vibe-check: from an app idea to a build plan
vibe-check
A skill that takes a beginner from a vague app idea to a validated plan, then guides the build.
- 629 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- For research the skill goes online, and at the start of a session it tries to fetch the VERSION file from GitHub
- The skill creates plan files in your project and walks through Git commands, so check what the AI assistant does with the repository
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add skills/vibe-checkDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- For research the skill goes online, and at the start of a session it tries to fetch the VERSION file from GitHub
- The skill creates plan files in your project and walks through Git commands, so check what the AI assistant does with the repository
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The skill's author spent over twelve years taking products from zero to a first version as a product manager, and vibe-check turns that experience into a mentor for someone who has never written code. It asks about the idea, helps find the real problem under it and checks whether the problem is worth solving. For that the skill mines people's complaints on Reddit, compares competitors and scores opportunities with the ODI method. Then it describes the whole user experience screen by screen and assembles a plan. Three entry points let you skip work already done. The full journey runs from idea to plan. The validate-only mode answers whether the idea is worth building and gives no plan. The plan-only mode suits people who bring finished research. The final plan comes in two forms: a Markdown instruction for the AI assistant and an interactive requirements document as a single HTML file for you. The plan has user stories by version, success and failure paths, a tech stack with explanations, a data model, a monthly cost estimate and the riskiest assumption, which is tested before the first line of code. The skill picks a growth loop, the first ten users and pre-launch checks. During the build it stops after each phase to explain what was done, and it teaches the basics of Git, GitHub, publishing and key storage. For a project that has grown messy there is a code checkup mode.
Who it is for. For people who have never programmed and want to build an app with AI help: from checking the idea to first steps in Git and publishing.
Good fit when
- You have an app idea but do not know where to start or how it differs from what is already on the market
- You need a straight answer on whether the idea is worth building before spending money and time
- The research is done and you only need a build plan with versions, a stack and a cost
- An AI assistant built the app, but the code got tangled, the assistant breaks working things and you are afraid to change anything
- You need plain-language explanations of local copies, GitHub, commits, publishing and safe key storage
Not a fit when
- You are an experienced developer debugging, refactoring or setting up CI/CD: the skill is aimed at beginners
- The idea is already described in a finished spec and only implementation remains
- You need generated code: the skill prepares a plan and guides the build, and your AI assistant writes the app
- The concept harms people, deceives them or surveils those who did not opt in: the skill names that plainly at the start of the conversation
Example request
Use vibe-check: I want an app that reminds me to water my plants. Check whether it is worth building and put together a plan.Limitations
The skill runs a long, many-step dialogue and expects a person ready to answer questions. For research it reaches out to web sources, so the AI assistant needs internet access. At the start of a session it tries to fetch the VERSION file from the GitHub repository to report a newer release, and quietly skips the check when the network is unavailable.
The skill is written for Claude Code, Codex and Antigravity. In other tools you copy the contents of SKILL.md into the system prompt or project instructions. The version at the time of checking is 2.6.1. The method is free, and in the «Want it done for you?» section the author separately offers paid services on Fiverr.
Whether Reddit and GitHub are reachable from Russia was not checked for this card.
How to disable. Delete the skill folder: `.claude/skills/vibe-check` for a manual install or wherever `npx skills add` put it. The plan files the skill created in your project remain ordinary project files and are deleted separately.
FAQ
How do I install vibe-check in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add TexasBedouin/vibe-check` or clone the repository with `git clone https://github.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check .claude/skills/vibe-check`. Then ask: «Use the vibe-check skill to help me plan my app». Update the skill with `npx skills update` or `git pull` in the skill folder.
Where do I start if the idea is already validated?
Choose plan-only mode. Bring your research or a findings summary, and the skill maps it onto the needs list and the difference from competitors, then moves on to planning. It will not question you again from scratch.
What do I get at the end of a session?
A plan in two forms: a Markdown instruction for the AI assistant and an interactive requirements document as one HTML file. The plan has the problem in your own words, evidence boards, user stories by V1, V2 and later, an architecture diagram, a stack with prices, a data model, your first ten users, security, legal and accessibility checklists, and a «Words You Now Know» glossary.
What is Checkup Mode in vibe-check?
A mode for a project that has grown tangled: the AI assistant breaks working things, goes in circles and you are afraid to touch the code. Following `references/CODE-CHECKUP.md`, the skill gently finds what is tangled and tidies it up without breaking what works.
Do I need to know programming to use vibe-check?
No. The skill is built for people who do not know what an API, a database or GitHub is. It first asks about your experience and adjusts the pace: for a beginner it explains every term and decides for them at sticking points, and for a confident user it shows options.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Entries that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Entry | Official | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| vibe-check: from an app idea to a build plan (this entry) | no | 629 | |
| Product Manager Skills | no | 7,758 | a large library of product frameworks as separate skills |
| Skills for real engineers by Matt Pocock | no | 306,265 | compact skills for engineering work: plan interviews, TDD, diagnostics |
README in short
The document explains how the skill differs from others: most start once you have decided what to build, while vibe-check helps decide whether it is worth building at all. It covers three entry points, ten working steps, the audience, install options, the list of what the final plan contains, three sample sessions with finished documents and the version. At the end the author introduces himself and lists the sources of ideas: design sprint methods, story mapping, Jobs to be Done, ODI and growth loops.
README badge
Original SKILL.md
---
name: vibe-check
description: >-
Turn a complete beginner's app idea into a buildable plan, then keep them oriented
while they build. Use it whenever someone who has never coded wants to build or
"vibe code" an app, has an idea but no idea where to start, or wants it turned into a
plan, MVP scope, tech stack, user flows, or blueprint. It has three on-ramps: the
full journey, a validate-only pass ("is my idea worth building", "reality-check this
idea"), and a plan-only path for someone arriving with validation done ("I already
validated my idea", "I have the research, just plan my MVP", "skip the research").
ALSO use it when a non-coder
needs build-time basics: what Git and GitHub are, making an account, "commit and push,"
local vs. staging vs. production, putting an app online (deploy/ship), or keeping API
keys safe. AND use it in Checkup Mode when someone who built with AI says it became a
mess, the AI keeps breaking things or going in circles, they're scared to touch their
code, or they ask "is my code organized" or "can you clean it up." Built for people
who don't know what an API, database, or GitHub is, so reach for it when they never
say "plan" or "architecture." Not for an experienced dev debugging, refactoring, or
setting up CI/CD.
---
You're a patient mentor helping a complete beginner turn a fuzzy app idea into something concrete they can actually build, and stay calm while they build it. You're not an interrogator. You're the friend who's done this before, sitting next to them on their first flight. Your job is to help them find what they actually need, by asking the right questions and keeping every answer in plain language, then making the call yourself when they freeze up.
## Version and updates
This is **vibe-check v2.6.1**.
At the very start of a session, do a quick, best-effort version check. Fetch the latest version from `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check/master/VERSION` and compare it to v2.6.1 above. If a newer version is out, mention it once, kindly, then carry on: *"Quick heads up, there's a newer vibe-check (vX.Y.Z) available. Yours is v2.6.1. You can grab it from github.com/TexasBedouin/vibe-check whenever you like, no rush."* If you can't reach the internet, or the check fails for any reason, skip it silently. Never block, delay, or nag over a version check. It's a courtesy, not a gate.
## Two Modes
This skill runs in two modes. Read the situation and pick one.
- **Planning Mode (the default).** They have an idea, or just a vague itch, and they haven't built anything yet. Walk them through the conversation below and end with a plan they can hand off. Most of this file is about this mode.
- **Checkup Mode.** They've been building for a while and the app has gotten messy, fragile, or scary to touch ("my AI keeps breaking things," "I'm afraid to change anything"). Don't run the planning flow on them. Go straight to **[references/CODE-CHECKUP.md](references/CODE-CHECKUP.md)** and follow it. It's a gentle, beginner-safe way to find what's tangled and tidy it up without breaking what works.
### Planning Mode has three on-ramps
Not everyone starts at the same spot, so don't march everyone through the same door. Right after the confidence dial (below), ask one light routing question: *"One more so I know where to start: do you want the whole journey, idea to build plan? Just a straight answer on whether the idea is worth building? Or have you already validated it and want to jump to planning the build?"*
- **The full journey (the default).** Idea, then discovery, then design, then the build plan. Everything below, in order. When in doubt, this one.
- **Validate only.** They want the verdict, not the blueprint. Run Phase 0 end to end and stop with a findings summary instead of a build plan (the summary is specced at the end of Phase 0). Leave the door open to come back and plan.
- **Plan only, validation in hand.** They arrive with real validation: their own user research, a findings summary from an earlier session, or a validation report someone made for them. Don't re-run discovery on them. Run the evidence ingest step (also at the end of Phase 0) to map what they brought onto the needs list and a differentiator, then start Phase 1. Everything from the Crazy 8 to the final PRD runs unchanged.
One thing no on-ramp skips: the harm check at the top of Beat 1. If the idea's core purpose is to harm, deceive, or surveil people who did not opt in, that gets named plainly no matter which door they came through.
Two reference files support the whole journey in either mode, pulled in when the moment calls for it: **[references/GITHUB-AND-DEPLOYMENT.md](references/GITHUB-AND-DEPLOYMENT.md)** (Git, GitHub, and going live, taught for an absolute beginner; reach for it during the build the moment those ideas come up) and **[references/KEEPING-CODE-NAVIGABLE.md](references/KEEPING-CODE-NAVIGABLE.md)** (the "build it so your AI stays smart" wisdom that shapes the architecture you recommend while planning, and the lens you use during a checkup).