Thoughts on Vibe Coding and Cursor

I've spent 10 hours a day the past couple of weeks vibe coding my SaaS as well as several other projects. During that time I have learned a lot about Cursor and decided to document my thoughts here. There's certainly more to it than just asking Claude "plz fix".

In this blog post, we'll explore the art and science of vibe coding with Cursor, focusing on best practices that can help you maximize productivity, creativity, and code quality. We'll also examine how to effectively use a strategic AI model as a technical lead while leveraging Claude for implementation — a powerful combination that can supercharge your development workflow.

What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding represents a fundamental shift in how we approach software development. Rather than starting with rigid specifications and diving immediately into implementation details, vibe coding begins with a high-level description of what you want to build — the "vibe" or essence of your project. The AI then helps translate this vision into working code, allowing for a more natural and intuitive development process.

This approach is particularly powerful because it allows developers to focus on the creative and strategic aspects of programming while letting AI handle much of the mechanical implementation. It's not about replacing developers but augmenting their capabilities and allowing them to work at a higher level of abstraction.

A Couple of Tips for Cursor

1. Create a .cursorrules File

A .cursorrules file in your project root directory provides project-specific instructions to the AI. This is crucial for consistent vibe coding results. Here's a template to start with:

You are an expert developer with deep knowledge of [YOUR_TECH_STACK].

Code Style and Structure:
- Write clean, maintainable code with appropriate comments
- Follow [YOUR_CODING_STANDARDS]
- Prioritize readability and simplicity over clever solutions
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Structure code logically with clear separation of concerns

Project Context:
[BRIEF_DESCRIPTION_OF_YOUR_PROJECT]

When generating code:
- Consider performance implications
- Include error handling
- Write with testability in mind
- Consider edge cases

2. Set Up Notepads for Key Concepts

Cursor's Notepads feature is invaluable for vibe coding. Create notepads for:

• Project architecture overview
• Key design patterns and principles
• Common code snippets and patterns
• API documentation and examples
• User stories or requirements

These notepads can be referenced during your vibe coding sessions, providing important context to the AI.

The Dual-Model Workflow

One of the most powerful approaches to vibe coding is using multiple AI models in a coordinated workflow. Use a strategic, high-reasoning model as your technical lead while leveraging Claude in Cursor for implementation.

Understanding the Strengths of Each Model

Strategic AI (high-reasoning models) excels at:

• High-level architectural thinking
• Strategic planning and system design
• Creative problem-solving
• Exploring multiple approaches
• Identifying potential issues and edge cases

Claude (in Cursor) excels at:

• Precise code implementation
• Following specific instructions
• Maintaining consistency with existing code
• Detailed documentation
• Explaining implementation decisions

Advanced Prompting Techniques for Vibe Coding

The quality of your vibe coding experience depends significantly on how you communicate with the AI. Here are advanced prompting techniques specifically tailored for Cursor:

Iterative Refinement

Start with a basic implementation and refine it through conversation:

1. Let's create a basic data visualization component using D3.js.
2. Now let's enhance it with interactive tooltips and animations.
3. Finally, let's optimize for performance and add responsive behavior.

Context Management: The Key to Effective Vibe Coding

Perhaps the most critical aspect of successful vibe coding is effective context management. Here are best practices specifically for Cursor:

Strategic File Selection

Don't try to give the AI your entire codebase. Instead:

• Use @ to add only the most relevant files to the context
• Keep key files open in your editor
• Reference specific files with / when asking questions

Use the Context Window Wisely

Cursor has a context limit (~20,000 tokens). To use it effectively:

• Start new chats for new topics or features
• Remove irrelevant files from context when switching topics
• Prioritize recent and relevant code over older or peripheral code

Create Context-Rich Notepads

Use Notepads to store important context that you can reference across multiple conversations: system architecture diagrams, API specifications, design patterns, and user stories. Reference these notepads using the @ syntax when needed.

Maintaining Code Quality in Vibe Coding

1. Always Review Generated Code: Never accept generated code without review. Look for logical errors, security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and consistency with your coding standards.
2. Request Explanations: Ask the AI to explain complex or unfamiliar code it generates.
3. Enforce Testing: Make testing an integral part of your vibe coding workflow. Write comprehensive tests for all generated code.
4. Refactor for Simplicity: After implementing functionality, always ask for simplification.
5. Progressive Enhancement: Start with minimal viable implementations and enhance progressively. Get basic functionality working first, then add error handling, optimize for performance, and enhance with additional features.

Real-World Vibe Coding Patterns

Pattern 1: The Feature Expansion

Start with a minimal feature description and progressively expand:

1. Create a user profile page that displays basic user info.
2. Add the ability to edit profile information.
3. Implement profile picture uploads with preview and cropping.
4. Add validation for all fields and proper error handling.

Pattern 2: The Architectural Exploration

Use vibe coding to explore different architectural approaches:

1. I'm building a data-intensive dashboard. What are the different architectural approaches and trade-offs?
2. The micro-frontend approach sounds promising. How would I structure the project?

Pattern 3: The Code Archaeologist

Use vibe coding to understand and improve existing code:

1. Help me analyze how this legacy authentication system works and identify areas for improvement.
2. Refactor the authentication system to use modern best practices while maintaining backward compatibility.

Pattern 4: The Learning Accelerator

Use vibe coding to learn new technologies:

1. I want to learn React Server Components. Create a simple app that demonstrates key concepts and best practices.
2. Explain how this code showcases the benefits and how it differs from traditional React.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Even with best practices, there are common pitfalls in vibe coding. Check off each one as you internalize the fix:

Conclusion: The Future of Vibe Coding

Vibe coding with Cursor represents a fundamental shift in how we approach software development. By leveraging the strengths of multiple AI models, developers can focus on the creative and strategic aspects of programming while accelerating implementation.

As AI coding tools continue to evolve, the line between high-level concepts and implementation details will blur further, enabling even more intuitive and productive development workflows. By embracing vibe coding today, you're not just adopting a new tool — you're preparing for the future of software development.

Remember that the goal of vibe coding isn't to replace human developers but to augment their capabilities, allowing them to work at a higher level of abstraction and focus on the aspects of development that truly require human creativity and judgment. With Cursor as your partner, you can ride the wave of this technological revolution and create better software faster than ever before.