Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I write about how to unlock the art of effective learning, replace frustrating and outdated approaches, and finally achieve meaningful results while enjoying the process.
✿ The vibe coding lie everyone's buying (and what actually works)
What if you could cancel that expensive SaaS subscription and build exactly what you need in hours, not months?→ This is what happens when vibe coding meets real development knowledge Ten years ago, I was a passionate software developer. Then I followed my calling into Agile coaching, helping teams build better products. The coding passion never died - it just went dormant. Two months ago, it exploded back to life. But this time, something was different. This time, I had vibe coding. The results? Five different systems built in weeks, not months. A webinar funnel. A LinkedIn automation tool. An AI assistant suite. My entire digital presence base. Even my CV. Here's the truth the hype won't tell you: Everyone's being sold the same story: "Anyone can build apps now!" But here's what actually happens: You start excited, hit your first complexity wall, and abandon the project. The tutorials make it look easy. Reality delivers frustration. The missing piece? Foundation knowledge. Vibe coding isn't magic for beginners. But combine it with basic development understanding - something you can learn alongside in a few months - and it becomes a genuine superpower. Why am I sharing this? Not to brag, but to show you what becomes possible when you approach vibe coding strategically. The 5 projects that got me back to codingHere's what becomes possible when you combine foundation knowledge with vibe coding - and how you can assess which opportunities make sense for your situation Before diving into my examples, ask yourself: What's the most expensive tool you're paying for that frustrates you? 1) The Webinar Funnel - From $200/Year to freedom to implementI needed a complete webinar funnel for my upcoming session. The vibe coding way: Result: CUSTOM WEBINAR FUNNEL- that's perfectly tailored to my needs. The real win: Complete control. When I wanted to add German-language support for my upcoming session "Erfassen - Entwickeln - Erschaffen: Verwandle dein Wissens-Chaos in 30 Minuten in echten Wert," I just built it in. No extra fees, no limitations. The lesson: Why pay for bloated tools when you can build exactly what you need, exactly how you need it? 2) LinkedIn Conversation Starter - From 15 Minutes to 2 MinutesStruggling to start meaningful LinkedIn conversations? I was too. Generic outreach wasn't working. The challenge: Reading profiles, matching to buyer personas, finding common ground, drafting personalized messages. 15+ minutes per person. The vibe coding solution: Result: 2-minute process, dramatically higher reply rates, much more tailored messaging. The lesson: Automation works best when it handles the research, leaving you to add the human touch. What repetitive research tasks in your business could benefit from this approach? 3) AI Assistant Suite - From Pet Project to ProductRemember my 4 specialized AI assistants? They're now live and serving users: https://assistants.quintsmart.com/ What started as experimentation with Lovable (my entry-level vibe coding platform) became a legitimate extension of my product portfolio. The lesson: Vibe coding lets you test ideas quickly. Some extend to products. As you read through these examples, which resonates most with your current challenges? 4) Unified Digital Presence - Everything in One PlaceMy complete digital hub: https://quintsmart.com/ CRM, landing pages, content management - all integrated into one system I control. Built with vibe coding, hosted on Render.com. No more juggling multiple platforms or paying for features I don't need. The lesson: Integration beats fragmentation when you can build the connections yourself. 5) Professional CV - LinkedIn to PDF in HoursEven something as simple as updating my CV became a vibe coding project. → Fed my LinkedIn profile to the system No more expensive CV services. Complete control over design and updates. The lesson: Once you start thinking in vibe coding, you see automation opportunities everywhere. The Simple Stack That Powers EverythingYou're probably wondering: "What tools make this possible?" The beauty is in the simplicity. My entire vibe coding operation runs on just two platforms: Cursor - The Vibe Coding Engine→ Cost: $20/month for pro license This is where the magic happens. Cursor handles the heavy lifting while I focus on directing what needs to be built. Render.com - The Deployment Platform→ Cost: Free tier covers up to 2 custom domains Total Monthly Cost: $20Compare that to what I was paying before: The lesson: The right tools don't have to be expensive. They just have to be powerful enough to handle your vision. The Vibe Coding Success FormulaBefore you start, assess yourself honestly: → Foundation Check: What's your comfort level with technical concepts? Why This Matters More Than You ThinkWe're witnessing a fundamental shift in who can build digital solutions. The old world: Need custom functionality? Hire developers, pay thousands, wait months, or settle for bloated SaaS tools that charge extra for basic features. The new world: With foundational knowledge + vibe coding, you build exactly what you need, when you need it. What This Means for YouIf you're a solopreneur: Your solutions can evolve beyond static offerings. If you're building an online presence: Stop paying for features you don't use. Build systems that grow with your needs, not against them. If you're drowning in "laundry tasks": Those repetitive processes that eat your time? Many can become automated scripts you control. The Mindset ShiftHere's what changed for me: I stopped asking "What tool should I buy?" and started asking "Why shouldn't I just build this myself?" Before vibe coding: I knew the effort required. I'd avoid custom solutions. What's one expensive tool you're currently using that you could potentially replace? What would building that yourself mean for your business? The Bigger PictureThis raises fascinating questions about the entire SaaS ecosystem: → How many expensive tools are solving problems you could address with a weekend of vibe coding? I'm genuinely curious about the long-term implications. Your TurnI'm genuinely curious about your vibe coding journey, or what's holding you back from starting. Two ways I can help:
Learn smart, Sebastian P.S. To respond to this newsletter, just hit reply. I love getting replies, read all of them, and reply to as many as possible(And if you received this email from a friend, and would like to subscribe, please go here: https://pages.quintsmart.com/) |
The Friday Brain Upgrade
Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I write about how to unlock the art of effective learning, replace frustrating and outdated approaches, and finally achieve meaningful results while enjoying the process.
Multitasking Is Back (And This Time It Actually Works) You’re becoming a manager whether you like it or not. → And nobody’s teaching you how Here’s the uncomfortable truth about working with AI: The more powerful your AI assistants become, the less time you spend doing deep work and the more time you spend orchestrating multiple tasks in parallel. This isn’t a bug. It’s a feature. But it creates a dangerous new problem: While you’re switching between AI tasks, your brain is getting hijacked...
Two People, Same Layoff, Different Outcomes (Here’s Why) (The System That Turned My Layoff Into My Launch) Two people get laid off from the same company. Same role. Same expertise. Same years of experience. One spirals ... sending hundreds of resumes, getting ghosted, questioning everything. The other launches a business within months. What’s the difference? Last year, I was person number two. After 15 years building expertise—from Agile coaching in 2009 to becoming the highest-paid...
The Knowledge Paradox: Why Smart People Stay Stuck The Challenge You’re Facing You’ve built expertise. You’ve accumulated knowledge. You’ve developed insights through years of experience. But here’s what I’m seeing across my community: your knowledge is trapped. It sits in scattered notes, half-remembered conversations, and mental models that never quite make it into actionable systems. You consume more information than ever, yet struggle to transform it into the value you know you’re capable...