The Problem With Vibe Coding (And What To Do Instead)

Vibe coding has its place.

I use it myself for experiments, prototypes and small internal tools. It is great for moving fast and exploring ideas.

The problem starts when vibes become the foundation of a real business website or product.

Most vibe-coded sites end up looking and reading the same. Generic sections, filler copy, odd punctuation habits and a UI that feels clean at first glance but empty underneath. It rarely reflects who you are, what makes your business different, or what your users actually need.

AI does not understand your business or your users.

Every business has different goals, audiences, constraints and personality. A good website or app makes those differences obvious. Vibe coding tends to flatten them.

Ai has no understanding of their frustrations, motivations, or how they think. It cannot design meaningful user journeys or prioritise the actions that matter most to your business.
That comes from research with real people, conversations, experience and human judgment.

There is so much nuance built into building products and interfaces, that is completely missed by AI.

Using AI to generate a website without real understanding is like using a generic sat-nav for a mountain trail. It gives you directions, but it has no idea about the terrain, the weather, or where people actually get stuck. You might get somewhere, but not where you intended, and not without unnecessary struggle.

Vibes were never meant to be the production product.

There are also hidden technical costs. AI-generated code can “work” on the surface, but the models make mistakes often. It is rarely optimised for performance, accessibility, long-term maintenance, or growth. When you need to change something later, you are often stuck untangling logic that no human would deliberately write. That becomes dangerous as products grow.

Recently, i've seen a dangerous trend where non technical founders are shipping entire apps they do not understand, with no idea what assumptions or risks are buried underneath. When something breaks, they are stuck.

A simple rule of thumb: if you do not understand the code, do not put it into production.

Building software properly means thinking beyond today.

• Real user behaviour.
• Clear business goals.
• Performance and accessibility.
• Maintainable structure.
• Security and scalability.
• How the product evolves over time.

This is not complexity for the sake of it. It is what keeps your business stable months and years down the line.

What to do instead.

Use AI as an assistant, not the architect.

AI is a powerful tool for speeding things up and reducing busywork. But it should support human thinking, not replace it. The difference is intent. Use AI to draft options, speed up implementation, and reduce busywork, but keep the structure human.

This is where Elevate North comes in. I help businesses turn vague ideas and AI-generated starting points into thoughtful, well-designed, well-built websites that actually serve users and support growth. Strategy first, design with intent and code you can trust and understand.

If you want to talk about your website or product, get in touch.

Vibes are fine for sketches. Foundations need experience.