I'd never call myself a real coder. Most of what I know comes from tinkering in the Linux terminal, copying and pasting Python and the occasional burst of long-forgotten coding classes I started -- and quickly abandoned -- years ago. I wouldn't even say I know enough to be dangerous, but probably enough to break something if I'm lucky. And that's exactly why vibe coding interests me so much.
I've created web-based apps for events calendars and a horror movie showcase gallery, and I've spent way too much time recreating some of my favorite childhood PC games, all by talking to an AI chatbot using (mostly) natural language. Vibe coding can, in essence, make coders out of non-coders. All you need to do is have an idea, communicate it to AI and refine the idea to create what you want. Well, that's what vibe coding is in theory.
There are things you'll learn when vibe coding, and having the right mindset will go a long way when crafting an app just with words. In fact, the mindset can make the difference between a good or bad experience.
Whatever chatbot you choose, whether it's Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude or another option, each will have its own features and quirks you'll need to recognize and work through. Below, I've detailed a few things that I've learned along the way that I believe could help anyone that's getting started in vibe coding, regardless of the specific chatbot you use.
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Know your chatbot
The chatbot you use does matter, although the type of model may matter more than who made it.
When attempting to create the same app using both Gemini 2.5 Flash and Gemini 3 Pro, it became apparent that a different approach was needed with the former to achieve a similar output of the more advanced Pro model. This means more specific intent and instructions with the prompts and from my experience, more manual work.
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