Willison, S. Vibe Coding

1. Willison says that if you can explain the code an AI wrote – in your own words, to another person – then you’re doing real software development, not vibe coding. Think about the last time you used an AI tool for a coding assignment. By that definition, which were you doing? Does the distinction feel meaningful to you, or is it splitting hairs?
2. He argues that vibe coding is a great way for even experienced developers to learn what AI is and isn’t good at. As someone still building your skills, do you think vibe coding would help you learn faster – or could it actually get in the way of developing real understanding? What might you miss?
3. Willison gives a checklist for when vibe coding is “safe”: the project is low stakes, doesn’t involve sensitive data, doesn’t cost money if something goes wrong. Walk through a side project or class project you’ve worked on – would it pass that checklist? What would have made it riskier than you realized at the time?
4. He makes an optimistic claim: that vibe coding could let millions of people who never learned to code build their own tools. Do you buy that? What’s the best case scenario, and what could go wrong?

Willison, S. Vibe Engineering

1. Willison says AI amplifies whatever skills you already have – the more you know, the more you get out of it. As someone early in your career, does that feel encouraging or discouraging? What does it suggest you should focus on building now, before leaning heavily on AI tools?
2. He lists habits like writing tests, planning before coding, and doing thorough code review as things that make you dramatically more effective with AI agents. Which of these do you actually practice right now? If you don’t, what’s getting in the way – time, habit, not seeing the point?
3. He describes directing a coding agent as “a very weird form of management” – you have to give clear instructions, provide context, and review what it produces. Have you ever had to explain a coding task clearly to someone else (a classmate, a tutor)? How was that different from just doing it yourself – and what does that tell you about working with AI?
4. One of his points is that estimating how long something will take has gotten harder with AI, not easier, because you don’t always know when AI will breeze through something versus get stuck. How do you currently estimate how long a coding task will take? How would you adjust that if AI is part of your process?

Vibe Coding For Grownups with Gene Kim

1. What were your general impressions of Kim’s talk? What stood out to you?
2. What were some of the benefits Kim listed for AI-mediated work?
3. What were the costs?
4. What were the contingencies (“AI-assisted coding works best when__________.”)?