From Vibes to Validation: A Hands-On Approach to Product Discovery
Workshop Overview:
This 80-minute workshop will walk participants through a real-time, hands-on product discovery flow using vibe coding: a fast, intuitive way to turn an inkling of an idea into something testable and valuable. We’ll move quickly from vague concepts to working prototypes—exploring how to generate requirements, build iteratively, test with users, and shape what works into real product momentum.
Workshop Outline:
Welcome & Framing (5 min)
- Why we’re here: Vibe Coding for faster, truer product discovery
- Brief story: turning a hunch into a build
- What we’ll do in the next 75 minutes
Choosing the Right Tools (5 min)
- Quick take on environments:
- Cursor vs. VS Code: pair programming with AI
- Lovable.dev: build + deploy for fast frontend feedback
- When to choose which (speed, team, fidelity, deployability)
Requirements & Workplan Generation (10 min)
- Starting from a vibe: write the initial prompting outline
- Use AI to extract:
- Core user flows
- Key components
- Edge cases & assumptions
- Generate a lightweight workplan for build steps and testable hypotheses
Starter Setup & Scaffolding (10 min)
- Clone + boot a Shadcn/Next.js starter
- Use AI to scaffold:
- Navigation, basic layout, dummy pages
- Add Tailwind + basic theming
- Setup local dev in Cursor or Lovable
Generating Sample Data & Assets (10 min)
- Prompting Claude for SVG placeholders & illustrative assets
- Generating sample JSON / mock data for use in UI and API flows
- Gamma.app for quick image prototypes or visuals for pitch/test
Third-Party APIs & Fast Backends (10 min)
- Injecting realism: calling external APIs for data
- Quick hacks:
- Using LocalStorage as your temp backend
- Making a fake login or save flow with 3 lines of code
- Toolkits: Airtable, Supabase, or simple JSON backends
Testing & Iterating with Real Users (10 min)
- “It’s not done until someone else uses it”
- Tactics for:
- Hallway testing
- Async feedback collection (video, Loom, Figma, etc.)
- AI-assisted analysis of user reactions
From Prototype to Production: Best Practices (10 min)
- When to throw it out and rebuild
- When to evolve into a real product
- Pairing with engineers or hiring to scale
- Documenting intent to guide future dev
Parting Thoughts: Rapid Shape Up (5 min)
- How to bring this into your team or solo flow
- Vibes → Prototype → Signal → Bets
- Shape smaller, ship smarter
Materials Provided:
- Shadcn starter command
- Prompt templates (for requirements, workplans, assets)
- Tool links and example repos
- Mini cheat sheet: “Prototype Hacks for Product Discovery”