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// 100 lines to remember · Pillar 05

Vibe Coding Cheat sheet

One hour. The one line to remember from every day of the playbook, grouped by module. Read it, print it, pin it up. Each line links to its day.

Back to the playbookStart at Day 1 →

01What vibe coding is Days 1–10

You'll know what vibe coding is, what it's good at, and where it goes wrong.

Team session guide →

  1. 01You're the director. The agent is the crew. The call is still yours.Stop typing. Start directing.
  2. 02If you can describe the problem clearly, you can start.Not just for developers.
  3. 03Prototype anything. Ship carefully. Know your red zone.Great at the first 80%.
  4. 04Clarity is the new coding skill.From how to what and why.
  5. 05Learn one agent deeply. The skills travel with you.Pick the right tool for the job.
  6. 06Treat it like a sharp new hire: fast, capable, needs supervision.Meet your AI developer.
  7. 07Small and finished beats big and abandoned.Start tiny. Finish today.
  8. 08Budget money, time and risk. Not just the subscription.Cheap to start. Easy to overspend.
  9. 09Every risk here has a habit that stops it. You'll learn them all.Fast code. Fast mistakes.
  10. 10Expect it to break. That's where you learn.Your next 90 days.

02Setup Days 11–20

You'll have your tools installed and a project set up, ready to build.

Team session guide →

  1. 11Five commands get you most of the way. Learn those first.The terminal is just a chat box.
  2. 12Install, check, log in. Then stop and celebrate.Installed in two minutes.
  3. 13Where you start Claude is what it works on. Choose on purpose.One project. One folder.
  4. 14Commit early. Commit often. Commit before every ask.Save points for your whole project.
  5. 15Private by default. Two-factor always. Push every session.Your code's home away from home.
  6. 16The agent writes. VS Code lets you watch.A window into what it wrote.
  7. 17package.json is the recipe. npm install does the shopping.Node runs JavaScript on your computer.
  8. 18Local first. Online only when it's ready.localhost is your private internet.
  9. 19Short. Specific. Kept up to date.Tell it the rules once.
  10. 20Every box ticked? Module 3: time to talk to the agent.Set up once. Build for 80 days.

03Talking to the agent Days 21–30

You'll brief the agent clearly, check its work, and know when to start fresh.

Team session guide →

  1. 21Describe the finish line. Let it choose the route.Say what, not how.
  2. 22A five-minute plan saves a five-hour rebuild.Plan first. Code second.
  3. 23Small steps, checked often, committed each time.One step. Then check.
  4. 24Relevant, not everything.It only knows what you tell it.
  5. 25A picture is worth a thousand words of prompt.Show it. Don't describe it.
  6. 26If you can't explain it, don't approve it.Read the prompt. Then press Enter.
  7. 27Rewind for oops. Git for everything. Commit first.Two safety nets. Use both.
  8. 28Summary. Files. Changes. Try it. Every time.Don't just trust it. Check it.
  9. 29Ask why. Say what you expected. Or rewind.“Why?” is your best prompt.
  10. 30One task, one session.Fresh session. Sharper agent.

04How software works Days 31–40

You'll understand how apps, data and the internet fit together, in plain terms.

Team session guide →

  1. 31The dining room is public. Keep the recipes in the kitchen.The restaurant model.
  2. 32Know the address, the key and the limits.Apps talking to apps.
  3. 33Store what you need. Nothing more.A spreadsheet with rules.
  4. 34Borrow the login. Check permissions on every request.Who are you? What can you do?
  5. 35Code is shared. Secrets are not.Settings outside the code.
  6. 36Ignore first. Check always. Rotate if in doubt.Once pushed, assume it’s public.
  7. 37Every package is a promise you now have to keep.Standing on other people’s code.
  8. 38Copy the whole error. Paste it to the agent.Errors are clues, not failures.
  9. 39Match the host to the app, and the data to the law.Your laptop isn’t a server.
  10. 40Own your domain. Change one record at a time.The internet's phone book.

05First projects Days 41–50

You'll have built real small tools you actually use.

Team session guide →

  1. 41Scratch your own itch first.Build something you’ll actually use.
  2. 42Ship it plain. Improve it live.Your first page on the internet.
  3. 43Useful to one person beats impressive to nobody.Solve your own annoying task.
  4. 44Check it against last week's manual numbers.Let it do the Monday spreadsheet.
  5. 45Ask for the least access that works.A small superpower in your browser.
  6. 46Create, read, update, delete. Then back it up.Your first app that remembers.
  7. 47Validate twice: browser for kindness, server for safety.Where users meet your data.
  8. 48Answer questions. Don't decorate data.One screen. The right numbers.
  9. 49Key on the server. Answers from your sources only.A chatbot that knows your stuff.
  10. 50Build on your phone. Publish much later.An app on your phone today.

06Quality & testing Days 51–60

You'll test and review what the agent builds before you trust it.

Team session guide →

  1. 51If you didn't check it, it doesn't work yet.Tests are proof, not paperwork.
  2. 52You choose the cases. It writes the tests.Let it check its own work.
  3. 53Write it once. Run it before every release.A checklist anyone can run.
  4. 54Three failed fixes? Stop and rethink.Stuck? Change the approach.
  5. 55Steps. Expected. Actual. Full error.Reproduce. Report. Repair.
  6. 56Every bug fixed gets a test that stays.Fixed one thing. Broke another.
  7. 57Fresh eyes. Specific questions.Make it review itself.
  8. 58Tests first. Tidy second. Features third.Same behaviour. Cleaner code.
  9. 59Tab through it. Zoom it. Hear it.Built for everyone.
  10. 60Agree it first. Tick it every time.Done is a checklist, not a feeling.

07Guardrails & security Days 61–70

You'll keep keys, data and users safe, with a checklist before anything goes live.

Team session guide →

  1. 61Revoke first. Clean up second.Leaked a key? Rotate, don’t delete.
  2. 62Allow the boring. Deny the dangerous. Ask about the rest.Allow the boring. Deny the dangerous.
  3. 63Summaries tell stories. Diffs tell the truth.Read the red and the green.
  4. 64Check the package page before you install.Not every package is what it seems.
  5. 65Fake data for building. Real data only with a reason.Personal data is borrowed, not owned.
  6. 66Allow what's valid. Check it on the server. Every time.Every input is guilty until checked.
  7. 67If it's not checked on the server, it's not protected.The locks beginners leave open.
  8. 68Treat what it reads as data, never as orders.When the content gives the orders.
  9. 69Back it up. Restore it. Then trust it.A backup you haven't restored is a hope.
  10. 70Check before live. Every time.Ten checks before anything goes live.

08Shipping Days 71–80

You'll ship changes safely, with automatic checks and an easy way back.

Team session guide →

  1. 71Pull. Commit. Push. Every session.A rhythm, not a ritual.
  2. 72Main always works. Everything else is a branch.Experiment on a copy.
  3. 73Deploy early in the day, early in the week.From laptop to live.
  4. 74Red means stop. Even on a Friday.A robot that tests every push.
  5. 75One alert. One owner. One action.Know it's broken before they tell you.
  6. 76Number it. Note it. Tag it.Every release gets a number.
  7. 77Roll back first. Debug second.The fastest fix is going back.
  8. 78Watch, don't just ask.Your users are your best testers.
  9. 79If it's not written down, it leaves with you.Future you is a stranger.
  10. 80An hour a month, or retire it.Shipping is the start.

09Vibe coding at work Days 81–90

You'll use vibe coding at work with clear ownership and rules.

Team session guide →

  1. 81Prototypes answer questions. They're not the answer.Show, don't spec.
  2. 82Build it in the open. Put it on the register.Small tools. Real users.
  3. 83Bring a prototype and a question, not a demand.Partners, not gatekeepers.
  4. 84Your prototype is the spec. Your notes are the gold.Hand over the why, not just the code.
  5. 85Rules in the repo beat rules in a PDF.Agree the rules before the mess.
  6. 86Can't explain it? Can't merge it.If the agent wrote it, you own it.
  7. 87Check the licence. Ask legal when unsure.Whose code is it, anyway?
  8. 88The best code is sometimes no code.Know when to put it down.
  9. 89Every key has a limit and an owner.Know what it really costs.
  10. 90A clear yes beats a quiet no.Freedom within a frame.

10Level up Days 91–100

You'll run bigger projects with several agents, reusable recipes and connected tools.

Team session guide →

  1. 91Parallel work still needs one reviewer: you.One lead. Many helpers.
  2. 92Connect what helps. Only with the access it needs.Plug the agent into your tools.
  3. 93Repeated it three times? Make it a skill.Write the recipe once.
  4. 94CLAUDE.md asks. Hooks enforce.Rules the agent can’t forget.
  5. 95Write the plan down. Build one slice at a time.Big projects are many small ones.
  6. 96Boring. Simple. Separated.Decide the shape before the details.
  7. 97Follow one click from button to database.Find your way round any codebase.
  8. 98Let the agent write. Make sure you can read.The path is open.
  9. 99Build. Share. Repeat.Don't learn alone.
  10. 100Start small. Start tomorrow. Keep going.100 days done. Now build.