Have you ever started a vibe coding session with crystal clear intentions only to find yourself hours later wondering how you ended up with something completely different
I call this pruning drift and it happens when we unconsciously trim away important details from our prompts during the development process
Remember that time I was building a data visualization tool I started with a comprehensive prompt describing exactly what I needed charts data sources interaction patterns everything
Then came the first round of AI generated code It looked good but needed some tweaks So I simplified my prompt to focus on the immediate issues
Over several iterations my original vision got pruned away feature by feature until I ended up with something functional but far from what I originally imagined
This is why I keep emphasizing that intentions and interfaces are our long term assets according to the Ten Principles of Vibe Coding
The code itself might be disposable generated for a specific moment but our clear prompts and specifications should remain stable and well defined
Pruning drift sneaks in when we treat our prompts as temporary instructions rather than permanent specifications
Think about it When you manually edit code you are essentially saying this AI generated output is not quite right let me fix it
But what you should really be doing is going back to your original prompt and making it clearer more precise more detailed
The principle of avoiding manual code editing exists for a reason It forces us to maintain the integrity of our original intentions
I have seen teams fall into this trap repeatedly They start with beautiful comprehensive prompts then gradually simplify them to get quick fixes
Before they know it their sophisticated system has been reduced to its most basic functionality
So how do we prevent this drift
First document your original intentions before you even start coding Write them down somewhere permanent
Second version control your prompts just like you would with traditional code Track every change and require justification for modifications
Third establish prompt review sessions where team members can question why certain details are being removed from specifications
Fourth embrace the concept that everything is data including your prompts intentions and the evolutionary path of your specifications
The beauty of vibe coding lies in its ability to translate human intention directly into working systems
But this only works if we maintain the clarity and completeness of those intentions throughout the entire development process
Next time you find yourself simplifying a prompt ask why Are you making it clearer or are you just cutting corners
Our prompts are the new source code They deserve the same care attention and preservation we used to give to traditional programming
Keep your intentions intact and watch how much more powerful your vibe coding sessions become