I remember the first time I tried vibe coding and it crashed spectacularly
The AI generated something that looked perfect but then completely failed when I tried to run it
Sound familiar
We all get excited about telling computers what we want instead of how to do it
But when reality hits and our beautiful vision turns into error messages we start questioning everything
Here is the thing though those failures taught me more about programming than any success ever could
When vibe coding fails you are forced to think about what you actually wanted versus what you asked for
That gap between intention and execution reveals everything about how software really works
The principles from Ten Principles of Vibe Coding talk about treating code as capability and intentions as long term assets
But what they don’t mention is how many times you will fail before getting it right
I have seen people give up after one bad experience
They go back to writing every line manually convinced AI cannot understand their vision
But that is missing the entire point
Vibe coding is not about replacing thinking it is about elevating it
When you have to describe your intent clearly enough for an AI to execute you discover gaps in your own understanding
Those moments when the AI generates something completely wrong are actually the most valuable
They show you where your communication broke down
Where your assumptions were unclear
Where your mental model of the problem did not match reality
Going back to basics after failure does not mean abandoning vibe coding
It means returning to the fundamentals of clear thinking and precise communication
The best vibe coders I know are also excellent at traditional programming
They understand both worlds and can move between them as needed
So if your vibe coding attempt failed recently do not despair
You are learning the most important skill of all how to think clearly about what you want to build