Free course
Vibe Coding
Describe what you want and build a working app with AI, step by step. Six lessons that take you from an idea to a published app, with the habits that keep it working and safe.
Take this course for free
What is vibe coding?
Vibe coding is building software by describing what you want to an AI tool in plain language and letting it write the code, while you steer by testing the result and asking for changes. The term was coined by the AI researcher Andrej Karpathy in February 2025, and Collins Dictionary named it its word of the year in November 2025.
It has made it possible for people who have never programmed to build real tools: a calculator for their clients, an internal dashboard, a booking form, a prototype to show investors. It also has real risks. In Veracode’s 2025 tests of more than 100 AI models, the code they wrote contained a security flaw in 45% of tasks. The difference between an app that works and one that leaks data is usually not the tool, but the habits of the person using it. This course teaches those habits.
Vibe coding and traditional development
| Vibe coding | Traditional development | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes the code | The AI, from your descriptions | A developer, often with AI help |
| What you need to know | What you want, and how to test it | Programming languages, frameworks and tools |
| Speed to a first version | Hours | Days or weeks |
| Best for | Prototypes, personal and internal tools, simple apps | Products with many users, payments, sensitive data, complex logic |
| Main risk | Hidden problems you cannot see in the code | Time and cost |
The line is not fixed. Many apps start as vibe-coded prototypes and are later reviewed and hardened by a developer. Lesson 6 covers when to bring one in.
What you will build
Throughout the course you build Quick Quote, a small app that lets a freelancer add tasks and hours, set a rate, tax and discount, and print a clean quote. It is small enough to finish and real enough to teach every step. You get the exact prompts we used, and a reference version we built and tested with them, so you can compare your result. You can also build your own idea instead, using the same steps.
What each lesson covers
- What vibe coding is good for. The tools, what they do well, where they fail, and how to pick a first project. Exercise: choose and scope your app.
- Plan before you prompt. A one-page brief, what is out of scope, and a first prompt that asks the AI to plan before it builds. Exercise: write your brief.
- Build in small steps. One change per prompt, testing after each, reporting bugs precisely and getting out of loops. Exercise: build the app slice by slice.
- Data, users and secrets. What happens when your app stores data or has logins, the security mistakes AI tools make, and how to check for them. Exercise: run the security checklist.
- Test it like a user. A simple test plan, edge cases, phones, accessibility and fixing what you find. Exercise: test your app and fix three problems.
- Publish and look after it. Going live, a domain, costs, backups, owning your code and when to call a developer. Exercise: publish your app.
Who it is for
Founders, freelancers, marketers, operations people and anyone with an idea for a small tool who does not want to wait for a developer. No coding experience is needed. Developers who want to work faster with AI app builders will also find the planning, testing and security habits useful.
What you need
- A free account on an AI app builder such as Lovable, Bolt, Replit or v0, or an AI coding assistant you already use.
- An idea for a small app, or Quick Quote, the course project.
- About 30 to 60 minutes per lesson. Building takes longer than reading, and that is the point.
- The course workbook and the prompt pack, which you download in lesson 1.
Questions about the course
Which tool should I use?
Any of the main AI app builders works for this course, and their free plans are enough to build Quick Quote. Lesson 1 compares the main options. The habits you learn transfer between tools, which matters because the tools change every few months.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You will read some messages and occasionally look at a piece of code the AI points to, but you never have to write it. The course teaches you to describe, test and check, which is what vibe coding needs.
Can I build a real business on a vibe-coded app?
You can start one. Many products begin as vibe-coded prototypes. Once real customers, payments or personal data are involved, have the app reviewed by a developer; lesson 6 explains what to ask for.
Is the course up to date?
Every lesson shows the date it was last updated, and we revise the lessons when the tools change. The course project was built and tested in October 2026.
What do I get at the end?
The course is free, and so are the workbook and the tests. When you pass the test of every lesson, you can get a certificate of completion with your name, a public verification link and a button to add it to LinkedIn. The certificate costs $9, or is included in the Annual Pass for $20 a year. It shows that you completed the course; it is not an accredited qualification.