Vibe coding feels fastest when you ask for everything at once. It is fastest — until you debug a diff that touches 14 files for a change you described in one sentence.
One request, one verification
The loop that actually ships:
- Ask for one behavior change.
- Read the diff before accepting it.
- Run or test the result.
- Commit, then ask for the next thing.
Each step is small enough that you can tell exactly what the agent did — and exactly where it went wrong.
The debt you can’t see
When a big prompt half-works, you keep the half that works and carry the half you don’t understand. That is technical debt with no invoice, and it compounds every session.
When big prompts are fine
Exploration. If you are probing an idea you might throw away, go wide. Small steps are for the code you intend to keep.