The biggest momentum killer in vibe coding is trying to build an app. I try to build the next proof that the idea deserves another hour.
Here's the workflow I recommend.
1. Start with a single sentence
Don't write a PRD. Write one sentence.
"An app that lets freelance designers automatically summarize client meetings into invoices."
If you can't explain it in one sentence, the scope is already too fuzzy.
2. Define the "magic moment"
Ask:
What's the first thing that makes someone say "Oh, this is cool"?
Everything else is secondary.
For example:
- Chat app → AI gives a genuinely useful answer.
- Fitness app → first personalized workout.
- Finance app → first chart from imported transactions.
Build only toward that moment.
3. Generate a tiny spec
I usually keep it to something like:
Goal
Users
Magic moment
Pages
- Landing
- Dashboard
- Settings
Features
- Login
- Upload PDF
- AI summary
Ignore
- Billing
- Teams
- Notifications
- Mobile
The Ignore section is surprisingly important. It gives you permission to not build everything.
4. Let AI scaffold aggressively
This is where AI shines.
Instead of:
"Build my app."
Break it down:
Create the folder structure.
Now build authentication.
Now create the dashboard layout.
Now add upload functionality.
Now connect the API.
Now add loading states.
Each prompt should be something you could review in 10–20 minutes.
5. Deploy embarrassingly early
I try to deploy when the app is only about 30% finished.
Not because it's ready.
Because deployed software changes how you think.
Once there's a URL:
- bugs become obvious
- UI problems stand out
- friends can test it
- progress feels real
Waiting until it's "done" often delays valuable feedback.
6. Work in vertical slices
Instead of building:
✅ Database
✅ API
✅ Auth
✅ UI
Build:
User uploads file
↓
Backend receives it
↓
AI processes it
↓
Results display
One complete feature from button click to visible result.
A working vertical slice is far more motivating than four half-finished layers.
7. End every session with the next task
Never stop at:
"Done for today."
Stop at:
Next:
- Add delete button
- Connect Stripe webhook
- Improve loading animation
The next day you immediately know where to begin, instead of spending 20 minutes remembering what you were doing.
8. Keep a "parking lot"
Every new idea goes into a list.
Future
- Dark mode
- Teams
- Search
- Analytics
- AI agents
Don't build them.
Just capture them so your brain can let them go.
9. Ship ugly
This is the hardest rule.
Users forgive:
- plain buttons
- mediocre colors
- average typography
They don't forgive:
- broken flows
- slow performance
- confusing UX
A functional, plain interface beats an unfinished polished one.
10. Finish with polish
Only after the core loop works should you spend time on:
- animations
- better spacing
- empty states
- onboarding
- branding
- SEO
- performance tuning
These improvements compound once the fundamentals are solid.
My favorite cadence
I think in 90-minute loops:
- Pick one user-visible feature.
- Ask AI to help implement it in small steps.
- Test it immediately.
- Commit to Git.
- Deploy if the main flow still works.
- Write down the next task before stopping.
That keeps the project in a continuously usable state and makes it much easier to regain momentum after a break.
The common thread is reducing the size of each decision. Instead of asking, "How do I finish this app?", you're repeatedly asking, "What's the smallest change that gets a user one step closer to the magic moment?" That question is usually much easier to answer—and much easier to act on.
