Vibe Coding: How Google's Sundar Pichai and Klarna's CEO Prototype Ideas in Minutes

What Is Vibe Coding? Why Google and Klarna CEOs Embrace It

Vibe coding is the direct path from an idea to a working prototype. You describe the outcome in plain language, and an AI coding assistant produces functional code. No deep programming background. No long handoffs.

For executives, this is about speed, clarity, and leverage. You can test ideas yourself, reduce miscommunication, and keep your engineering team focused on production work.

Proof From the Field: Google and Klarna

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet's Google, uses AI-assisted programming to build custom web pages that bring his information sources into one interface. He shared that AI now generates over 30% of new code written at Google, signaling real adoption inside a complex, large-scale operation.

Google has channelled these learnings into Firebase Studio, powered by its Gemini AI model, helping teams build and manage apps end to end. According to Google Cloud, the platform supports over 70 billion application instances daily. "The power of the future you're going to be able to create on the web, we haven't given that power to developers in 25 years," Pichai told The Verge. "It's exciting to see how casually you can do it now," he also told Bloomberg.

Klarna's CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, builds prototypes himself in about 20 minutes using AI tools-a task that used to take weeks. "Rather than disrupting my poor engineers and product people with what is half good ideas and half bad ideas, now I test it myself," he says. He calls himself "obsessed" with how fast and casual the process has become.

How Vibe Coding Works

AI coding assistants translate conversational requests into code, then refine it through back-and-forth prompts. You set the objective; the assistant handles syntax, boilerplate, integrations, and iterations.

• Cursor: An AI-powered code editor that grasps your codebase and helps you ship faster through natural language.
• Replit: A cloud-based environment with intelligent assistance and collaboration across many languages. Explore Replit

Paras Chopra, Founder of Lossfunk, puts it simply: "If you're a non-technical person, you'll be way ahead of your peers if you pick up a bit of coding and start fiddling with AI-driven coding environments like Cursor, Replit, etc. Coding is a superpower."

Why Executives Are Leaning In

• Speed to signal: Move from concept to demo in hours, not weeks.
• Clearer alignment: Show the product vision instead of describing it through layers.
• Resource focus: Keep engineers on core work; test your own hunches.
• Lower cost of testing: Validate ideas before you fund a full build.
• Leader leverage: Turn meetings into prototypes and decisions.

Where to Start: A 30-Day Plan

• Week 1: Pick one tool (Cursor or Replit). Set up a small sandbox project: a dashboard, a landing page, or a simple internal workflow.
• Week 2: Write plain-language prompts for your first prototype. Iterate three times. Document what worked and what didn't.
• Week 3: Connect one data source or API your team already uses. Add basic auth and error handling.
• Week 4: Share the demo with your product lead. Gather feedback. If it's viable, hand it to engineering with notes and a short video walkthrough.

Guardrails and Governance

• Data handling: Keep sensitive data out of prompts unless you're using approved, private AI endpoints.
• IP and licensing: Ensure generated code and dependencies meet your legal standards.
• Code review: Ship nothing to production without automated tests and senior engineer review.
• Tool access: Centralize accounts, SSO, and permissions. Treat AI assistants like any other SaaS with vendor risk checks.

Metrics That Matter

• Time to first prototype: Idea to demo.
• Iteration velocity: Cycles per week per project owner.
• Engineering interrupts avoided: Prototypes built without pulling engineers off roadmaps.
• Adoption: Number of leaders who can produce a working demo.

Executive Playbook: Make It Stick

• Run a monthly "Prototype Day" where leaders present working demos.
• Standardize a one-page spec: goal, users, inputs/outputs, success metric.
• Promote demos that win user tests into funded projects with clear owners.
• Bundle procurement, security, and training so teams can move without friction.

Tools and Training

If you want a curated view of AI coding tools and training paths for business roles, explore our resources at Complete AI Training: Generative Code Tools and Courses by Job.

Bottom Line

Vibe coding lets leaders test ideas without queuing for engineering. Google and Klarna show it scales-from quick prototypes to company-wide impact. Start small, set guardrails, measure outcomes, then expand what works.