💡 Vibe-Coding vs. Classic Coding: the ROI math nobody shows you

🛠️ Two modes of shipping AI automations in 2024:

1️⃣ Classic Coding

• You own every line → predictable, auditable, testable

• 2× longer upfront, 0.5× iteration speed

• Best for: HIPAA / SOC-2 stacks, 10k+ MAU, infra the CFO can depreciate

2️⃣ Vibe-Coding (Cursor Composer, Copilot Workspace, Replit Agent)

• Prompt → working branch in minutes

• 3× faster MVP, 1.5× tech-debt

• Best for: validating a new chatbot flow, weekend hack, or when the spec will change three times before Monday stand-up

3️⃣ My 15-second filter

Ask: “Will the C-suite lose sleep if this prompt hallucinates?”

• If YES → classic.

• If NO → vibe-code, lock the winning prompt behind a typed interface later.

4️⃣ Real numbers from last month

• Client A: vibe-coded an FAQ bot in 4 hrs, 2 k convos/day, zero infra bill → validated demand before hiring a backend team

• Client B: classic-coded the same feature, 3-week sprint, but passed bank security review on first pass → saved a $50 k audit re-run

5️⃣ Hybrid playbook I give every founder

Day 0-1: vibe-code the happy path

Day 2-3: auto-generate unit tests with AI, freeze the prompt behind a single TypeScript function

Day 4+: replace the weakest link with hand-rolled code only when metrics or compliance demand it

👇 Comment “🪄” and I’ll DM you the exact Cursor rule-file + test scaffold I use to switch lanes without a rewrite.

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