GuidesAI-Built Apps
When a Vibe-Coded App Needs a Developer
Vibe coding means describing an app to an AI tool and letting the tool write the code. That is a reasonable way to reach a demo. Hire a developer when a real person will sign in, pay, or store data, or when every new AI fix breaks something that used to work. The job is to keep the useful parts, repair the broken path, and put login, data access, secrets, and deployment on a footing you can leave in front of customers.
What these tools are good at
ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, Replit, and v0 are good at the first version. They produce screens, a rough database, and a path that works for the person who prompted them. That is useful. A founder can learn whether anyone wants the product before paying for a long build.
The same tools are weak at the second version. They do not remember every rule you stated. They optimize for the screenshot in front of them. A prompt that fixes the checkout can quietly remove the check that stopped a stranger from opening another customer's orders.
When to stop prompting and call a developer
- A customer, not just you, will create an account.
- The app will take a payment, store a file, or hold anything private.
- The AI fix loop has started: each repair breaks a screen that worked yesterday.
- It works on your laptop and fails after you deploy it.
- You cannot explain where the passwords and API keys live.
What production-grade means here
Production-grade is not a slogan. For this service it means five concrete things. A stranger can open the deployed app. The server, not a hidden button, decides who may do an action. One account cannot read another account's rows. Secrets are not in the browser or the git history. When something fails, the user sees a clear error and you can tell what happened.
| A demo | Ready for customers |
|---|---|
| Works on your machine | Deployed, and someone else can open it |
| The admin link is hidden | The server refuses the admin action |
| An API key sits in the front end | The secret stays on the server |
| You tested it as yourself | A second account cannot see the first account's data |
| The AI retries until the screen looks right | The failing case is reproduced once and fixed |
How I take a project on
- You describe what breaks, in ordinary language, and share the repo or the tool export.
- I read the app and tell you whether to fix it, finish the missing piece, or stop.
- Hourly work is $35. A fixed fee is a custom quote after that scope is written down.
- You keep the code. I leave a short note of what changed.
I take web apps in JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Node.js, or Python. If the project is a different stack, say so on the call. I will tell you if I should not be the one to take it.
Questions this page answers
What is vibe coding?
Vibe coding is building software by telling an AI coding tool what you want, then accepting the code it writes. The tools people use for this include ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, Replit, and v0. You can get a working screen without writing the program yourself.
Can a non-technical person launch an AI-built app alone?
You can launch a personal demo. You should not put customer data, payments, or private records on an app that only you have clicked through. Those apps need a person who can read the code and check the server, not only the screen.
Will you throw the app away and start over?
Not by default. I read what you have and say whether to fix it or rebuild it. A rebuild is the recommendation only when the current project cannot be made safe or cannot do the job.
Keep going
Want this applied to your workflow?
Hourly work is $35. A fixed fee is a custom quote after we define the scope.