Recently I've worked with a group of non-corders trying to "vibe code" their apps with AI.
While knowing code is clearly not a must these days, it helps to get technical.
People who were familiar with basic software engineering concepts were 10x more likely to success and get better results.
So, with the hope of providing value to the non-coders people, I've created a quick roadmap for the basic terms and concepts you should be familiar with.
Requirements: Building apps with AI is all about being able to clearly guide AI and express your app features and requirements.
You need to be able to express those ideas and explain them as you d explain to a human developer. Think like a Technical Product Manager.
Frontend: The face of your app.
It's what your users see and interact with. It could be a website, a mobile app, or a desktop app. Most popular frontend libraries and frameworks are React, Next.js.
UIs: They are the buttons, the forms, the modals, the tooltips, etc. In React, the UI is built with components. For design & styling, Tailwind CSS is the most popular library.
For animations, Framer Motion is the most popular library.
-
Packages & npm: Apps are not built from scratch.
They are built on top of existing libraries and frameworks, like lego blocks.
The most popular package manager is npm. For example, "react-hook-form" is a famous package that helps you build forms.
-
Backend: The backend is the part of your app that runs on the server.
It's where you store your data, your business logic.
e.g: If you want to send an email, or process payments - this is where you'll do it.
Vibe tip: Use minimal backends with serverless functions.
-
Database: The database is where you store your data.
It's where you store your users, your projects, your tasks, etc. Think of it as a big spreadsheet.
I recommend using a database that is integrated with your frontend.
For example: Fine, or Supabase.
-
API: Real-life apps almost always need to integrate with other apps.
For example: if you want to send email, or get weather data, or integrate with AI - it's all done through APIs.
-
Hosting & Deployment: For your app to be accessible to the public, you need to host it.
The code is usually hosted on GitHub, and deployed to platforms like Fine, Vercel, Netlify.
Finally, being comfortable with code is helpful - even if not a must.
AI often makes minor mistakes (like importing a wrong package), and if you re not afraid of reviewing code - you will get better results faster.
