We made our whole company vibe code apps — here’s what we learned

RevenueCat observed a significant trend of first-time developers utilizing vibe coding tools, prompting them to host an internal hackathon, Vibeathon, to gain insights into this movement by having employees, predominantly from non-engineering backgrounds, develop and ship apps using these tools. The hackathon demonstrated the democratizing potential of vibe coding, as participants created applications addressing personal needs, though it highlighted challenges such as the complexity of troubleshooting and understanding underlying code, reliance on AI for app improvements, and difficulties with app store approvals. Despite these hurdles, the initiative revealed valuable learning opportunities, underscoring the importance of specification writing in vibecoding and exposing the last mile challenges associated with app distribution and monetization. The hackathon also informed RevenueCat's ongoing efforts to enhance support for vibe coding tools and streamline app development processes for users with no technical backgrounds.