As a standard liberal arts student, I never imagined I could write programs or create software.

Believe it or not, just last week, I casually tried my hand at the hottest trend in AI programming, and within a mere seven days, I managed to create three functional apps from scratch: an automatic resume generator, a batch image filter tool, and an intelligent resume screener.

This all started with the buzz around “vibe coding.”

Vibe Coding: Coding by Intuition

When I first heard the term “vibe coding,” I was just as confused as you might be. Vibe? Doesn’t that mean atmosphere or feeling? Can you really code based on feelings?

I later realized that vibe coding is actually a term for AI-native programming. In simple terms, you don’t need to understand syntax, remember frameworks, or even know what variables or loops are. You just need to convey your vague ideas in plain language to the AI, and it will help you write the code and create what you want.

Five years ago, this would have seemed like a fantasy. Back then, to create software, you had to study programming for years, understand data structures, master frameworks, set up environments, and write code line by line. Many people were discouraged from learning programming due to this lengthy entry period.

But now, everything has changed. The emergence of AI has completely altered the rules.

Vibe coding is centered on “ideas” rather than “code.” You don’t have to conform to the rules of programming languages or translate your thoughts into cold syntax that computers can understand. You just need to tell the AI what you want as if you were chatting with a friend:

“I want to create a tool that allows users to fill in some basic information and automatically generate a beautiful resume that can be exported as a PDF.”

With just that one sentence, the AI can help you generate the basic code. Then you can say:

“I think this font looks bad; change it to something more business-like, and add a photo upload section.”

The AI can make those changes in no time.

You see, throughout this process, you don’t need to write a single line of code; you just need to convey your desired “vibe” to the AI and clearly describe the effects you want. The rest of the coding work is handled by the AI. This is why it’s called vibe coding—you convey your vibe (feelings, atmosphere, ideas), and the AI turns it into actual runnable code.

How Can Vibe Coding Change Our Lives and Work?

Many may wonder: This sounds intriguing, but what’s the use for ordinary people like me? I’m not a programmer; why should I learn this?

If you think this way, you might miss out on a huge opportunity. After just a week, I discovered that vibe coding brings revolutionary changes to ordinary people.

1. Your Ideas No Longer Depend on Others to Realize

Have you ever had a brilliant idea for a small tool to improve your work efficiency or solve a specific pain point, but you didn’t know how to code? You might have asked a tech-savvy friend for help, but they either said they were too busy or quoted you a hefty development price, leaving your idea stuck in your mind.

I used to be in that position. As an HR professional, I often found myself overwhelmed by resumes. I always wished for a tool that could automatically filter out resumes that didn’t meet the criteria. However, this need was too small, and existing software was either too bulky or too expensive. Finding someone to develop it just didn’t seem worth it, so the idea lingered in my mind for years.

But with vibe coding, that problem no longer exists. If you have an idea, you can execute it yourself. No need to ask for help or spend a fortune; you can create a usable version in just a few hours and tweak it as needed, completely under your control.

What does this mean? It means the creativity of every ordinary person is liberated. Previously, only programmers could turn ideas into products; now anyone can. Your brilliant ideas will no longer be stifled by your inability to code.

2. Small Tools Solve Big Problems

In our daily work, there are many repetitive and tedious tasks that can be automated with tools. However, due to high development costs, these pain points often go unresolved or are deemed unworthy of dedicated software.

For example, the resume screener I created was designed to save me time. I used to spend two to three hours reviewing dozens or even hundreds of resumes. Now, I can just upload the resumes to the tool, and it filters out the ones that meet basic criteria in seconds. I only need to review the final few, saving me two hours a day to spend time with my kids.

Similarly, the batch image filter tool I built was a lifesaver for my social media account. I used to spend a lot of time adjusting filters for each image I posted. Now, I can drag dozens of images into the tool, apply the filter in one go, and finish the task in seconds.

These are small needs that aren’t worth hiring someone to address, but with vibe coding, you can create solutions in just a few minutes, saving you a lot of time every day. This improvement is tangible and directly benefits you.

3. No Background Needed

Many people instinctively think that programming is for smart individuals or science majors, and they feel they could never learn it.

Honestly, I used to think that way too. I studied Chinese in college and worked in copywriting and HR for over a decade, knowing nothing about HTML, let alone coding. I couldn’t even distinguish between C and Java; how could I learn programming?

However, vibe coding is entirely different. It doesn’t require you to learn programming; it lets AI do the coding for you. Your job is to specify requirements and adjust effects, all through conversation in plain language, without needing to type out many English letters.

On my first day of trying it out, I was nervous, worried I wouldn’t understand or would make mistakes. But the AI guided me step by step, and I just had to express what I wanted. It was easier than using Photoshop.

Honestly, if you can chat on WeChat, you can do vibe coding. It’s that simple.

Vibe Coding Requires Just a Vague Idea and the Right AI

After all this, you might wonder if vibe coding requires high-end equipment or expensive services. Do you need to set up environments or install software?

The answer is: not at all. Vibe coding is actually very simple, summarized in two points:

First, you have a vague idea in your mind; second, you find the right AI tool.

That’s it.

Let’s talk about the idea first. Many people say, “What if I don’t have an idea?” Actually, it doesn’t need to be clear; vague is fine. You don’t have to write your requirements like a product document. Just say whatever comes to mind. For example, if you say, “I want to create a tool to help me keep a diary,” that’s sufficient; the AI will help fill in the details. Then, if you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you can adjust it bit by bit: I want to add a password, I want to categorize it, I want to export it, and so on.

In the past, we talked about “MVP” (Minimum Viable Product); now vibe coding is about “MVI” (Minimum Viable Idea). With just an idea, you can start, iterating as you go.

What’s most important? Choosing the right AI tool. Not all AIs can handle vibe coding. Some AIs might generate a bunch of incorrect code that won’t run, leaving you to find bugs yourself, which would drive a beginner crazy.

I discovered that there are already very mature tools available domestically, like the one I used, AiPy.

Honestly, AiPy has made the experience for beginners like me incredibly smooth. Unlike other tools that just throw a dialogue box at you and leave you to figure it out, AiPy integrates a complete environment. The code you generate can run directly within it, and if there’s an error, it helps you fix it without you having to decipher incomprehensible error messages.

I remember one time when I asked it to create a resume generator, and the initial code had some issues with exporting PDFs. I told it, “The format got messed up when exporting the PDF; can you fix it?” Within minutes, it identified the problem and corrected it. I didn’t have to do anything but wait to use it.

This experience is crucial for beginners. Imagine if you’re excited to create something, but you get stuck on the first step of environment setup with a pile of error messages in English that you can’t understand. You’d lose interest immediately. But AiPy handles all that messy stuff for you, allowing you to focus on your requirements while it takes care of the rest.

So, you see, vibe coding is not some lofty concept or exclusive to programmers. It’s a new tool that anyone can use to turn ideas into reality.

A Liberal Arts Student Creates Three Results in a Week

After all this information, let me share the results of my week. Honestly, I can’t believe that a complete coding novice like me was able to create three usable software applications in just seven days.

Result 1: Automatic Resume Generator—Create Professional Resumes in Seconds

The first project I completed was the automatic resume generator.

Why did I want to create this? As an HR professional, I’ve seen countless applicants’ resumes, and many are just poorly formatted and disorganized. Many capable individuals get filtered out in the first round due to bad resume presentation. Additionally, some recent graduates don’t know how to create resumes, and the templates available online are either paid or not user-friendly. I thought, why not create a simple and easy-to-use resume generator that allows users to fill in their information and export a PDF directly?

With this simple idea, I told AiPy, and within an afternoon, the basic version was ready.

It looks like this: Users fill in basic information, education background, work experience, and project experience on the left side, with a real-time preview on the right. Once completed, they can click to export a beautifully formatted, professional resume as a PDF.

After I finished, I had a few younger colleagues test it out, and they were amazed, saying, “Wow, making a resume is this easy? I used to spend a whole day formatting; now I can do it in just a few minutes!”

Honestly, I felt a great sense of accomplishment after completing this. Just think about it: I, a person with no coding knowledge, created such a practical tool in just one afternoon, which I would have never dared to imagine before.

Result 2: Batch Image Filter Tool—A Must-Have for Content Creators

The second achievement is the batch image filter tool I created for myself.

In addition to my job, I run my own Xiaohongshu account where I share career advice. Each time I post, I need to adjust filters for several images, which takes a lot of time—sometimes up to half an hour if I have many images.

I thought, can I create a tool that allows me to drag a bunch of images in, select a filter, and have it process everything at once?

I shared this idea with AiPy, and within two hours, the tool was ready.

It’s incredibly useful! Now, I just drag all the original images in, select the filter style I want, click to start processing, and by the time I finish a cup of tea, dozens of images are processed and ready for download.

I shared this tool with a few friends who are also content creators, and they loved it, saying this little tool solved a big hassle in their daily work. After all, saving half an hour every day on image editing adds up to a lot of extra time to create more content.

Result 3: Intelligent Resume Screener—A Game Changer for HR

The third result is something I’ve been thinking about for years—the intelligent resume screener.

Anyone in HR knows that during recruitment seasons, you can receive hundreds of resumes in a day. You have to open each one to check basic conditions: Is the age appropriate? Is the work experience sufficient? Is the major relevant? This initial screening is pure manual labor, exhausting and prone to errors.

I thought, can AI help me with the first screening? If I set the screening criteria and upload all the resumes, can it automatically filter out the ones that meet the criteria? That would save a lot of time!

This requirement was a bit more complex than the first two, and it took me three days to complete. Most of the time was spent adjusting the screening rules to align better with actual job needs. The AI can write code quite quickly.

The final product exceeded my expectations. You input the screening criteria, such as “over three years of HR experience, bachelor’s degree, and under 35 years old,” and upload all the resumes in PDF format. It automatically reads the content of each resume according to your criteria, outputs a list of which ones meet the requirements, and can even bundle the qualifying resumes for you.

With this tool, I can now save at least two to three hours a day during recruitment. What used to require overtime can now be done effortlessly during work hours.

Some Reflections and Insights

After a week of using these tools, my biggest takeaway is: the world has truly changed, and it’s changing faster than we can imagine.

Ten years ago, who would have thought that ordinary people could shoot 4K videos with their phones or do live broadcasts? Five years ago, who would have imagined that AI could help you write articles or create images? Now, AI can help you write code, allowing even beginners to create software. What will the next five years look like?

I believe that for ordinary people, the best attitude in the face of such changes is: don’t be afraid, and actively try.

Many people say, “I’m too old to learn new things; let the young ones handle it.” But I don’t think that way. Technology is here to help us, to make our work easier and to realize our ideas. Why not use it? Just look at vibe coding: I, a liberal arts student with no background, created three results in a week. Why can’t you?

Here are a few sincere suggestions for those who want to try:

1. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; let AI fix them.

When I first started, I often encountered issues. The code generated by the AI was frequently not functional, either in terms of features or execution. That’s okay; just tell the AI the problem, and it will correct itself. I once had to correct a single issue five or six times, but in the end, it got fixed. What’s there to be afraid of?

2. Start with small needs; keep it simple.

Don’t aim to create a massive software like WeChat or Douyin right off the bat; that’s unrealistic. Start with small tools that address minor pain points in your work or life. Achieving quick wins will boost your confidence and help you persist. I began with the simplest resume generator, and after completing the first one, my confidence grew, making it easier to tackle more complex projects.

3. Choosing the right tool is crucial; it saves a lot of time.

I’ve tried other AI programming tools, and honestly, many are not friendly to beginners. Some require you to set up environments, install Python, and configure dependencies, which can be overwhelming. Others generate faulty code with incomprehensible error messages, leaving you frustrated and ready to give up.

So I genuinely recommend that friends in China try AiPy; it’s designed for beginners like us. It sets up the environment for you, runs the code, and corrects errors. You only need to express your needs in plain language, making it incredibly accessible. Don’t worry about running out of tokens; just use the invitation code c8W3 to get two million tokens for free.

4. Ideas are more important than technical skills.

In the era of vibe coding, technical skills are less valuable; what matters is your ideas and your understanding of the pain points in your work and life. You know best what you need, so the tools you create will be the most useful. Programmers may not understand your work, but you do, and that’s why you can create solutions that fit your needs.

Finally: The Era of Ordinary People and Technology Has Arrived

Looking back on this week, I feel a mix of emotions. A complete coding novice like me was able to create three tangible software applications in just seven days, something I would never have dared to imagine before.

But now, it’s happening.

Vibe coding is not just a new toy for programmers; it’s a new opportunity for ordinary people. It allows anyone with an idea to turn that idea into reality without needing to rely on others or spend a lot of money. With just a little time, you can create a tool that helps solve your problems.

This era is becoming increasingly equitable. Previously, you needed coding skills to create products; now, you just need to express your vibe. Your ideas are your greatest asset.

I’m sharing my experience to tell everyone: don’t limit yourself. Don’t think, “I don’t understand this; I can’t do it.” Often, if you don’t try, you’ll never know what you’re capable of. Just like me, after a week of trying, I surprised myself.

If you have an idea that’s been on your mind for a long time, or if you have many repetitive tasks in your work and life that you want to solve, why not give it a try? You might just achieve results that astonish you, just like I did.

After all, in this AI era, anything is possible.