Here’s what stuck with me:
- Start simple. A rough prototype beats a perfect idea.
- Be specific when debugging, and tell your copilot exactly what’s going wrong.
- Read the API documentation. It’s not glamorous, but it saves hours.
- Don’t expect one-shot builds. Iteration is the real secret.
That was my first taste of vibe coding. A working script, built in an airport, powered by curiosity and Guinness.
Phase 2: Building a Google Sheets add-on
The Python script worked, but sharing it was painful. No one on my team wanted to mess with Colab or code. So I opened Gemini and said, “Let’s turn this into a Google Sheets add-on.”
I wanted something anyone could use – plug in an API key, choose an endpoint, and pull data right into a sheet. Gemini asked about the layout, buttons, and error handling. After a few rounds, it clicked.
By the end of the weekend, I had a working add-on. It pulled keyword metrics, saved API keys, and handled errors cleanly. The content team can use it without needing to touch the code.
That build changed how I thought about tools:
- Usability matters more than clever code.
- LLMs work best when you talk to them like collaborators.
- The clearer your prompts, the faster you get results.
From there, I knew the next step. If I could build in Sheets, I could build on the web.