I’m Addicted to Vibe Coding — and Happy Just Made It Even Better

I’ve officially crossed a line: I’m addicted to vibe coding.

Not the lazy kind. Not the “let the AI do everything while I dissolve into the couch like a forgotten penny.” I mean the kind where you’re building faster, thinking sharper, and finishing side projects that used to sit in the graveyard of half-started repos.

And the tool that kicked this into overdrive for me?

Happy — a mobile + web client that lets you run and control Claude Code or Codex from anywhere, with end-to-end encryption and a clean “just works” setup. GitHub

This is the piece I didn’t know I was missing: plan anywhere.

Why this changes the side-project equation

Side projects don’t fail because we’re not smart. They fail because life eats the schedule.

You get your best idea:

  • while walking the dog

  • in bed after a long day

  • out on the town when your brain suddenly decides to be brilliant

And then the idea evaporates because your laptop isn’t open, your environment isn’t ready, or your energy window closes.

Happy flips that script.

On your computer, you run happy instead of claude, or happy codex instead of codex, and your phone becomes a real control surface for your coding agent. GitHub
No weird new workflow. No “AI platform” cosplay. Just a clean extension of what you already use. Happy

The quiet leadership skill nobody talks about

Here’s the part I didn’t expect:

Vibe coding is turning into a leadership gym.

Because doing this well forces you to practice:

  • architecture-by-clarity

  • explaining intent

  • breaking big work into runnable tasks

  • reviewing output like it came from a junior dev (honestly a senior dev)

  • steering, correcting, and tightening the spec

That is not skill loss. That is skill evolution.

The ability to communicate a precise technical outcome is a computer science fundamental and a legit leadership trait. You’re not just asking for code; you’re shaping a system with constraints, edges, priorities, and trade-offs.

“But the AI got it wrong!”

I’m going to say this gently but firmly:

If your AI consistently gets it wrong after you explained it, maybe the explanation wasn’t thorough enough yet.

That’s not shame. That’s power.

The devil is in the details — and the more details you can supply, the better outcomes you get.

This is why “context files” are so clutch. With Claude you can initialize a Claude.md file and save instructions and things for later

So instead of repeating “use zerolog in Go” in every prompt like we’re stuck in Groundhog Day, you can put it in your project instructions once and let the agent follow the rule. That’s not silly. That’s mature engineering.

Setup that doesn’t punish you

Happy’s setup is refreshingly non-dramatic:

  • Install the CLI: npm install -g happy-coder

  • Run happy / happy codex

  • Connect your phone

  • You’re working across devices with end-to-end encryption. GitHub

It also positions itself as:

  • open source

  • no telemetry

  • no tracking

  • no account required GitHub+1

In an era where everything wants your email, your usage data, and your firstborn, that’s a vibe I respect.

The “we are cooked” fork in the road

There are two moods in tech right now:

  1. “We’re cooked. AI will replace everyone. Why even try.”

  2. “Cool. I’m going to learn how to steer this thing and ship.”

I’m picking #2.

You can sit around depressed and doomscrolling about the future, or you can play the game and make your dreams come true.

Because the people who thrive in the next chapter won’t be the ones who refused the tools.

They’ll be the ones who learned to command them with clarity.

The honest caveat (and why it’s still worth it)

Happy itself is free and open source. Happy
But you still need access to the underlying engines:

  • an Anthropic token for Claude Code

  • or a Codex subscription, depending on your setup

And in my opinion?

Worth it.
Because the ROI is time, momentum, and finally seeing the words “done” next to ideas that used to stall out.

The takeaway

Happy doesn’t just let you code from your phone.

It lets you:

  • keep momentum alive

  • turn fleeting ideas into shipped features

  • train your leadership muscles

  • and build a real habit of finishing

This is what “plan anywhere” actually looks like.

And I’m not going back.


Taylor Swift Quote 

"I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you"

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