Will Vibe Coding Kill the Fun of Building?

Hey friend,

This week, I read a quote from Greg Brockman (OpenAI cofounder):

"Vibe coding takes away the fun. Devs just review and test now."

And yeah, I get it. If you love writing perfect lines of code, maybe this sucks. But if you love creating things, vibe coding is a dream.

The Great Developer Divide

There's a war happening in dev communities right now. On one side, you have the "code craftsmen" who think AI is ruining programming. On the other, you have the "ship it fast" crowd who just want to build cool stuff.

Greg Brockman said AI coding has turned human coders into "overqualified Q&As" on Stripe's podcast. That sounds harsh, but he's not wrong about the role change.

Here's what's really happening: coding efficiency has improved by an average of 55.8% with AI tools, but many developers feel like they're losing their identity in the process.

The Big Idea

Vibe coding is changing what it means to "be a builder."

• Old way: craft every line yourself

• New way: talk to AI, tweak, and launch

It's not about being a perfect engineer. It's about shipping ideas.

So, here's my take: Do you want fun—or finished?

For me, finishing feels way more fun than staring at bugs for weeks.

What the Numbers Really Show

Nearly 44% of developers had adopted AI coding tools by early 2025, and that number keeps climbing. But here's the twist: developers estimated they were sped up by 20% on average when using AI, but they were actually sped up more than they realized.

By the end of 2025, 80% of non-IT professionals are expected to create IT solutions, with over 65% using no-code tools or vibe coding tools.

Think about that. Soon, your neighbor who sells insurance might be building apps faster than traditional developers.

The Real Debate: Craft vs. Creation

I've been following the discussions on Reddit and dev forums. The split is clear:

Team Craft says: "Programming is art. AI removes the creative process. We're becoming code reviewers, not creators."

Team Creation says: "Who cares how it's made? If it works and solves problems, that's what matters."

One developer put it perfectly: "Vibe coding is all fun and games until you have to vibe debug." Fair point. But here's the thing—debugging has always been part of programming.

My Personal Experience

I've been vibe coding for 8 months now. Here's what I've learned:

The good stuff:

• I ship projects in days, not weeks

• I can test more ideas without burning out

• I spend time on problems that matter, not syntax errors

The not-so-good stuff:

• Sometimes I feel disconnected from my code

• Debugging AI-generated code can be weird

• I worry I'm getting lazy with fundamentals

But here's the real truth: I've built more working products in the last 8 months than in the previous 2 years combined.

What "Fun" Actually Means

Let's be honest about what's fun in programming:

Traditional fun:

• Writing elegant code

• Solving complex problems from scratch

• Mastering new languages and frameworks

Vibe coding fun:

• Seeing ideas come to life fast

• Focusing on user experience over implementation

• Building without getting stuck on technical details

Both are valid. But if your goal is to build businesses or solve real problems, vibe coding gets you there faster.

The Future is Already Here

Companies implementing vibe coding see 47% higher user engagement and 32% better retention rates. Why? Because teams spend more time on what users actually want, not on perfect code architecture.

AI tools can 10x your productivity when used by the right person. The key phrase is "right person." You still need to understand what you're building and why.

The Skills That Still Matter

Even in a vibe coding world, you need:

• Problem-solving skills - AI can't figure out what to build

• Product thinking - Understanding user needs and business logic

• Architecture knowledge - Knowing how systems should work together

• Debugging skills - Finding and fixing issues quickly

The difference is you're not spending 80% of your time on syntax and boilerplate code.

Cool Reads I Found

• "OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman says vibe coding has taken away some of the fun parts of being an engineer" – Business Insider

• "The Illusion of Vibe Coding: There Are No Shortcuts to Mastery" – ShiftMag

• Various Reddit threads debating whether vibe coding is "real" coding

The Maintenance Reality

Here's something nobody talks about: When we outsource not just the typing but the thinking to AI, we lose something important.

I've seen developers who can vibe code but can't fix the code when it breaks. That's a problem.

My advice? Use vibe coding to build fast, but make sure you understand what you're building. Read the generated code. Ask questions. Don't just copy and paste.

Action for You This Week

Next time you start a build, ask yourself:

"Am I building for fun, or to finish?"

If finishing is the goal, vibe code it. You'll feel way better when it's live.

If you're coding for the craft, take the slow route. Both paths are valid.

But here's my challenge: Try building the same simple app both ways. Time yourself. See which approach feels better when you're done.

My Hot Take

The developers complaining about vibe coding are like photographers who complained about digital cameras. "It's not real photography!" they said. "Anyone can take a photo now!"

They were right. Anyone can take a photo now. But the best photographers adapted and used digital tools to create better work faster.

The same thing is happening with code. Anyone can build apps now. But the best developers will use AI tools to build better products faster.

The Bottom Line

Vibe coding doesn't kill the fun of building. It changes what "building" means.

If your fun comes from writing perfect code, stick with traditional methods. If your fun comes from creating things people use, vibe coding is your friend.

Me? I'd rather have 10 working apps than 1 perfect codebase that nobody uses.

What about you?

Do you code because you love the craft? Or because you want to see your ideas in the world?

I'm curious about your experience. Are you team craft or team creation? Have you tried vibe coding yet? What did you think?

Hit reply and let me know. I read every response and often reply back.

Talk soon,
Marc

P.S. - Next week I'm going to show you exactly how I built a profitable side project in 3 days using vibe coding. It's not pretty code, but it makes money. Sometimes that's all that matters.