The One Step Vibe Coding Can't Skip: Spiking
A question worth asking at the operational level: how has vibe coding actually changed the software development life cycle when you're running a real project day to day?
Vibe coding is using an LLM to create a working demo, without needing deep coding skills. Most teams, including ours, run software development using Scrum or Agile, fast iterations, usually one or two weeks, where you build something, get feedback, and adjust quickly.
Does vibe coding fit into that model? Yes, it does. It's genuinely useful for producing demos fast, which fits naturally into short iteration cycles.
The Piece That Still Can't Be Skipped
Here's the part that hasn't changed: you still need to spend time specifying what you're actually building before you build it. In Agile terms, that's often called a spike, developing a real understanding of how something will be built before diving into building it.
Spiking matters because it's what allows a demo to eventually fit into a proper architecture. Without it, a fast prototype might work in isolation, but it won't be structured in a way that lets it grow into an actual product later.
Why This Matters for Business Owners, Not Just Developers
For healthcare, construction, and professional services businesses exploring AI-built tools, this is the practical version of the same lesson: speed at the demo stage doesn't remove the need for planning at the architecture stage. A tool that gets built fast but skips the spiking step often ends up needing to be rebuilt later, once it needs to handle real users, real data, or real edge cases.
The upside is that vibe coding doesn't eliminate this step, it just compresses the timeline around it. Teams that still take the time to spike, to understand the "how" before the "build," get to keep the speed benefit of AI-generated demos without inheriting a structural mess down the line.
Where This Fits Into Real AI Development
This is exactly why AI Automations starts with understanding how a tool needs to fit into your existing systems and workflows before anything gets built, so speed doesn't come at the cost of stability. And for businesses building out a broader AI-powered workflow or product, a full AI Transformation engagement includes that architecture and planning work up front, the same discipline good Agile teams already apply, just extended to AI-assisted development.
Have a vibe-coded prototype that needs a real foundation under it? Book an AI Level-Up Session and we'll help you figure out what's needed to take it further.
Watch the full video: https://youtube.com/shorts/kBOomiTD6-I?si=Afa3xT2maDTpd0JP
FAQ
What is a "spike" in Agile development? A spike is time spent understanding how something will be built, its architecture and technical approach, before actual development starts. It reduces risk and rework later in the project.
Does vibe coding fit into Scrum or Agile workflows? Yes. Vibe coding's ability to quickly produce demos fits naturally into short, iterative sprints where fast feedback is the goal.
Does vibe coding remove the need for planning or architecture work? No. Vibe coding speeds up the demo-building stage, but the planning work needed to turn a demo into a scalable, production-ready product still has to happen separately.
What happens if a team skips spiking and only vibe codes? The resulting prototype may work in isolation but often lacks the architecture needed to scale, handle real data, or integrate with existing systems, requiring significant rework later.