely, and how to keep it going. And, in the end, I would probably end up paying more for my app than I now do for Strava.

Now, I’m going strong on my (hopefully long) streak of daily exercise.

—

Footnotes

1. To be clear, I don’t really think coders are super heroes, but I know the feeling of being able to make computers do what you tell them to do. It’s fun. ↩︎
2. It always was… but that’s a different story for a different time. ↩︎
3. I’m sure there are exceptions. But from my unscientific studies, I will say most are like this, anyway. ↩︎
4. There are also some very good reasons for making your own software: Addressing a truly unique need that doesn’t fit anything readymade (but don’t kid yourself: if something is almost right for you, use it). Learning to make an app. And most importantly, definitely build your own, if building it gives you joy and is the end goal in itself. ↩︎