VIBES ALL THE WAY DOWN

on building in ai

One of the reasons I think so many people in tech are so excited about AI is that it has bought a sense of excitement and adventure back into their jobs.

Building in AI is all of fun, intimidating, exciting and stressful. All at the same time.

This thought was inspired by a recent article from Gustavs Cirulis at Intercom who spoke about the freedom and joy they’re getting out of building with, for and around AI.

The idea of building… without a roadmap.

Experimenting, breaking things. Pushing buttons and pulling levers just to see what happens and what’s possible. Not knowing exactly what will work.

The best AI product ideas haven’t been discovered yet – and they won’t show up on a roadmap. They’ll emerge through curiosity, scrappy prototypes, and fast feedback loops. - Gustavs Cirulis

“Without a roadmap” feels like a key point here. The last 15 years of tech, at least since I’ve been here, has been about playbooks, motions, frameworks, blueprints and following the leader.

AI has left every tech company without a map or compass. The only way through is to follow your instincts, put one foot in front of the other and start building stuff.

Maybe the vibe in vibe coding/marketing stands for fun, wonder, excitement, adventure and joy. Maybe those vibes were the whole point of tech and startups all along.

Either way it’s a pretty refreshing feeling.