Vibe Coding Part 2: Have You Ever Wanted a Superpower? Now You Have One.
What Used to Cost $10,000 Now Takes an Afternoon
Word of the Day: GitHub
GitHub — A website where all your code lives in the cloud. Think of it like Google Drive, but specifically designed for code. When you build something with AI, GitHub stores it safely, keeps track of every change you make, and lets you connect your code to other tools that make your app/program actually work.
If Google Drive is where you store your documents, GitHub is where you store your software.
Welcome Back, Future Superhero
Yesterday, we talked about building websites with Lovable using the Lovable → GitHub → Vercel method. Today we’re going deeper.
Because here’s the thing: You have a superpower now.
Not a pretend one. A real one.
A year ago, if you wanted to build a custom program or app, you needed to either learn to code (which takes years) or hire a developer (which costs thousands). Today? You can describe what you want in plain English, and AI builds it for you.
That’s not an exaggeration. That’s not marketing speak. That’s just… reality now.
Where We Are Today (It’s Wild)
Let me paint you a picture of what’s possible right now in January 2026:
More people can build things. You don’t need a computer science degree. You don’t need to know what a “for loop” is. If you can explain what you want clearly, you can build software.
The software is getting smarter. It’s not just that you can build apps now — you can build apps with AI inside them. Apps that think. Apps that analyze. Apps that learn. We’re not building dumb tools anymore. We’re building smart tools.
The barrier to entry just evaporated. The gap between “I have an idea” and “I have a working product” used to be measured in months and thousands of dollars. Now it’s measured in hours and coffee.
This is like the moment the printing press was invented. Or when YouTube made everyone a potential broadcaster. Or when Shopify made everyone a potential store owner.
Except this time, everyone is a potential software company.
Here’s What’s Coming (My Prediction)
Buckle up. We’re about to see an explosion of software unlike anything in history.
Phone apps, SaaS platforms, games — and things we haven’t even imagined yet — are about to flood the market as more people discover this superpower. Most will be terrible. Many will be mediocre. But some? Some will be brilliant solutions that only exist because a non-coder finally had the ability to build what they always imagined.
Companies will build their own tools. Right now, businesses pay for bloated software that does 100 things when they only need 3. What if you could just… build exactly what you need? A simpler version of that expensive CRM. A custom dashboard that actually shows what matters. An internal tool that fits your workflow perfectly instead of forcing you into someone else’s workflow.
A new job title will emerge: “Remote Engineer.” This person shows up at a company, figures out their pain points, builds custom software to solve them, and moves on to the next company. Part consultant, part builder, part problem-solver. They might stay a week. They might stay a month. But they leave behind software that didn’t exist before.
If you can master this superpower, you can walk into any industry, find their pain points, and build them a solution.
Try this: Help a friend with something. Build them a little tool. Do it for free. See where it leads.
This could be a life-changing moment for you. I’m not being dramatic. I genuinely believe that.
The Tools You’ll Need
Okay, let’s get practical. If you want to Vibe Code beyond just building pretty user interfaces (like we did with Lovable yesterday), here’s your toolkit:
The Big Three
1. GitHub (Free) Your code’s home base. Set this up FIRST before anything else. Everything else connects to it. → Go to: github.com and create an account
2. Cursor (Free to start, then ~$20/month) This is a code editor — like Microsoft Word, but for code. The magic? It has AI built right in. You can literally talk to it. There’s a dictate feature where you just speak what you want, and it writes the code.
Cursor often has promotional pricing for their Pro accounts. Check their website for current deals, sometimes you can get access to powerful AI coding models cheaper through Cursor than anywhere else. → Go to: cursor.com and download it
IMPORTANT: When you set up Cursor, log in with your GitHub account. This connects everything automatically.
3. Claude Code (Requires Claude Pro at $20/month) This is Anthropic’s command-line tool for AI coding. It runs in your Terminal (more on that scary-sounding thing in a minute). Claude Code is incredibly powerful for building complex projects.
Do You Need Both Cursor and Claude Code?
Short answer: No, not to start.
Longer answer: They’re different tools for different situations.
Cursor = A visual code editor with AI built in. You can see your files, click around, and talk to AI. Great for beginners.
Claude Code = A command-line tool where you type commands and AI builds for you. More powerful, but less visual.
My recommendation: Start with Cursor. It’s more beginner-friendly. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, explore Claude Code for bigger projects.
The Confusing Part: Repository Stuff
Here’s where people get lost. Let me make this simple.
The Vocabulary
Repository (or “Repo”) = A folder for your project. That’s it. When someone says “create a repository,” they mean “create a folder for your code.”
Main = The official version of your code. Think of it as the “published” version. The one that’s live. The real deal.
Branch = A copy where you can experiment without messing up the main version. Like making a draft of a document before you submit the final version. You can have a “testing” branch or a “new-feature” branch.
Push = Sending your code UP to GitHub. You made changes on your computer, now you’re uploading them.
Pull = Bringing code DOWN from GitHub. Someone else made changes (or you made changes on a different computer), now you’re downloading them.
Commit = Saving a snapshot of your changes with a note about what you did. Like hitting “save” with a comment.
Deploy = Making your code actually live on the internet where people can use it.
The Simple Flow
You write code on your computer (in Cursor)
You commit your changes (save with a note)
You push to GitHub (upload to the cloud)
Your deployment service (Vercel, Render, etc.) automatically deploys (makes it live)
That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
The Terminal: It’s Less Scary Than It Sounds
The Terminal (also called “Command Line” or “Git Bash” on Windows) is just a text-based way to talk to your computer.
Instead of clicking on folders and files, you type commands.
On Mac: Search for “Terminal” in Spotlight On Windows: Search for “Git Bash” (you’ll install this when you install Git) or use “Command Prompt”
Here are literally the only commands you need to start:
cd folder-name (go into a folder)
cd .. (go back one folder)
ls (see what's in the current folder - Mac)
dir (see what's in the current folder - Windows)
git status (see what files have changed)
git add . (prepare all changes to be saved)
git commit -m "your note here" (save changes with a note)
git push (upload to GitHub)That’s it. Those 7 commands will handle 90% of what you need. And when in doubt. Copy what you see in terminal (or take a screenshot) and just ask AI what you need to type to move to the next step (that’s what I do).
The REAL Problem: How Do You SEE What You’re Building?
This is where I have a confession.
The first time I tried to Vibe Code a real app, it took me HOURS just to see it on my phone.
I built an app called “Shop or Save” — a simple tool that helps you decide whether to buy something or save the money by showing you what that money would be worth if you invested it instead.
Claude coded the whole thing in about 10 minutes.
But could I see it? Could I test it on my phone?
Nope.
I spent HOURS trying to figure out how to actually view my creation. Part of this was because I was on a Windows PC and trying to see it on an Apple iPhone (more on this headache in a later post when we talk about building mobile apps).
This is exactly why Lovable is so brilliant. You see your changes instantly. No setup. No terminal commands. No deployment configuration. Just… you can see it.
But when you go beyond Lovable into “real” coding with Cursor or Claude Code, you need a way to see your work.
Options for Seeing Your Work
For Websites and Web Apps:
Vercel (Free tier available) — Connect to GitHub, automatic deployments, you get a real URL to visit
Render (Free tier available) — Similar to Vercel, good for both websites and backend services
Netlify (Free tier available) — Another great option, very beginner-friendly
For Phone Apps:
This is trickier. We’ll cover it later. Short version: it’s painful if you’re on Windows trying to build iPhone apps. Much better if you have a Mac (which I do now).
Wait, What About All These Other Services?
You’ve probably heard names thrown around: Supabase, Firebase, Vercel, Amazon S3, Railway... What are all these things? And don’t worry, below is just a quick summary but AI will tell you exactly which ones you need to use for any specific project.
Let me sort them into buckets:
Where Your Website Lives (Hosting/Deployment)
These make your code actually accessible on the internet:
Vercel — Best for websites and web apps. Free tier is generous. Connects to GitHub automatically.
Render — Good all-around choice. Can host websites AND backend servers.
Netlify — Great for static websites. Very easy to use.
Railway — Good for backend services and databases. Simple pricing.
Where Your Data Lives (Databases)
If your app needs to remember things (user accounts, saved data, etc.), you need a database:
Supabase — Like Firebase but open source. Has a database, user login, and file storage. Very popular in the Vibe Coding world. Free tier available.
Firebase (Google) — Similar to Supabase. Good documentation. Free tier available.
Where Your Files Live (Storage)
If your app needs to store images, PDFs, or other files:
Amazon S3 — The industry standard. Pay for what you use. A bit more complex to set up.
Supabase Storage — Built into Supabase. Easier if you’re already using Supabase.
Cloudflare R2 — Cheaper than S3, similar features.
The Best Tech Stack for a Non-Technical Vibe Coder
If I were starting from scratch today with zero technical knowledge, here’s exactly what I’d use:
The Simple Stack (For Websites and Web Apps)
Total starting cost: $0-20/month
The More Powerful Stack (When You’re Ready)
Total cost: $40/month (and most of that is for AI access, not infrastructure)
Your Action Items for Today
Here’s exactly what to do:
Step 1: Create Your GitHub Account
Go to github.com
Click “Sign Up”
Use your email, create a password
Verify your email
Done. You now have a home for your code.
Step 2: Download Cursor
Go to cursor.com
Click “Download”
Install it on your computer
When it asks you to sign in, use your GitHub account
This connects everything automatically
Step 3: Create Your First Repository
In GitHub, click the green “Create repository” button
Name it something like “my-first-project”
Make it PRIVATE!
IMPORTANT: Scroll down and check the box that says "Add a README file" — this is easy to miss but critical! Without it, your repo will be empty and the next step won't work.
Click “Create repository”
Congratulations, you have your first repo!
Step 4: Clone It to Cursor
In GitHub, click the green “Code” button (this only appears if your repo has files in it — that’s why we added the README!)
Make sure “HTTPS” is selected
Copy the URL (it looks like:
https://github.com/yourusername/my-first-project.git)In Cursor, press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows)
Type “Git Clone” and hit Enter
Paste the URL you copied
Choose where to save it on your computer (like your Documents folder)
Now you can edit your code locally!
Forgot to add the README? No problem. If your repo is empty and you don’t see a green Code button:
Click the blue “creating a new file” link on the repo page
Name the file
README.mdType anything (like “My first project”)
Click the green “Commit changes” button
Go back to your repo’s main page — the green Code button will now appear!
Coming Tomorrow: Building a SaaS
We’re going to talk about what it actually takes to build a complete software-as-a-service product. Including:
The Dunning-Kruger effect (and why your first app will humble you)
What “building a SaaS” actually means
The realistic timeline from idea to launch
Then after that, we’ll tackle mobile apps.
You have a superpower now.
The question isn’t whether you can build software anymore.
The question is: What will you build?
P.S. — If this sounds exciting but overwhelming, that’s normal. I felt the same way six months ago. Just take it one step at a time. Create that GitHub account today. That’s all you need to do. Tomorrow you’ll learn more. The superpower builds one day at a time.