Intro to Vibe Coding Bootcamp | Part One

Learn how to go from raw idea to working software without writing a single line of code. Nate breaks down why AI finally cracked coding, why planning beats prompting every time, and how to set up a Claude project as your personal technical co-founder. You'll see the full mental model in action — deep research turned into interactive decision tools, the Multiple Choice Interview Method for smarter builds, and a live walkthrough of several micro software projects that you can use as inspiration for your own.

[00:00] Welcome & Why Planning Beats Prompting Every Time

[00:08] The Fluency Gap: Why Most People Are Still Misusing AI

[00:16] Real Stakes: What Vibe Coding Gets Wrong (and Right)

[00:32] Deep Research → Artifact: Turning Information Into a Decision Tool

[00:40] The Multiple Choice Interview Method & the Full Build Workflow

[01:04] Building Your AI Technical Co-Founder in a Claude Project

[01:12] Q&A, Tool Recs & Homework

Week 1 Homework: Three Things to Try Before Next Thursday

You don't need to finish all three. Pick one and go deep, or try all three lightly. The goal is reps, not perfection.

Assignment 1: Build an Artifact from Deep Research

Turn a real decision you need to make into an interactive slide deck or mini website.

1. Open Claude (or ChatGPT) and start a new chat
2. Type: "I need to make a decision about [your topic]. Interview me with smart multiple choice questions so you can write a great deep research prompt."
3. Answer the questions, then copy the prompt it gives you
4. Start a new chat, toggle on Deep Research mode, and paste the prompt
5. When it finishes, paste the full report back into Claude and say: "Turn this into an HTML slide deck. Design it clean and easy to navigate. Treat me like a busy executive who needs to make a fast decision. Ask me one smart multiple choice question at a time to make sure you understand my vision."
6. Click Share on the artifact and grab the link. Send it to me if you want feedback.

Optional shortcut: Download my pre-made deep research reports.

Assignment 2: Mock Up an App Idea (UI Only, No Code)

If you have an app idea, this is how you figure out what it should look like before you build anything.

1. Write a 2-3 sentence description of your app idea. What does it do and who is it for?
2. Open Claude or your tool of choice and say: "I want to mock up the UI for this app. Don't build it yet. Just give me 3 different design directions as a tabbed HTML artifact so I can compare them side by side. Here's my idea: [paste your description]."
3. If you want a specific vibe, add: "Take design inspiration from [app you like] but make it feel like [another reference]."
4. Click through the tabs, pick a direction you like, and note what you'd change.

No app idea yet? Mock up a tool that would save you time at work. Anything counts.

Assignment 3: Set Up Your AI Technical Co-Founder in a Claude Project

This is the one I most want you to do before Week 2. This is the setup that makes everything else work better.

1. Go to Claude.ai and click "Projects," then create a new project. Name it after whatever you want to build or explore.
2. Attach any relevant files: deep research reports, screenshots, links, notes, anything that gives context to your project.
3. Open a separate Claude chat (not inside the project yet) and say: "I want to set up a Claude Project with a custom instructions file for my AI technical co-founder. Ask me smart multiple choice questions, one at a time, so you can write a well-structured markdown instructions file I can paste into my project."
4. Answer the questions. Be honest about your technical level and how you like to work.
5. Copy the markdown output it gives you and paste it into the Instructions field inside your Claude Project.
6. Test it. Go into the project and ask it something about what you're building. See if it responds the way you want.