Introduction to Vibe Coding
Vibe coding, a trending concept in 2025, promises to revolutionize app development by leveraging AI tools to generate code with minimal manual effort. Intrigued by this idea, I decided to test it by building Teniam, a tech directory for solopreneurs featuring software, AI tools, and templates. What began as an experiment became a live platform in just one month, built on a $1,000 budget. Here’s the story of how I made it happen, the tools I used, and the lessons learned along the way.
The Build Process: A Mix of AI and Human Expertise
I started with high hopes, experimenting with AI tools like Bolt and Lovable. However, I quickly found that AI isn’t fully mature yet—it’s not perfect, and I faced challenges with inconsistent outputs. This led me to switch to v0 by Vercel, paired with Shadcn UI, which offered neat, ready-to-use UI dashboards and components straight out of the box—a turning point in the process.
To bring the vision to life, I collaborated with a MERN stack developer Mubashir Hussan. We selected Sanity Studio for the backend due to its cost-effective pricing, ideal for our budget. Resend handled emails, Auth.js managed authentication, and Next.js powered the frontend with its blazing-fast performance, enhanced by Vercel’s deployment for a seamless launch. Most design pages were created in v0, leveraging its user-friendly interface to shape Teniam’s look.
The Role of Cursor and Human Polish
While v0 provided a strong foundation, Cursor emerged as the most reliable AI tool, with its approval feature and cross-checking capabilities allowing me to refine the code effectively. My developer, however, took a measured approach, using AI sparingly and writing his own scripts when needed to ensure everything worked smoothly. This blend of AI assistance and human expertise was crucial to perfecting Teniam and overcoming automation limitations.
The Flaws of Vibe Coding
Vibe coding is an exciting innovation, but it’s not without flaws. Many YouTubers highlight success stories, suggesting a flawless process, yet my experience was different. Tools like Bolt and Lovable struggled with complex logic, requiring manual fixes that slowed progress. Even v0 and Cursor had their quirks, reinforcing that founders still need developers to build quickly and launch successfully. AI is a valuable tool, but it’s not a complete substitute.
Why Teniam Stands Out
My motivation for Teniam stemmed from a desire for a clean, user-friendly UI. Many existing directories are cluttered and overwhelming, making it hard to find relevant tools or burying them deep within listings. With Teniam, I aimed to create a streamlined Tech Hub for Solopreneurs. The polished components from Shadcn UI and v0’s design capabilities helped realize this vision, setting it apart from the competition.
Conclusion
Vibe coding enabled me to build Teniam in one month with a $1,000 budget, using v0, Cursor, Shadcn UI, Sanity Studio, Resend, Auth.js, Next.js, and Vercel. However, the limitations of AI underscored the importance of human developers for polishing and scaling the project. For founders looking to launch, vibe coding is a great starting point, but human input remains essential. Teniam is live—explore it and see our fresh approach to tech directories!
Teniam is in its early stages, and we will start to add more features along the way.
Note: Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to refine Teniam and share our vibe coding insights!
