What is Vibe Coding? Why Google & Klarna CEOs Embrace it
Technology executives are turning to “vibe coding” – a method that lets non-technical leaders generate functional code through AI assistants by describing what they want in plain terms.
This approach is changing how business leaders interact with software development, removing traditional barriers that require deep programming knowledge.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna has become an advocate for this new approach.
Speaking on the Sourcery podcast, he says that AI programming tools now allow him to build prototypes in just 20 minutes – a process that previously took weeks of coordination with his engineering team.
“Rather than disrupting my poor engineers and product people with what is half good ideas and half bad ideas, now I test it myself,” he says.
This shift means he can validate concepts quickly without consuming valuable engineering resources or risking miscommunication between his vision and the final technical implementation.
But what really is vibe coding and why are CEO’s embracing it?
Google’s success from Vibe Coding
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet’s Google, is similarly embracing AI-assisted programming.
The CEO tells Bloomberg about using Replit, a cloud-based development platform, to create custom web pages that consolidate his preferred information sources into a single interface.
As a result, Google’s internal adoption of AI coding tools is reaching significant scale, with Sundar revealing that AI now generates over 30% of new code written at the company.
This statistic shows how quickly AI programming assistance has integrated into the workflows of even the world’s largest technology organisations.
The company then channelled this experience into Firebase Studio, an enhanced version of its application development platform that helps programmers build and manage apps from start to finish.
Powered by Google’s Gemini AI model, the platform now supports over 70 billion application instances daily, according to Google Cloud.
“The power of the future you’re going to be able to create on the web, we haven’t given that power to developers in 25 years,” Sundar tells The Verge, highlighting how AI tools are democratising software creation capabilities.
How vibe coding works
The mechanics of vibe coding centre on AI programming assistants that interpret conversational descriptions and translate them into functional code.
Platforms like Cursor and Replit have made this possible by developing systems that understand context and intent rather than requiring precise technical syntax.
Curso describes itself as an: “AI-powered code editor that understands your codebase and helps you code faster through natural language.”
Meanwhile, Replit operates as a cloud-based environment that combines traditional coding tools with intelligent assistance, supporting multiple programming languages while enabling collaborative development.
This accessibility has caught the attention of business leaders beyond technology companies.
Paras Chopra, Founder of conversion optimisation platform Lossfunk, says: “If you’re a non-technical person, you’ll be way ahead of your peers if you pick up a bit of coding and start fiddling with AI-driven coding environments like Cursor, Replit, etc.
“Coding is a superpower.”
The time savings prove particularly valuable for executives managing complex operational demands.
Where Sebastian once needed to schedule meetings, brief technical teams and wait for prototype development, he can now test concepts immediately and iterate based on results.
Sebastian is passionate about the ease of using vibe coding, saying he is “obsessed”.
“It’s exciting to see how casually you can do it now,” Sundar adds when discussing AI programming tools with Bloomberg.
“Compared to the early days of coding, things have come a long way.”
