What Vibe Coding Actually Is
Vibe coding is a term that describes building software by describing what you want in natural language and letting an AI coding assistant write the code. You provide the vision, the requirements, the constraints, and the feedback. The AI writes the implementation.
The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy in early 2025 and has since become shorthand for a broader shift in how non-developers can participate in software creation. For healthcare professionals, it represents a genuine opportunity to build tools that fit your specific workflow without waiting for a developer or paying for a generic SaaS subscription.
This post covers what vibe coding can realistically produce, what it cannot, and the specific workflow that was used to build a deployed functional medicine education platform without a traditional development background.
What You Can Realistically Build
The honest answer is: more than you think, with important caveats.
In a single session with Claude Code, a non-developer with a clear vision and a well-written CLAUDE.md file can produce:
A functional web application with authentication, database integration, and multiple pages. This is not a prototype. It is deployable code that can go live on Vercel or Netlify within hours.
Automation workflows in n8n that route form submissions, send emails, and log data to Google Sheets. These require no coding at all, just configuration, but AI can help you design the workflow logic and write the webhook payloads.
Custom HTML reports that visualize client data. Blood pressure trends, weight charts, supplement adherence grids. These can be generated as shareable files that clients can open in any browser.
What you cannot realistically build without deeper involvement: complex real-time systems, custom mobile apps with native device integrations, or anything requiring deep infrastructure expertise. These are possible with vibe coding but require more iteration and a clearer understanding of what you are asking for.
The CLAUDE.md File Is the Key
The single most important thing you can do before starting a vibe coding session is write a good CLAUDE.md file. This is a plain text file that lives in the root of your project folder and tells Claude Code everything it needs to know about your project.
A good CLAUDE.md includes:
- What the project is and who it is for
- The tech stack and why it was chosen
- The design system (colors, fonts, spacing rules)
- The compliance rules (no PHI in Lane 1, no em dashes, no Tailwind)
- The file structure and naming conventions
- What has already been built and what still needs to be done
- The writing style rules for any copy Claude generates
When Claude Code reads a thorough CLAUDE.md at the start of a session, it behaves like a senior developer who has been briefed on the project. When it does not have one, it makes assumptions that often conflict with your requirements.
The Workflow That Actually Works
Here is the workflow used to build Hunters Holistic Health:
Step 1: Define the project in plain language. Write out what the app does, who uses it, and what the most important features are. Do not worry about technical terms. Write it the way you would explain it to a smart friend who is not a developer.
Step 2: Research the compliance requirements before writing a single line of code. For healthcare applications, this means understanding HIPAA, FTC endorsement guides, Apple App Store health guidelines, and any state-specific regulations. These constraints shape the architecture. You cannot add compliance as an afterthought.
Step 3: Write the CLAUDE.md. Include everything from Step 1 and Step 2. Add the design system, the writing style rules, and the hard stop rules (things Claude should never do without asking you first).
Step 4: Start with the data model. Before building any UI, define what data the app stores, how it is structured, and who can access what. For Supabase, this means writing the SQL schema and the Row Level Security policies first.
Step 5: Build one feature at a time. Do not ask Claude to build the entire app in one prompt. Build the authentication flow first. Then the dashboard. Then the first feature. Review each piece before moving to the next.
Step 6: Use Fable 5 for heavy lifting, Claude Code for iteration. Fable 5 (Claude's most powerful model) has a 1 million token context window and can hold your entire codebase, the CLAUDE.md, and reference documents all at once. Use it for the initial build and major refactors. Use Claude Code in VS Code for live iteration where you can see the browser in real time.
The Limits You Need to Understand
Vibe coding produces code that works. It does not always produce code that is optimally structured, secure by default, or easy to maintain as the project grows. The larger the codebase gets, the more important it becomes to review what Claude produces rather than just accepting it.
The specific risks for healthcare applications:
- Claude may suggest storing data in a way that creates PHI exposure. This is why the HIPAA hard stop rule in CLAUDE.md is non-negotiable.
- Claude may generate copy that makes health claims. Review all user-facing text before publishing.
- Claude may use third-party libraries with security vulnerabilities. Run npm audit regularly.
None of these risks make vibe coding inappropriate for healthcare applications. They make the CLAUDE.md rules and the review process more important.
The Takeaway
Vibe coding is a legitimate path to building useful tools for your practice. The barrier is not technical skill. It is the discipline to define what you want clearly, set the right constraints, and review what gets built before it goes live.
The CLAUDE.md file is the difference between a productive session and a frustrating one. Write it before you start. Update it as the project evolves. Treat it as the most important document in your project.