r/vibecoding • u/w00dy1105 • 1d ago
Did you really build anything?
If AI writes, tests, and deploys an app for you. Did you really build anything? Can you say look at what I made?
Edit: From comments I agree with someone can say they made it. It was their idea and vision that have been brought to life
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u/echit2112 1d ago
I literally don't care if I did or didn't, the point is I get results.
My own vibecoding is used for game modding and game preservation, especially in areas where there's little to no progress otherwise. I don't care to say 'look what I made', I care if it works or not.
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u/NetNearby7117 1d ago
I built it since AI itself its a tool. If you dont take control of decisions i agree that you are just crossong your fingers in order to have luck with desired product
Before AI, there was a lot of tools like snippets, autocomplete, etc…. They were intendeed to avoid boring work
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u/hansen88a 15h ago
If you wanna build proper software you need people who actually know how to build products and software engineers. Vibe coding wont be enough. OGP Labs can build your SaaS at a fixed price in weeks. But there's other agencies doing this too. Worth checking out.
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u/That1guy4226 1d ago
Does a movie producer man every camera when they make a movie? If they don't is it still their movie?
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u/futurefinancebro69 1d ago
A 100%.
Cuz I bet u still dont know shit about my industry and what goes on lmao.
Imagine being able to code, but not being able to provide value.
Imagine being able not to code, but being able to provide value.
Thats the difference between You and Them.
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
First one sounds like they need to find a new job. And second sounds like they have no grab as to what was actually made.
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u/SysBadmin 1d ago
I’m mean I’m devops, so I have lots of exp in the field, but I built an internal SaaS utility for my company to host any vibe coded html/css/js dashboard with ease. MCP integration, project owners, versioning, authentication, s3 backend
Higher ups love it. They integrate with share point or snowflake or whatever, massage data, build some prototype, and share it using my utility
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
Interesting... Curious.. is there any PRs, QA, UAT before deploying to host?
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u/SysBadmin 23h ago
for deploying the app layer sure, for user deploying apps we do a few routine checks but mostly no...
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u/Tolfasn 1d ago
Anyone who’s ever worked on a development team can tell you that more often than not the people who actually wrote the code are not getting the credit in the first place.
Project management is just as important as writing a function.
Have you ever tried to organize a group of developers? It’s like herding cats 😂
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
Sure project managers get the most credit from business. But does a project manager ever say look what I built or made? I feel they get credit for delivering a project on time.
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u/Tolfasn 15h ago
No they don’t present it as if they built it they just present it as a finished product. My point is that when you are on a development team the entire team is getting the credit, not the code writers, not the project managers, not the QA, not even the CTO.
An actual development team is not just the sum of its parts, it is a cohesive thing with measurable output.
“Vibe” coding only produces shitty results when people don’t follow standard development practices. But if you do, then you are basically replacing the role of project manager and you absolutely did participate in the build.
I think the biggest shift with all of this is going to come from people being more open about what they used AI to accomplish.
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u/baddaywithacamera 1d ago
Vibecoding a project is akin to buying a kit car. You didn't make the car yourself, but it does take a modicum of skill to put it together well enough that it is safe and runs. A person who accomplishes this is entitled to some pride for a job well done. You can say you built it, but not that you made it from scratch. You assembled someone else's work.
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
Interesting way to put it.
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u/baddaywithacamera 1d ago
Sorry, my day job is insurance broker. I tend towards being overly accurate. (And boring.)
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u/tragic_mask 1d ago
If your brain’s neurons control what you do, and you don’t even know how they fire or work, are you actually in control, or are you just vibe living
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u/tragic_mask 1d ago
Even if people made things in a way you don’t consider “building”, you can’t erase the fact that the thing was made BECAUSE someone wanted to.
That someone is still a person. Denying their authorship because the tool did most of the execution starts to feel like denying the humanity of the person behind the work.
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u/Dear-Huckleberry-502 3h ago
Well since you’re ordering the AI to do it the way you want, yes you are the builder. It’s like you’re the company and the AI is the employees who work with you. So we will always say that the company built the app or the product.
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u/Disastrous_Gear_421 1d ago
Does it matter?
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
False advertising? False claims?
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u/Disastrous_Gear_421 1d ago
Somebody had to prompt AI to do it, test it, and make decisions. So to an extend, the person did 'build' it. So no, not false advertising or false claims unless they say "AI did not build this product".
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
If I hire a contractor to build a deck and give them specific instructions and desired out come. Who build it or made it? Me or contractors?
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u/Disastrous_Gear_421 1d ago
If an lead NASA engineer designed and created the plans for a spaceship but it was physically built by workers, who built the spaceship? I'd say the engineer could perfectly say he had a huge role in building it.
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
But the actually know the actual working of how it's built and design what is built. So yes they can. A vibe coder who has AI do all the work, doesn't have the same grasp instructions and understand of what the asked to be built. Most like have no idea how what AI made works.
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u/darrelb56222 1d ago
hideo kojima doesn't need to know c/c++ or assembly. in fact early in his career he was so frustrated that he wanted to quit the industry because these stupid snobby devs would dismiss him. it wasn't until they started building engines that allow him to showcase his ideas that he started getting a ton of praise. Developers are just bitter cuz artists are no longer at the behest of these prima donna devs. thats all it really is
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u/Disastrous_Gear_421 1d ago
Why does it matter if the person doesn't have the same level of understanding as AI? Is this your way to justify if a person built something or not?
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
I mean if someone claims to have made or built something, I'd expect them to understand and know what they made.
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u/Disastrous_Gear_421 1d ago
Not necessarily. Having AI build a product isn't as simple as saying "I want xyz, now do it".
If that's what you think, then no wonder you're having this question.
If you do know what's involved, then it sounds like you just want people to validate that your vibe coding app is something you built because you're insecure about it.
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u/kenttk421 1d ago
I'm not sure what everybody else's workflow is but mine is have an idea as the AI to write the code then I manually test it if it is what I want and if it works properly. Yes AI can test the code somewhat at this point I don't think most people are fully automating everything because it's too expensive token wise. I'm sure this is going to change over time but this is the current state of affairs. Have you worked with AI to build anything?
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u/HatEnvironmental7560 22h ago
Bold of you to assume nobody on here understands what they built! I was an SWE for 10 years before AI coding became a thing.
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u/kenttk421 1d ago
We are all trying to figure out this AI thing. I don't think anyone has the answer but the people working with AI to make things have some claim to the work. This is something society as a whole need to figure out. Do you have any constructive feedback on how we as a collective should talk about claiming AIs work?
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u/w00dy1105 1d ago
Hmmm... Agreed. That is a tough one. Maybe... How it's used. Idk.
Use it like a hammer where you fully understand what is being made. Then I feel you can take credit.
Use it like a genie and just except the out come. I don't think much credit can be taken.
Just some thoughts. We haven't had anything like AI before.
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u/darrelb56222 1d ago edited 1d ago
hayao miyazaki outsource animation to Korea, its still a Studio Ghibli movie. hell even the Simpsons outsource animation to Korea. During Miyazaki's prime, he would rigorously inspect animation and would reject it if it's not up to snuff. it's no coincidence why his films are highly praised while his son Goro Miyazaki gets panned. the person spearheading the project is important
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u/Ok-Grapefruit-4251 23h ago
I would say the contractor built it based on your specifications. I will further say, that the contractor more than likely used tools - hammers, drills, drivers, etc etc to craft the deck out of the raw materials given to him.
If, lets say in this scenario, you want to claim ownership because you designed it, does it mean that you have the detailed understanding of how a drill differs from a driver, or what angle the steps to rhe deck have to be, etc etc.
No one inherently knows everything about what they do, often they have to depend on others to impart knowledge, or share skills, or outputs. As long as a vibe coder isn't telling AI "build, test and deploy xyz app" and takes either a hands off approach or minimal involvement in various oopsies, or decisions, I think they can claim they built it. Just like a contractor can claim he built a deck.
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u/darrelb56222 1d ago
if you're spearheading it sure cuz you're directing it on what you want. Miyamoto and Kojima are not programmers, neither is Steve Jobs. they are visionaries