You do not need to know everything in advance to build

Perhaps you have already read that with vibe coding you have to write everything out first. A complete specification, right down to the last screen. Only then is your agent allowed to start. And perhaps you are sitting in front of an empty document, with the feeling that you do not know all of that yet. That is not a sign that you are not ready for it. A creative process simply does not work like that for everyone.

In a vibe coding training course we talked about two ways of working. One is called spec coding, from specification. The other works in loops, with progressive insight. And I honestly told the group that one is not better than the other. They suit a different kind of person.

Copy the prompt at the bottom of this article. With it, you let your agent build in short loops, so that you see what happens after every step.

Two ways to start something new

There is a popular skill that questions you about what you want to build. It keeps asking questions until you are supposedly exhausted. Based on all your answers, it then builds a complete specification. Some people love that. Everything is described, the intentions and goals are clear. And then they just let their agents work.

I have tried that myself too. But if I really work that way, something dries up inside me. You simply cannot think of everything in advance. A feedback loop is missing then, and I find that very important.

You see those two ways in every creative process, by the way. I write books, and I have a general idea in the back of my mind, a kind of cloud. While I write, I get new ideas, and I incorporate them immediately. Other authors work for months on their research and their architecture, and then write the book in a few weeks. With songs you have the same thing. Some write the lyrics first and compose afterwards, others do both at the same time. And in software you have people who plan everything, and people who start agile with a very small step.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between spec coding and vibe coding?

With spec coding you first write a complete specification, and then your agent builds everything at once. With vibe coding you work in loops: you build a small piece, look at it and adjust.

Is writing everything out in advance wrong then?

No, it is a different way of working, and it suits people who like to plan everything first. The risk is that you only see what your agent has built at the end.

When do I just let my agent continue working?

If the assignment is clear, like redoing something that went wrong. If it is about something new, then I would look at what it has built after every step.

Where can I practise this?

In the 'Vibe Coding with AI' training course you build an app yourself, in loops and with an agent. You can find all dates at Workshops & Events.

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