Introduction
This case study spotlights Magnus, a product manager at a coworking startup, who rapidly designed and launched a functional smart office app with vibe coding tools in October 2025. By leveraging Lovable and ChatGPT, he turned an idea into a testable digital product in less than a week, demonstrating how the AI-first paradigm is revolutionizing modern prototyping.
The Challenge
Magnus saw a problem: his workspace provider needed a smart office reservation app, but the team couldn’t afford months of custom software development. The objective was simple—give members an easy way to see who was in the space, book rooms, and foster community connections.
Vibe Coding Solution: The PeopleSpace App
Magnus sketched his idea and wrote a one-paragraph prompt description. Instead of hiring a dev agency, he entered the workflow with Lovable:
- AI-generated UI & Backend: Magnus described the app’s needs in natural language. Lovable’s Copilot generated a working Figma-level UI and a Node.js backend with real authentication and a cloud database.
- Rapid Iteration: In under two hours, Magnus had a clickable prototype. He walked through flows, updated the UX, and added features—each time describing the change and letting the AI revise both UI and backend code.
- Database & Integration: Lovable’s backend handled user accounts, reservations, and community features. Magnus connected the app to Slack for presence data—guided by code and explanations provided by Copilot.
Note: If the team wanted, they could export the code to their repo and use it as a foundation for future, production-grade work. Many users continue refining their AI-generated prototypes in established IDEs.
Outcomes
- Speed: From idea to testable product with live user accounts in under a week.
- Cost: No need for an external agency or hiring full-stack engineers for the prototype phase.
- Learning: Magnus, not a professional developer, gained insights into workflow automation, integrations, and the gap between prototype and MVP.
- Collaboration: Sharing the app link with real users led to immediate, concrete feedback.
Lessons Learned
- Vibe coding can turn product managers and domain experts into effective prototypers.
- The feedback cycle in real-world environments is 10x faster than traditional development.
- Transitioning from AI-generated prototype to production may require standard QA and software engineering, but the velocity and cost benefits at ideation phase are immense.
- Organizations can democratize innovation by empowering non-developers to build and validate digital tools.
References
Based on the real 2025 case: Markus Borg: Vibe Coding and the New Prototyping Playbook