5 mistakes to avoid when starting vibecoding

Vibecoding seems magical: you describe what you want, the AI generates the code, and boom — an app appears. But this apparent simplicity hides traps that almost every beginner falls into.

After helping hundreds of beginner vibecoders and making all these mistakes ourselves, here are the 5 most common ones — and most importantly, how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: The Vague Prompt

The Problem

This is the number one mistake. The beginner writes:

Make me a task management app

And they're disappointed with the result. The AI generates something generic that doesn't match their vision. They think "AI isn't that powerful" and give up.

Why it's a problem: AI isn't telepathic. "A task management app" can mean hundreds of different things. Trello? Todoist? Notion? A Kanban board? A simple checklist? The AI has to guess, and it often guesses wrong.

The Solution

Be specific. Very specific. A good prompt includes:

1. Context (who and why)

An app for freelancers who want to track time spent on each client task

2. Precise features

- Task list grouped by project/client
- Start/stop timer for each task
- Weekly report of time by client
- PDF export for billing

3. Desired design

- Minimalist style like Linear
- Primary color: blue (#3B82F6)
- Dark mode by default

4. Technical constraints

- React + TypeScript + Tailwind
- Supabase for database
- Mobile-first

Complete prompt template:

Create a [TYPE] app for [WHO] who wants to [GOAL].

FEATURES:
1. [Feature 1 with details]
2. [Feature 2 with details]
3. [Feature 3 with details]

DESIGN:
- Style: [reference or description]
- Colors: [palette]
- [Other preferences]

TECH:
- [Desired stack]

📚 Go further: The 10 Best Prompts for Lovable, Bolt and Cursor

Mistake #2: Feature Creep — Wanting Everything at Once

The Problem

The beginner has a grand vision. They want:

• Authentication with 5 different methods
• Dashboard with 15 metrics
• Integrations with Stripe, Slack, Notion, Zapier
• Real-time collaborative mode
• Native mobile app
• Public API

...and they want all of this for the MVP.

Result: the AI generates something complex, buggy, impossible to debug. The project becomes a nightmare to maintain.

The Solution

The brutal MVP rule: If a feature isn't absolutely necessary for someone to use your app the first time, it's not in v1.

Prioritization process:

1. List all your ideas (no filter)
2. Ask yourself for each feature: "Can a user get value WITHOUT this feature?"
3. If yes → v2 or later
4. Keep maximum 3-5 features for v1

Concrete example:

❌ Bad approach:

Create a restaurant booking app with:
- Search by cuisine, price, distance, rating, availability
- Booking system with SMS confirmation
- Integrated deposit payment
- Loyalty program with points
- User reviews and photos
- AI-powered personalized recommendations
- Calendar integration
- Group mode for booking together

✅ Good approach (v1):

Create a restaurant booking app with:
- Restaurant list with basic filters (cuisine, price)
- Detail page with info and photos
- "Book" button that opens a simple form
- Email confirmation

Other features will come in later versions, once you've validated that people actually use the app.

Mistake #3: Completely Ignoring the Generated Code

The Problem

Vibecoding lets you create without "really" coding. But some beginners take this too literally: they NEVER look at the generated code.

Problems that follow:

• Impossible to debug when something breaks
• No understanding of why certain things don't work
• Difficulty iterating effectively
• Total dependency on AI for the slightest modification

The Solution

You don't need to become an expert developer, but you need to develop basic "code literacy".

Level 1: Understanding the structure (1 hour of learning)

• Where are the app files?
• What's a component?
• How are pages organized?

Level 2: Reading code (a few hours)

• Following the flow: "When I click this button, what happens?"
• Identifying where data is
• Spotting error messages

Level 3: Small modifications (regular practice)

• Changing text directly in the code
• Modifying a color
• Adjusting spacing

Practical exercise:

1. Open your project in Cursor
2. Find the file for your homepage component
3. Change some text manually
4. Observe the result

This basic understanding will make you 10x more effective in your prompts, because you'll know HOW the AI structures the code.

📚 Resource: Cursor Free: Complete Guide to learn to navigate your codebase.

Mistake #4: Using the Wrong Tool for the Task

The Problem

Each vibecoding tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Beginners often use one tool for everything, creating unnecessary friction.

Examples of poor choices:

• Using Lovable to create a simple UI component (too heavy)
• Using v0 for a full-stack app (no backend)
• Using Cursor to start from scratch (slower than Lovable/Bolt)
• Using Claude chat to code (no execution environment)

The Solution

Choose the tool based on the task:

Recommended workflow for a complete project:

1. PLANNING → Claude
   "Help me define the architecture for..."

2. INITIAL GENERATION → Lovable or Bolt
   "Create an app with these specs..."

3. SPECIFIC UI COMPONENTS → v0
   "Generate a pricing table component..."

4. INTEGRATION & DEBUGGING → Cursor
   "Integrate this component and fix this bug..."

5. ITERATION → Lovable + Cursor
   Lovable for big features, Cursor for adjustments

📚 To choose: Lovable vs Bolt | Lovable vs v0 | Cursor vs Copilot

Mistake #5: Not Versioning or Backing Up

The Problem

The beginner works for hours, makes lots of changes, and suddenly:

• The AI "breaks" something that was working
• They want to go back but don't know how
• They lose all their work

Or worse: they work only in the Lovable/Bolt interface without ever exporting to GitHub.

The Solution

Golden rule: Connect GitHub FROM THE START

Lovable and Bolt allow syncing with GitHub. Do it immediately, not "later".

Backup workflow:

1. Project creation → Connect GitHub immediately
2. After each working feature → Commit with clear message
3. Before a big modification → Commit "checkpoint before [change]"
4. If something breaks → Git revert to last stable commit

Good commit practices:

# Good ✅
git commit -m "Add authentication system"
git commit -m "Fix bug on signup form"
git commit -m "Checkpoint before dashboard refactoring"

# Bad ❌
git commit -m "update"
git commit -m "fix"
git commit -m "wip"

If you're not using Git yet:

1. Create a GitHub account (free)
2. In Lovable/Bolt, look for "Connect to GitHub" or "Export"
3. Follow the instructions
4. Get in the habit of "pushing" regularly

It's 5 minutes of setup that can save you hours of lost work.

Bonus: The Secret Mistake — Not Iterating

The biggest mistake beginners make isn't technical. It's believing that the first result should be perfect.

Vibecoding reality:

• The first prompt rarely gives the ideal result
• Iteration is NORMAL and EXPECTED
• Pros do 10-20 iterations, not 1-2

Mindset to adopt:

Initial prompt → Approximate result (70%)
Iteration 1 → Better (80%)
Iteration 2 → Good (85%)
Iteration 3 → Very good (90%)
Iteration 4 → Excellent (95%)
...

Each iteration gets you closer to the result. Don't get discouraged if the first try isn't perfect.

Beginner Vibecoder Checklist

Before each project, verify:

## Preparation

- [ ] I've clearly defined WHO uses the app and WHY
- [ ] I've listed maximum 5 features for v1
- [ ] I've chosen the right tool to start

## During the project

- [ ] My prompts are specific (context, features, design, tech)
- [ ] I've connected GitHub from the start
- [ ] I commit after each working feature
- [ ] I look at the generated code from time to time

## Mindset

- [ ] I accept that iteration is normal
- [ ] I don't add features mid-project (I note them for v2)
- [ ] I ask for help when I'm stuck

Resources to Progress

Practical guides:

• Vibecoding Guide 2026 — The complete basics
• Create an app in 24h — Step-by-step tutorial
• The 10 best prompts — Ready-to-use templates
• Vibecoding vs No-Code — Understand the differences

Recommended tools:

• Lovable Free — For creating complete apps
• Bolt Free — For rapid prototyping
• Cursor Free — For coding and debugging
• v0 Free — For UI components

Comparisons:

• Lovable vs Bolt — Which generator to choose?
• Cursor vs Copilot — Which AI IDE?

Conclusion

Vibecoding isn't difficult, but it requires a different approach than traditional development. The mistakes listed here are normal — everyone makes them at first.

The good news: once you know them, you can avoid them. And with practice, vibecoding becomes an incredibly powerful skill.

Start small, iterate often, and don't be afraid to look at the code. You'll be surprised at what you can create.