Why vibecoding your own apps is so amazing—and exasperating

The author of the article has been using a web-based tool called Replit to create apps, including a note-taking app and a location-detecting app for his grandmother's old photographs. Replit uses a process called vibecoding, where the user explains what they want the app to do and the AI does the programming. However, the author has experienced some issues with Replit, including the accidental deletion of over a thousand of his grandmother's photographs. The author was able to recover the photos because he had backups, but the incident highlighted the importance of being careful when working with AI tools. The author has also experienced some other issues with Replit, including the AI's tendency to make mistakes and its lack of accumulated knowledge. For example, when the author asked Replit to set up a login system for his notes app, it set a default password of "password123" and put a reminder hint on the home screen. The author had to start over and give Replit painstaking instructions on creating a two-factor authentication system. Despite these issues, the author loves the apps he has created with Replit and finds the process of vibecoding to be magical. The author has learned some lessons from his experience with Replit, including the importance of being careful when working with AI tools and the need to closely monitor their progress. He has also realized that partnering with an AI tool is different from working with a human software engineer, and that AI tools can make stupid decisions when it comes to data stewardship. The author pays $25 per month for a Replit plan, and he has spent hundreds of dollars on his note-taking app and about $40 on the photo-identifying app. The author's experience with Replit has been a mix of pleasure and pain, and he hopes that the day will come when the tool's pleasures are not accompanied by so much pain. He loves the apps he has created with Replit and finds the process of vibecoding to be exciting and innovative. The author's story highlights the potential of AI tools to create new and innovative apps, but also the need for caution and careful monitoring when working with these tools. Overall, the author's experience with Replit has been positive, and he is excited to see where the technology will go in the future.