How Vibe Coding Helped Me Turn Imagination Into Reality

Where imagination meets execution

I'm a former full-time developer, and while I haven't worked in production code for over a decade, I occasionally write micro-scale scripts—automating tasks or crunching data.

But recently, I challenged myself to build something bigger: an AI-powered portfolio website. My goal wasn’t just to showcase skills—I wanted to dive into how RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) works in a real-world setting.

This time, I wasn't alone. I was vibe-coding with Gemini.

What Is “Vibe Coding”?

Coined by AI insiders like Andrej Karpathy, vibe coding is the term for a new, AI-assisted development style:

“You just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy‑paste stuff—and it mostly works.”

It's less about writing perfect code and more about flow. You ideate, prompt the AI, try things out, and keep iterating.

For me, this style of coding was liberating:

• I had a vision
• I wasn't afraid to break things
• And Gemini helped me translate imagination into code

Whether you're exploring an idea or building a prototype at 2AM, vibe coding is your creative zone.

Key Traits of Vibe Coding

• Prompt-driven — communicate in natural language
• Fast-paced — code-first, refine later
• Flexible — ideal for prototypes or side projects
• Collaborative — AI is your pair programmer

It’s not a trend. It’s a legit shift in how we write software—especially with tools like Gemini.

Tools I Used

To bring my idea to life, here’s my stack:

• Visual Studio Code – The workspace
• Gemini Pro – Broad context understanding
• Gemini Code Assist for Visual Studio Code – Inline code editing
• Gemini CLI – Code generation from terminal commands

These tools let me go from concept to deployment in a tight feedback loop.

What You Need to Get Started

1. Basic technical understanding
2. A big imagination
3. Patience (lots of it)

If you lack patience, you’ll need deeper technical knowledge to guide the AI. Otherwise, embrace the chaos and learn as you go.

My Workflow

Simple Vibe Coding Flow

A high-level overview of how imagination connects with each Gemini tool:

    flowchart LR
        A[Imagination]
        C[Gemini Chat]
        D[Code Assist]
        E[CLI]

        A --> C
        A --> D
        A --> E

        C --> D
        C --> E
  
        D --> C
        E --> C

Complete Flow

    flowchart LR
        A[Imagination]
        B[Problem]
        C[Gemini Chat]
        D[Code Assist]
        E[CLI]

        A --> C
        A --> D
        A --> E

        B --> C
        B --> D
        B --> E

        C --> D
        C --> E
  
        D --> C
        E --> C

How to Use These Diagrams

• Imagination fuels your prompts.
• Gemini Chat helps translate vision into logic.
• Code Assist and CLI help refine or automate the implementation.
• The flow is flexible—loop back anytime.

---

1. Start With a Clear Vision

My prompt to myself was simple:

“I want to build an AI-powered portfolio website.”

No Figma. No specs. Just vibes.

2. Plan with Gemini Chat

Gemini Chat is your systems thinker.

• It sees broad architectural patterns
• Helps design file structures
• Understands context and logic deeply

I used it to understand RAG, plan JAMstack flows, and validate my app structure.

3. Refine with Gemini Code Assist & CLI

Once the big ideas were in place, it was time to sharpen the details.

Code Assist

Gemini Code Assists in VS Code

• Handy for small tasks and UI edits
• Works directly inside VS Code
• Sometimes stalls with long responses

CLI

Gemini Code CLI in VS Code

• Ideal for automating boilerplate
• Best for scaffold-heavy workflows
• Requires CLI knowledge

Comprehensive Comparison Table

Feature / Tool	Gemini Chat	Code Assist	Gemini CLI
Best For	Planning, Debugging	Edits & Fixes	Scaffolding & Automation
Skill Level	Beginner - Intermediate	Intermediate - Advanced	Advanced / CLI users
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆	⭐⭐☆☆☆	⭐☆☆☆☆
Code Awareness	Full context understanding	Single-file only	Limited, depends on prompt
Code Insertion	Manual	In-editor	Terminal automation
Response Stability	High	Mid (can cut off)	Mid (can misfire)

Limitations & Frustrations

• Long snippets cut off in Code Assist
• CLI sometimes loses context
• Still requires good prompting
• No true multi-file awareness

AI is powerful, but it still needs you. AI is still a tool—not a replacement.

Why AI Won’t Replace Developers (Yet)

Despite the hype, AI coding tools aren’t ready to fully replace human developers.

Trusted Perspectives

• AI can’t understand full systems or adapt to changing business rules without help (Forbes).
• GitHub’s CEO stated AI will increase , not decrease, the need for good engineers (Business Insider).
• Real-world dev requires logic, ethics, debugging, teamwork—things AI can’t do alone (Built In).

AI helps. But it doesn’t replace intuition or judgment.

✨ Final Thoughts

This wasn’t just about building a website. It was about rediscovering the joy of making. And I did it vibe-coding with Gemini.

👉 Try It Yourself

Have an idea? Start small. Don’t overthink it. Open Gemini and prompt it. When you vibe with your tools, amazing things happen.

Or just chat with Nait