A Builder in New Orleans: When Your Vibecoded App Comes on Vacation

In this personal account, a developer reflects on taking their AI-assisted, 'vibecoded' travel app, Le Voyage, on a trip to New Orleans. Originally built for a Paris vacation, the app evolved from a simple repository of links into a functional tool for shared travel planning. The author highlights how real-world usage exposed the limitations of their initial design, particularly the challenge of managing a large, uncurated list of recommendations. The experience underscored the importance of practical features like notes and filtering over flashy AI integrations. Ultimately, the author concludes that software does not always need to be a commercial product to be valuable. By focusing on the specific needs of a small group, the developer found that 'vibecoded' tools can provide meaningful utility, proving that sometimes the best way to refine a project is to simply use it in the real world.