For years I told my clients that building an application required a budget, a developer, weeks of work and at least a couple of painful revision rounds. That was true. It was the only way.
Then vibe coding arrived. And that sentence is no longer true.
Today I've built with Base44 my own website, an application I use to manage client activity planning and share directly with them, and a platform to manage my projects and cash flows — business and personal. Three tools I would previously have had to commission from someone else. Now I've built them myself, I manage them myself, I modify them whenever I want.
In this article I'll explain what vibe coding is, how it really works, and — above all — what you need to have before you start.
What vibe coding is, in simple terms
Vibe coding is an approach to software development where you don't write code: you describe what you want. You talk to an AI — in natural language, the way you'd talk to a colleague — and it translates your intentions into a working application.
"I want an app where my clients can see the calendar of planned activities and update their progress status."
Say that, and the AI starts building. You watch, correct, add details, request changes. Not in technical jargon — in plain language, just like you're doing right now reading this article.
The word "vibe" isn't accidental. The idea is that you convey the atmosphere, the intention, the direction — and the AI handles the technical execution. Like giving directions to an architect: you don't draw the walls, but you know exactly what you want.
You don't write code. You describe what you want. The AI builds. You guide.
What I've built concretely
The most effective thing I can do is show you what I've done, rather than explain in the abstract.
The website you're reading. Built with Base44. Not a modified template, not a prepackaged solution. A site designed to my specific needs, with the structure I wanted, the content I wrote, the aesthetic that reflects my positioning.
A planning app for clients. A tool I use daily to organise client activities and share directly with them. Each client sees their own activities, progress statuses, deadlines. No update emails, no confusion. A bespoke tool I would previously have had to buy — or commission at significant cost.
An internal management platform. It tracks my projects, business and personal cash flows, priorities. Built exactly as I need it — not like generic software I have to bend to fit my way of working.
Three real applications, in daily use. Built in a fraction of the time and budget they would have required before.
The big misconception: "just describe it and everything works"
Here I need to be honest, because a very simplified version of this story is circulating.
Vibe coding dramatically lowers the technical barrier. But it doesn't eliminate it. And above all it doesn't eliminate the need for thinking.
I was able to build these applications because I have a solid foundation — university level. I studied computer science, I understand programming, database design, web languages. I have years of experience in traditional development of websites, applications and business management systems. That knowledge isn't needed to write code — it's needed to know what to ask for, to recognise when something isn't right, to guide the AI towards the right result instead of accepting the first output it produces.
Without that foundation, trying alone isn't impossible. But it's much slower, more frustrating, and the final result is often approximate.
Vibe coding doesn't require you to know how to programme. It requires you to know how to think.
The value of consulting: analyse, design, build
When I work with an entrepreneur or professional on a project like this, the process has three distinct phases.
The first is analysis: understanding the real procedures of the business, specific needs, existing workflows, friction points. This phase requires business experience — not code.
The second is design: imagining which tools could solve those problems, how they should work, how they fit into the real context of the people who will use them.
The third is build: and this is where vibe coding accelerates everything. With clear ideas and the design done, building the tool becomes fast. Hours instead of weeks. Contained budget instead of significant investment.
Before, you had to adapt your process to the tool. Now you can build the tool around your process.
The myths to bust
MYTH 1 — You can build anything without knowing anything about technology. You can build far more than you'd expect. But the more you know, the more you get.
MYTH 2 — It's only for startups and developers who want to work faster. It's for anyone with a problem to solve and an idea of how to solve it.
MYTH 3 — Apps built this way are toys, not professional tools. My applications are in daily professional use. Quality depends on who guides the process.
What you really need to start
Clarity on the objective. Not "I want an app". "I want a tool that lets me do X, that my clients use for Y, that shows me Z every week."
Iterative patience. Vibe coding doesn't produce a perfect result on the first request. It's a dialogue. Ask, watch, correct, add.
Ability to evaluate the result. When the AI delivers something, you need to be able to say whether it works or not — not technically, but functionally.
The right tool. I use Base44 because it's what I know best and what has proved reliable for the type of applications I build.
Why this changes the rules for entrepreneurs
The real revolution isn't technical. It's strategic.
Before, an entrepreneur with an idea had three options: buy existing software and adapt their process to that tool, commission custom development with significant budget and timescales, or give up and make do with Excel spreadsheets and workarounds.
Now there's a fourth option: build exactly what's needed, in the time needed, with the budget available.
Where to start, if you're curious
My practical advice: don't start with an ambitious project. Start with a small, concrete problem you have today.
A checklist you currently manage on paper. An activity tracker you keep on an Excel spreadsheet. An information collection form you send by email. Something you really use, know well, and know exactly what you need from it.
Describe it as you'd describe it to a colleague. Watch what it produces. Correct. Iterate.
In an afternoon you'll have something working. Not perfect — working. And that's where you start.
