# Vibe Coding in the New Era: How to Build Real Applications with AI

> Source: <https://dev.to/darun_karasabir_b79602fd/vibe-coding-in-the-new-era-how-to-build-real-applications-with-ai-1dn>
> Published: 2026-08-24 05:04:10+00:00

Vibe coding has changed how developers build software.

You can describe a feature to an AI coding assistant and get working code in minutes. That is incredibly powerful.

But there is a problem:

**Generating code is easy. Building a scalable application is not.**

For serious projects, I don't think the best approach is:

“Give AI a prompt and let it build everything.”

A better approach is to give AI **structure, rules, and context** before asking it to generate code.

Before writing code, define what the application actually needs.

Think about:

This gives the AI a clear target.

Next, define the basic architecture:

**Frontend → API → Backend → Database → External Services**

Decide important things such as:

Don't start generating hundreds of files yet.

For most applications, the database is one of the most important foundations.

Define your:

I also like generating an **ERD using Mermaid** before creating the actual database.

This makes the relationships easy to review before implementation.

Once the schema is approved, create the database and migrations.

For PostgreSQL, don't blindly add indexes everywhere.

Think about the queries your application will actually run.

For example:

Use tools such as `EXPLAIN ANALYZE`

to understand real query performance.

**The best index depends on the query.**

Now AI can generate the backend based on the approved architecture and schema.

A simple structure might be:

**Controller → Service → Repository → Database**

Then add:

The important part is that AI should follow the architecture rather than inventing a new structure for every feature.

Before connecting the frontend, define the API clearly.

For each endpoint, specify:

**Method + URL + Request + Response + Errors + Authentication**

This prevents the frontend and backend from slowly becoming inconsistent.

Now connect the frontend to the API.

A clean flow is:

**UI → State → API Client → Backend**

Keep API calls organized instead of scattering raw requests throughout components.

Also handle:

AI can generate tests too, but generated tests aren't enough.

Actually run them.

Test:

A test that nobody runs doesn't protect your application.

Before production, review:

For performance, **measure first and optimize second**.

Find the actual bottleneck instead of optimizing everything because AI suggested it.

I don't think the future is about developers disappearing.

I think it's about developers becoming better at **directing AI**.

Instead of:

“Build my entire application.”

Try:

“Here is my architecture, database schema, API contract, coding standards, and constraints. Implement this feature, explain the changes, and verify it with tests.”

That's the difference between **AI-generated code** and **AI-assisted engineering**.

AI can write a lot of code.

But **you still need to design the system.**