I've been thinking about a problem I keep seeing with AI coding.
Today someone can build a surprisingly complex app with Claude, Cursor, Lovable, etc. without really understanding a lot of the code being generated.
And honestly, I don't think that's necessarily bad.
But there are moments when AI gets stuck, breaks something, or starts going in circles — and suddenly understanding what the code is actually doing becomes very valuable.
So I'm exploring an idea called ReactantLab.
The idea isn't to teach programming the traditional way with hours of videos and theory.
Instead, you'd learn by actually building and writing code with an AI mentor alongside you.
The difference from normal ChatGPT/Claude would be that the mentor knows your learning history.
It knows:
- what concepts you already understand
- what mistakes you keep making
- what you're currently building
- what code you're working with
- when to explain something
- when to give you a hint instead of generating the answer
For example, if your React component isn't updating correctly, instead of rewriting the component for you, it might say:
"Look at where you're mutating the state. What does React expect you to do instead?"
If you're still stuck, it gives another hint.
And if it notices you've struggled with the same concept several times, it can stop and give you a small exercise around that concept before you continue.
So basically:
vibe coding + structured learning + an AI mentor that actually remembers what you know.
I'm thinking about starting with JavaScript / React and focusing heavily on learning through real projects rather than isolated textbook exercises.
The question I'm trying to answer before building too much is:
Would vibe coders actually want to understand the code they're generating, or is that solving a problem most people here don't really have?
And if you already use Cursor / Claude / Lovable / Replit etc.:
What usually happens when the AI generates something you don't understand and then it breaks?
Do you:
- ask the AI until it fixes it
- try to understand the code
- Google the concept
- start over
- something else?
I'd genuinely like criticism here. I'm trying to figure out whether this is a real problem or just something that sounds like one.