Karpathy on vibe coding a full web app: 'messy for anything of importance'
The most honest account of the prototype-to-production gap.
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How do I get my vibe-coded prototype ready for real users?
A demo that works for you and a product that survives strangers are different animals: before launch you need real authentication, database rules, environment variables for secrets, error handling, and a deploy setup that separates test from production. Even Karpathy found that deploying his vibe-coded app was 'a painful slog' compared to the exhilarating prototype. Work through a production checklist, run the built-in security scans, and hand-walk every signup and payment path yourself before inviting users.
Go deeper
18 resources.
Beyond the 70%: maximizing the human 30% of AI-assisted coding
Exactly which 30% of the work you must still own.
Open addyo.substack.com →Lovable to production: 10-point readiness checklist
The checklist separating apps that survive launch from those that do not.
Open geminatesolutions.com →From prototype to production: taking your Lovable app live
RLS, secrets, auth hardening, and performance in one sequence.
Open kaizenaiconsulting.com →Getting your Lovable app into production: a practical hand-off guide
How to package your project so a professional can take it over.
Open sourcetoad.com →Deploy AI app with Lovable: from prototype to production
Step-by-step scaling considerations for a real launch.
Open technologyrivers.com →Lovable to Vercel: prototype to production, zero config
The cleanest hosting migration path when you outgrow built-in deploys.
Open digitalapplied.com →Deploy Lovable apps to production
Deployment mechanics explained for non-engineers.
Open vibeops.tech →Deploy: Lovable video tutorials
Official videos covering domains, publishing, and go-live steps.
Open lovable.dev →Vibe coding startups: when it works, breaks, and what to automate
Maps which parts of production readiness you can automate.
Open getautonoma.com →Vibe coding failures: 7 real apps that broke in production
Learn from seven documented launch failures before yours.
Open getautonoma.com →The Replit AI disaster: a wake-up call on AI in production
Why dev and production environments must be separated, illustrated.
Open baytechconsulting.com →Vibe coding pitfalls: 7 ways your AI built app breaks after launch
The post-launch failure modes to pre-empt this week.
Open clixlogix.com →Vibe coding for startups in 2026: when it works and when it fails
An India-based team's framework for the prototype-vs-production call.
Open webyot.in →Vibe coding vs. engineering: a guide
Where in the lifecycle AI code belongs, and where it does not.
Open tateeda.com →Is vibe coding enough for production software?
A clear-eyed answer to the exact question founders ask.
Open techvedhas.com →Vibe prototyping: the future of rapid coding
Argues for keeping prototypes disposable, and when to rebuild properly.
Open teacode.io →Securing AI-generated code
The production-security half of readiness, operationalised.
Open help.aikido.dev →More in Vibe Coding
- Why can non-technical founders now build software with AI? 18 →
- What tools should I start with (Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Replit, Bolt, v0)? 19 →
- How do real founders ship an MVP with AI in days instead of months? 18 →
- What are the limits, when do I still need a real engineer? 20 →
- What actually counts as vibe coding, and how is it different from serious AI-assisted engineering? 18 →
- How do I plan and prompt so the AI builds what I actually want? 18 →
- How do I keep my vibe-coded app from getting hacked? 19 →
- How do I add accounts, a database, and payments to my vibe-coded app? 18 →
- What do I do when the AI gets stuck, loops, or breaks things it already built? 18 →
- How much does vibe coding really cost, and how do I stop burning credits? 18 →
- Do I still need to learn to code, or is prompting enough? 17 →
- Can vibe-coded products become real businesses? 19 →
- Can I vibe code a mobile app and get it into the App Store? 18 →
- How do I avoid losing work? Version control for founders who don't code 19 →
Also in Starting Up
The same ground, over in Build the product, our Starting Up track.
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