Vibe Managing: The Future of Project Leadership

I've tried vibe coding. It did not work for me. I think the problem is that I'm an actual developer, and I feel dread running code I don't understand. As Andrej Karpathy, who coined the term, described it, vibe coding is about fully giving in to the vibes, embracing exponentials, and forgetting that the code even exists. He talks about asking LLMs for "the dumbest things" because he's "too lazy to find it," accepting all changes without reading diffs, and simply copying error messages in until they're fixed.

While that might work for "throwaway weekend projects," here's code no sane developer can run in a production environment:

package main

func main() {
    if true {
        panic("Time to Panic")
    }
    panic("Do not panic")
}

An actual panic. Impossible to run and certainly not something you can "vibe" away.

The main reason I don't think vibe coding works at scale is because we don't write perfect specs in the first place. People like to pretend you can build a robust application with just one paragraph of prompt. But can you write the specs with a prompt? What if you know nothing about managing? Can you vibe manage your way into a project?

This got me thinking. If AI can "vibe code" and potentially replace developers (a notion I clearly find absurd), why can't we apply the same logic to management? Forget project managers, team leads, and even CEOs. I propose the dawn of vibe managing.

Imagine a world where managers are obsolete. You don't need a meeting; you just prompt an LLM, and the core of your message is sent to all the people concerned, translated from your managerial language to something developers can actually understand. Deadline approaching? No need for an urgent meeting, just project an aura of urgency and efficiency into the team. Conflict between employees? Forget expert conflict resolution skills, just vibe your way through it. Devs send you a jargon-filled explanation why they can't do something? Reply with your own jargon-filled argument for why they should do it. The beauty of it is, you don't even have to understand what you just said!

The beauty of vibe managing is its simplicity. No more cumbersome meetings, endless reports, or performance reviews. Just pure, unadulterated "vibes." Think about it: if a one-paragraph prompt is all you need to generate complex code, surely a well-intentioned thought can guide an entire project to success.

Of course, the naysayers will argue that managing requires actual skills, experience, and an understanding of human psychology. They'll claim that nuanced communication and strategic planning can't be replaced by a general sense of positive energy. But to them, I say: you're just not vibing hard enough.

I, for one, am a true believer in vibe managing. Why pay someone to manage when you can simply radiate the desired outcome? The future is clear: ditch your managers, crank up the good vibes, and watch your projects… well, probably not succeed, but at least they'll feel good failing.

If you're not embracing it now, you might as well start collecting your social security. The tide of progress waits for no one, especially not for those clinging to quaint notions like "understanding code" or "actual management." Get with the vibe, or get left behind.

This post is entirely inspired by LinkedIn.

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