For the longest time, I avoided vibe coding. Not because I didn't understand it, but because I didn't trust it. As someone with a software development background, I'm used to structure that includes clear requirements, planned architecture, and predictable outputs. Vibe coding felt like the opposite of that. Just prompting an AI and building as you go? It sounded messy. A bit like skipping the thinking part and jumping straight to execution.
I also had this bias that "real developers" shouldn't rely on AI to figure things out for them. It felt like cheating the process I had spent years learning.
So I stuck to my usual way of building things -- opening a code editor, planning the flow, writing everything step by step.
But at the same time, I noticed something. I was delaying small ideas. Tiny tools I wanted to build kept sitting in my head because they didn't feel "important enough" to go through my usual process. That friction is what made me reconsider. I didn't want to build something fancy; I just wanted something simple that could actually help me in my daily life.
The problem that made me try it anyway
The everyday annoyance I kept postponing for too long
My subscriptions were a mess. I did have an old Excel file where I used to track everything like tools I signed up for, renewal dates, costs. It worked for a while. But over time, I stopped updating it. New subscriptions never made it in, and old ones just stayed there.
Every few weeks, I'd notice a random charge and think, I should really clean this up. But I never did. Opening that Excel file felt like a chore. Updating it felt even worse.
I didn't want to build a full app or maintain another system just for this. That's when it clicked -- this was a small, annoying problem I kept avoiding. Perfect reason to finally try vibe coding.
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Posts 1
By Rich Woods
I gave AI one prompt and started building
One simple prompt was enough to get started
Instead of overthinking it, I did the opposite of my usual approach. I gave AI a vague prompt.
No detailed requirements, no step-by-step breakdown. Just a simple instruction: create a CLI tool for tracking subscriptions with basic CRUD functionality, something I could run on my Windows machine.
I used ChatGPT Codex for this, and honestly, I expected to spend time refining the prompt. But I didn't. It started building right away -- setting up a simple Python CLI, suggesting SQLite for storage, and even structuring things in a way that didn't need extra setup.
That's when it clicked. I didn't need to control every detail. I just needed to guide the direction. Instead of writing code from scratch, I was reviewing, tweaking, and steering. If something felt off, I adjusted the prompt slightly or asked for a change.
It felt less like coding in the traditional sense and more like collaborating. And the best part is that I wasn't stuck in planning mode anymore. I was actually building.
What does my Subscription Tracker CLI tool do?
Simple, fast, and useful
This subscription tracker CLI tool solves a very simple problem, i.e., keeping all my subscriptions in one place without the hassle of apps or spreadsheets.
It's a lightweight CLI tool that runs on my Windows machine and stores everything locally using SQLite. No dependencies, no complicated setup. I just open the terminal and use it.
Right now, it covers all the basics really well. I can add, update, delete, and view subscriptions with ease. It tracks details like amount, billing cycle (monthly, yearly, or custom), next renewal date, category, and payment method.
What makes it actually useful day-to-day is how quickly I can interact with it. I can list everything, search for a specific subscription, or filter by category. There's also a "due" command that shows upcoming and overdue payments, which is probably the feature I rely on the most.
It also gives me a clear summary of my monthly and yearly spending, so I finally have visibility into where my money is going.
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Since I already had an old Excel file, I could just import that data and clean things up instead of starting from scratch. It also supports pausing or canceling subscriptions without losing history, plus export and backup options.
Next, I'm planning to connect it with Gmail to automatically detect subscriptions. But even in its current form, it's already doing the job well.
I tested Claude Code, Codex, Lovable, and Replit side by side, and only one felt ready for real work
May the best AI ship.
Posts 10
By Mahnoor Faisal
Where vibe coding fits (and where it doesn't)
This experience changed how I look at building small tools. Vibe coding isn't a replacement for proper engineering, but it doesn't have to be. For quick, personal use cases, it removes the friction that usually stops ideas from becoming real.
I may not use it for large systems or anything that needs long-term maintainability. But for scrappy utilities like this, it's surprisingly effective. The key is knowing where it fits.
Used thoughtfully, vibe coding can help you ship faster, experiment more, and finally build those "I'll do it someday" ideas, without overcomplicating them.
