Incremental Vibe Coding
Build the smallest useful version, then add one capability at a time.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Incremental Vibe Coding replaces a large, feature-heavy initial specification with a sequence of small, testable builds. Start with one narrow outcome, such as a quiz that captures an email and produces a basic report. Inspect what the AI creates, test the experience, and understand enough of the implementation to challenge mistakes or stop unproductive directions. Once the smallest version works, add one feature at a time and validate it before continuing. This approach keeps complexity visible, shortens feedback cycles, and turns AI into a learning and development partner rather than an opaque code generator. The first published version is not the finished product; it is the foundation for continued product development informed by real users.
Origin
Extracted from Marketing Against the Grain
Core principles
- 01Reduce scope before increasing sophistication.
- 02Treat the first release as the start of product development.
- 03Stay close enough to the AI's work to question and redirect it.
- 04Add features in small, understandable increments.
How to run it
- 1
Narrow the outcome
Choose one user, one problem, and one useful result. Remove features that are not required to produce that result.
Pro tip A quiz, calculator, directory, or single-purpose lead magnet is an appropriate first build.
Watch out A large initial product scope can make the final, distinctive portion disproportionately difficult.
- 2
Generate the smallest version
Give the AI builder a clear prompt for the core experience and let it scaffold the initial application.
Pro tip Describe the input, transformation, output, and any essential data capture.
Watch out Do not mistake a convincing generated interface for a finished product.
- 3
Inspect and test
Read what the tool says it is changing and personally complete the user journey. Question choices that do not match your intended outcome.
Pro tip Use the build as an opportunity to learn how the application works.
Watch out Distancing yourself from the process makes later edits and debugging harder.
- 4
Add one increment
Introduce one small feature, test it, and confirm that it improves the experience before adding another.
Pro tip Keep each change small enough that you can identify what caused a regression.
Watch out Avoid replacing incremental development with a massive feature list.
- 5
Publish and continue
Release the useful version, observe how people use it, and treat their behavior as input for subsequent iterations.
Pro tip Measure completion, conversion, and user drop-off rather than relying only on visual polish.
Watch out Shipping version one is the beginning of product development, not the end.
In the wild
A consultant asks an AI builder to create a 15-question readiness quiz, capture an email, and generate a basic savings report. After testing the first version, the consultant revises the questions and scoring to reflect their own expertise before publishing it.
→ A narrow lead magnet reaches users quickly while preserving room for evidence-based improvement.
An operations team starts with a simple form that estimates hours lost to repetitive work. Only after employees successfully use it does the team add saved reports, departmental comparisons, and export functionality.
→ The team validates the core calculation before investing in secondary features.
Common mistakes
Starting with a massive PRD
A full product specification introduces too many interacting features before the builder understands the tool or the underlying application.
Treating generated code as a black box
Ignoring what the AI changes prevents the builder from challenging poor decisions and makes later modifications more difficult.
Calling the first build finished
A functional prototype still needs domain-specific refinement, user feedback, security review, and continued iteration.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for first-time builders and small teams developing lead magnets, prototypes, or narrowly scoped applications.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for safety-critical or heavily regulated software that requires formal architecture and expert engineering oversight from the outset.
From the transcript
“start with something like really really simple like this lead magnets calculator and then add one thing at a time very small incrementally and also…”
“building your first version and getting it out there is just the starting point of product development. It's not the end.”
From the episode
The AI System That Built a 1.4M Audience