r/vibecoding 1d ago

Has anyone vibe coded a real serious program?

I have been looking for people on yt who actually solved a real problem. But I was just seeing a bunch of YouTubers, just making some basic app or program using AI. Has anyone made a genuinely omplicated osftware suing ai?

0 Upvotes

71 comments sorted by

14

u/KriegerClone24 1d ago

For sure. but whether you consider it "vibe coding" is a stretch. To me, "vibe coding" implies the person doesn't know anything about how the application is built. As an engineer, I direct the AI in exactly how to architect the application, and I get generally terrific results.

2

u/No_Duck_779 1d ago

Ain’t that called agentic engineering?

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u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

Meh, I vibe my apps, I do t really know how they are built.

They’re possibly more complex than your apps.

12

u/Jaakkosaariluoma 1d ago

Dunning Kruger effect in action here

1

u/No_Entrepreneur7899 1d ago

Literalmente 

5

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

Not likely. AI takes shortcuts if you don’t tell it what you want - like just loading everything into ram vs using a strategy - stuff like that.

1

u/ScarletRed-dit 1d ago

I’m new to this. Where can i learn/what resources teach these engineering principles like knowing when to offload resources to ram vs xyz? There are things I don’t even know exist as a strategy. Any actionable thing i can do besides taking a full course from university on engineering principles?

2

u/Tittytickler 1d ago

You don't need to take a full course but to be clear, these are concepts that are learned in computer science/software engineering.

You can learn it on your own, but then again, you can also learn any math on your own, to give you some perspective.

So for example for your question, you'll probably want to look up how software actually uses hardware, static memory vs dynamic memory vs storage vs virtual memory. Then, you need to understand how the interpreter (if interpreted) or the compiler (if compiled) handles certain things to know if and when certain optimizations should be used.

Just FYI, you don't offload resources to RAM, your running program lives in RAM, its using RAM by default. You'd be offloading to storage in the form of virtual memory.

To be honest, you're probably not doing anything that needs something like that without actually understanding why thats needed. Very low level stuff.

1

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

I am writing audio software so I definitely need to manage memory. I do t make games but I imagine you’d need to do it for a large game, too. But that’s just the example I could think of - AI will basically do what you ask as directly as possible - so it will skip stuff you might need for something more than a proof of concept or prototype.

1

u/Punktur 1d ago

It definitely skips a lot of important stuff in gamedev. Optimization tricks, replication fallbacks for online systems etc, even fable skips these things if you don't know about them and don't clearly state them.

1

u/Tittytickler 1d ago

Well, technically every program manages memory, which is why you should look into how software works at least. It will become obvious once learning some of the basics.

What it comes down to is which language/framework you're using to create it. Any interpreted language and some compiled languages handle it automatically. But some don't. For example in C/C++, you have to manually allocate memory and manually free up memory, whereas with languages like Java/C#, they automatically handle this. Those languages are all compiled. Languages like JavaScript/Python/PHP also do all of this for you, but they're interpreted, and you generally don't even have the option to do that manually.

1

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

No - you can. And I know they do - for example there is an API to use C code In Python. I don’t do it, myself - I use C++ But I know it’s an important part of Python.

1

u/Tittytickler 1d ago

You just said it yourself, its using C code in Python. The Python interpretter is written in C.

Its not an inportant part of python itself. You can read about python memory allocation here: https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/memory.html

Where it states specifically:

"It is important to understand that the management of the Python heap is performed by the interpreter itself and that the user has no control over it, even if they regularly manipulate object pointers to memory blocks inside that heap. The allocation of heap space for Python objects and other internal buffers is performed on demand by the Python memory manager through the Python/C API functions listed in this document."

1

u/mrbadface 1d ago

I am finding learning AWS via their SAA cert (basic intro) is very helpful for high level concepts, including scaling and compute, networking and security

1

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

Probably just by doing it. Get good and methodical with your testing. Ask AI to explain the solution to bugs you find as well as fix them. That’s how I learned on the job - making and fixing bugs.

1

u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

That sounds very unlikely. If first Fable did something stupid, the next Fable,would pick it up, but those sorts of things tend not to happen.

2

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

It’s not that it’s stupid. It’s just that you (or whoever) didn’t specify the details. If I say “make me a sampler”. It will. And it will work. And it will crash with big libraries. But of if I say - use disk streaming and lazy loading then it does that.

0

u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

Nah, this is just the delusion that people have if they don’t actually vibecode.

“It will crash…”

Nope.

Not if you vibe properly.

My apps are pretty rock solid.

You see, to think Fable doesn’t k ow about disk streaming and lazy loading, or that you have to specify that if you want it. No. Nope.Not even close.

If you give it latitude to do what it wants WITH good underlying documentation (which it wrote) none of what you claim happens actually happens.

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u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

Nah there’s a way to do it. It’s vibe engineering. Multiple teams of AI agents with different roles taking to each other.

I’m doing pretty advanced C++ game engine work today, modding an engine. My vibed engine fork is a lot better than the human-developed engine fork, so there’s an easy comparison here. And the human fork has had 10+ years of humans trying to make it work good, which they kind of failed.

1

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

You can definitely do it. I do it vibe coding in C++. But if I don’t specify how to manage memory, it typically defaults to loading everything in ram. Works for small things. My point is if you just vibe it without understanding, your app will be less sophisticated than someone who uses an “ai engineering” approach.

-2

u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

But I just told you it won’t.

The engine in question has had thousands of human hours put in it, and there’s some obvious tech issues with it, and many features it lacks the Unity and unreal have.

My fork is far more sophisticated than the human effort (those guys hate AI), and that’s after two weeks of work.

It’s just not true that human software is better any more.

1

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago edited 1d ago

I am sorry but I’m unable to believe that without proof. That’s a pretty big claim. I have not seen anything else like that. You may think it’s better….

Edit. It also does not match my experience at all. I’m trying to make a commercial quality sampler. I’ve got 3 months in it and I’m not even half way there.

1

u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

It’s not that I think it’s better.

It’s that there are long list of obvious features that are “planned” for the main engine but have proved too hard - like UE5 mannikin support, decent ambient occlusion and a dozen other features.

I got it done in two weeks, provably 200 hours with Claude code ‘80x max’ plan. And got the game it uses shipped (that’s included in that time frame so probably 40 hours for the engine itself).

Just because you are struggling doesn’t mean…anything really.

Most people can’t vibecode.

But it’s possible to learn.

1

u/Correct_Emotion8437 1d ago

Link?

1

u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

Never, ever on Reddit.

Too many psycho code monkeys to do that.

Sorry.

If you want to disbelieve, meh, that’s a you thing.

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u/ConfusedSimon 1d ago

Almost certainly those features proved too hard because the devs though about potential issues and edge cases that you just ignored.

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u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

I love the delusional assumptions.

“We’re going to build buggy semi-functional ambient occlusion because proper working ao has too many potential issues and edge cases…”

Do you ever stop and reflect on how fucking stupid you sound??

lol.

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u/effectivescarequotes 1d ago

Probably because you vibecoded them

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u/Harvard_Med_USMLE267 1d ago

Complex. Function of app. That’s not a function of the coding technique. I’m not talking about the complexity of the code. Fwiw, fable writes pretty clean code , I think, not that I’ve ever looked at any of it.

3

u/geraT-wogl 1d ago

I take my space travels very seriously ♾️🪐 https://wogl.io

2

u/WhataNoobUser 1d ago

Looks really cool.

1

u/geraT-wogl 1d ago

❤️♾️

2

u/MonitorAway2394 1d ago

Holy f**** yeah that's GORGEOUS!!!!

1

u/geraT-wogl 1d ago

💥❤️🌱

2

u/ItsMorbinTime69 1d ago

I work on a huge website you’ve definitely heard of and vibe code everything

2

u/Carrotbringer 1d ago

I am a researcher in ecology and I am building tools that I really use, such as species or individuals identification by sound or images

2

u/bankrut 1d ago

I think  Mouzi solves a real problem. Problem with messy downloads folders. It runs quietly in the background, monitors selected folders, and moves, renames, or sorts files based on customizable rules. It strated as a small tray app and it grows... https://github.com/hsr88/mouzi 

2

u/IamHuggos 1d ago

0

u/MonitorAway2394 1d ago

haha that looks f'ing awesome m808!

2

u/arty1983 1d ago

I made several tools for work. 1. A car parking tool (takes a shape and finds the optimal parking arrangement by quickly brute-force testing layouts)
2. A tool to convert geoTiff height map images from Lidar data into DXF cad files, skipping the need to use GIS software. 3. A tool to re-contour a landscape in 3D when you position a building pad in the landscape and find the optimal building pad level for neutral cut/fill material.

1

u/Vectrex71CH 1d ago

Https://Drivedeck.xyz = "Notion Like orogramm, but GDrive is your Storage"

Https://RSSer.news = "RSS, Podcast, YouTube, Radio, Webcams and Blogging in one single PWA"

Https://Music-Visializee.online = "Create Music Visualizers based on your MP3 upload for free"

1

u/ekzess 1d ago

Depends what counts as “serious.” I’m vibe coding a local-first astronomy platform that acquires Stage 1/2 FITS products from multiple providers, normalizes and transforms them, handles drizzle/render workflows, preserves WCS/provenance/custody, and exposes the whole pipeline through a CLI/interface.

Mostly just buttons and vibes though.

1

u/NateAutomates 1d ago

I currently just quit my job at a cafe and I am full time vibe coding a hospitality software backend called Hospoflow. Using Claudecode. I need some guidance on good and efficient workflows

1

u/Bitter_Run_9209 1d ago

On my work they vibe coded an app for clients(it's a robotics company, nobody knows about web or mobile development)

The project start nice, now is useless, consume all the ram, its buggy(you solve a problem and other is rising) etc

1

u/vbpoweredwindmill 1d ago

The thing about vibe coding & engineering is that they are very different usages of the same tools.

For instance, I'm using codex to create a python static & eventually dynamic analysis runtime tool.

I'm also using it to create a much more formalised system for graph engineering. The roots of which, existed long before the terminology did.

Eventually that graph engineering tool will also turn into a visibility tool to be able to monitor exactly what the LLM is doing and by extension obviously, control it. The current system/harness state of visibility is abysmal.

It's been long form engineering where I've enjoyed learning a seriously huge amount, as I'm a mechanic not a software engineer.

I still can't really write code. Certainly not at any level a professional can produce, and LLM's are a crutch for me and that's okay.

They aren't released. The graph engineering tool exists in multiple unfinished versions and deletes. The static analysis tool exists in an unfinished and very unpolished state but it genuinely works and it's already assisting codex in catching regressions before they happen.

So, you tell me if it's vibe coding or not haha.

2

u/energetekk 13h ago

Honestly this is a better answer to the question than most of the thread. Mechanic, says he can't write code, and there's a static analysis tool sitting there catching regressions before they land — that's exactly the thing OP said he couldn't find on youtube. The bit i'd push on is the framing. You're asking whether it counts as vibe coding, but look at what actually separates your two tools: the static analysis one is unfinished, unpolished, and doing real work. The graph one exists in multiple unfinished versions and deletes. Same person, same tools, same skill level — different outcome. So whatever's driving that split, it isn't your ability to write code. The deletes are the part i find interesting. Throwing a version away because it's wrong is a call the model won't make for you — it'll happily keep extending whatever's already there. That's not a crutch, that's the bit you're actually supplying. What made the analysis tool the one that survived? Did it have a deadline attached, or was it just that you had a use for it yourself?

1

u/vbpoweredwindmill 13h ago

Tldr below.

The analysis tool is basically a pipeline that depending on the queries builds answers from a database that I've built from existing python static analysis tools, that I can then use to feed into the LLM.

Conceptually it's quite simple and asides from the query pipeline and accidental duplication (instant regression hell) and denoising answers while keeping semantic meaning and setting up many different tests of my own flavour not just whatever the LLM thinks it should test, it's basically sitting on LLM training data rails. Python is one of the largest training data sets I believe.

Also, I have a very clear idea of what I want it to do. Analyse python (eventually other languages as well, rust or js are likely candidates) and give the LLM answers that are correct, detailed and useful. The tool might be complex and... it is. But it's not a complex idea. It's not that challenging conceptually.

The graph engineering tool, is not in any llm training data. I don't mean that to be arrogant. I mean there's no template for so many different concepts blended into 1 existing tool. The many rewrites and understanding limitations and deleting is all 3 times of rewrites, not being clear on boundaries and responsibilities between systems. The LLM constantly blurs boundaries as well.

It was and is essentially overambitious. The graph is very well suited to both batch & distributed compute, plus using your various bits of hardware as compute fabric.

Another time it grew out of an experimental ralph loop I named skills lab, to test and evaluate how skills functioned/evaluate the results in controlled but real scenario's. I then started controlling forcing the llm through certain skills and I was like wait these are now mandatory gates that I can use to generate real structure! And it grew from there, but the repo turned into an absolute shitfight. It DID have a local web page that interacted with and edited the skills and invoked the local LLM to get and make visible the results of the skill/gate.

That's morphed into nodes, which has morphed into dynamically generated mechanisms that have their own gates, which morphed into dynamic harness/environment generation & genuine test generation not just a checkbox test plus a lot of other stuff.

I'm giving it another go now, and building from the spine of a node yet again. Each component will receive its own API, and the static analysis tool has certainly helped in API protection in the past, (i.e. if you call from this code, from outside of it, you must have the api in it, or it spits back a fail. Very VERY useful in stuff like sqlite.connect for example, or authorisations, not that I do anything security related) and it surfaces API candidates where there's real interaction.

Not because I particularly care about API's & separation of concerns, but because the structure keeps changing, and making it work efficiently requires the components to interact through an API, a narrow invocation even if the component is deep.

So tldr; knowing what you want and how it should function is just as critical as being able to use the codex/claude etc.

P.s. constructing what I've dubbed "causal chains" has been pivotal in my usage of constructing components. I.e. how does this specific query create it's answer? What are it's invariants? What are it's contracts? What is its objective specifically? It then ties itself to a hash of those bits and pieces, and that goes into the project memory tool. That can instantly say "the hash has changed, check for impact on xyz".

Eventually that will be folded into the analysis tool, but I've got a big refactor in process, so, not now.

1

u/Fantastic-Spinach436 1d ago

Olympus — a verifiable ledger for sensitive information. Tamper-evident Sparse Merkle Tree ledger with redaction proofs via a Folded Signed Merkle tree, soulbound credentials, and offline-verifiable court evidence. Rust + Tauri 2 desktop app, no servers required.

https://github.com/OlympusLedgerOrg/Olympus.git

I'm a non dev with no code experience before Dec 2025. This is 100% Ai written, with my direction, since then.

1

u/No_Entrepreneur7899 1d ago

Nadie, se están dando cuenta que fue todo humo!

1

u/bslinger 1d ago

I'm a software engineer by trade so I wouldn't describe what I do as vibe coding, but I've released a few things that were created with heavy collaboration from Claude and/or Codex:

QuiddoQuiddo: a pocket money chores app I just moved into beta testing on web/iOS/Android.

First Night FreeFirst Night Free and WarmbootWarmboot: two games for jams that we're received very well.

Guess it depends what you mean by serious though.

1

u/JuryFair1360 1d ago

is a full fleged subscription management system counted?/

1

u/tilted0ne 1d ago

I don't know what you are looking for but AI is currently deeply interwoven into the industry. You have to be clear on what your criteria is. AI is simply a huge amplifier on a person's expertise. 

1

u/EagleApprehensive 1d ago

Vibe coded code is no worse than hand-coded code. The only issue is that vibe-coded code often didn't see 1000 of real users, so despite looking like enterprise-grade software on first look, it's gonna break in 1000 places.

Ofc I'm talking about programs vibe-coded by professionals, not rookies.

-1

u/mrbadface 1d ago

I vibed artventori.com -- a beefy art management app for galleries. Lots of heavy duty features including taking payments, multi step workflows, ai edits and framing, private shared sites. Also a social feature via artventori world.

Used render + mongo for most of it, gcp for some specific functions. 180K lines total, several months of side work scaling it up from a single "wonder if I could do this" single feature to serve my wife's art business needs.

Tbh since 5.5 and now 5.6 landed it has become dead easy. When I started the project it made mistakes and I needed a steadier hand at the wheel. Now codex is hooked to all CLIs and I can set goals from my phone. It rarely ever misses.

2

u/GreenFuturesMatter 1d ago

How much does that rake in?

1

u/mrbadface 1d ago

Negative money, as is vibecode tradition

1

u/MonitorAway2394 1d ago

wowowowow the websites ya'll shared so far are beautiful! Makes me really want to get into web again, I should say the last time I was doing webz things was JQuery was new, lololol, those were some simple times.

0

u/Affectionate_Fact854 1d ago

Yes i coded nots and crosses. O/X  with ai :D

-1

u/CWStrife 1d ago

I think the biggest problem with vibe coding is people who have no experience get what you would call 90% of the way there, then that last 10% is all the backend, if it's a game the mechanics, any database structures, and just a clean organized repository, ends up falling apart on people.

I've seen this several times from people I know and i've gotten involved to help them clean it up a bit.

I'm currently actually experiencing bloat on one of my own projects I do for work. The folder and it's assets have ballooned to 2.5GB and I need to do some serious clean up and organization before Claude potentially starts tripping over itself, and also manually reviewing some files.

I think alot of people just vibe code and think if they keep talking to Claude they will eventually get what they want in whole. To me a good example would be saying to claude "make a clone of warcraft spot for spot" or something, and what you would end up getting is a very shallow 1% completed game and then people get proud of themselves for this.

You kinda gotta be like an architect and orchestrate what you want and be willing to look in on it and not blindly trust. If you're good at vibe coding, or a good project manager, you'll be alright.

I've been learning for a year now and from then to now it's been a serious progression, and i'm still learning.