Vibe coding for Product Managers

 I came across this term, "Vibe Coding" a few times this week and though of checking with ChatGPT. I kid you not, it returned with the answer:

 Vibe coding is not a formal technical term, but it's a phrase that’s increasingly used—especially in casual, startup, or creative dev circles—to describe a relaxed, intuitive, and flow-state approach to programming.

AI took it too literal this time. 

Well in the context of  Product Management, "Vibe coding" means building a quick prototype or interface using low-code/no-code tools or lightweight frontend frameworks to show product thinking and UX intuition—not actual full-stack engineering.

• Less about writing production-ready code
• More about expressing product ideas visually and interactively
• Fast, scrappy, intuitive prototyping

Vibe coding is emerging as a new litmus test

In modern Product Manager interviews, especially in tech-forward and AI-native companies (like Google, Meta, startups, etc.), vibe coding is becoming a way to evaluate:

• Your builder instinct

→ Can you take an idea and bring it to life without needing a full engineering squad?

• Bias toward action

→ Are you scrappy? Do you wait on Figma handoffs, or do you open Framer and try it yourself?

• Intuition for UX and flows

→ Can you turn a concept into a usable experience—even if it’s rough?

• AI fluency

→ Do you know how to use AI tools to accelerate ideation, UX, or even pseudo-code?

• Communication through prototypes

→ Can you use a prototype to explain your product thinking?

Why It’s Gaining Traction

• Product is becoming more technical (especially with AI, APIs, and automation).
• Cross-functional work is speeding up—PMs who can show, not just tell, get more buy-in.
• Recruiters want signals beyond just roadmap talk.

Vibe coding is a signal of product ownership, UX sensibility, and creative execution.

Some of my favorite tools:

• Lovable for ease of use 
•  v0 for a clear view of the building process 
•  Cursor for debugging vibed code 
•  Bolt for flexibility 

Vibe coding is less about code, and more about pace + product sense.

 It’s a fast, creative way to show, not tell your product thinking and it's quietly becoming table stakes in competitive PM interviews.