Vibe-coding your own tools is worth trying
Most people have more daily friction points that software could fix than they realize. A repetitive work routine, a tool that almost fits how your brain works but not quite. The argument from Inc. tech columnist Jason Aten: stop waiting for someone else to build the fix and vibe-code it yourself.
What Vibe-Coding Actually Means
Vibe-coding means describing what you want to build in plain language and letting an AI write the code. Tools like Claude Code and Codex handle the syntax. You handle the thinking: what the thing should do, how it should behave, what the edge cases are.
You do not need to know how to write code. You do need to know what you want. Aten is honest that the AI makes mistakes, that anything complicated requires patience and many revisions, and that there is real work involved in getting a finished result. But a non-developer shipping something that actually works is now genuinely possible.
The Honest Caveat
Not every problem needs software. Aten is direct about that too. Silicon Valley’s tendency to reach for an app first is the same instinct that created many of the problems people are trying to solve. The point is narrower: for problems that are actually software problems, the barrier to building your own solution is now much lower than it used to be.
If you have a workflow that a small custom tool could improve, the cost of trying has dropped to an afternoon and a conversation with an AI.
I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.
With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.
At BizStack, I aim to cut through the digital noise to provide clear, actionable advice.
And more than all else, I’m a father to a (always) little girl and a husband.
Contact me at [email protected] for assistance.
