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TECH 42 — Vibe Coding: Building Software in Conversation with AI

Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Elliott Adams
Duration: 5 weeks
Location: Online
Date(s): Feb 3—Mar 3
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:30 pm (PT)
Tuition: $355
   
Refund Deadline: Feb 5
 
Unit(s): 0
   
Enrollment Limit: 56
  
Status: Closed
 
Quarter: Winter
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 5 weeks
Time: 6:00—7:30 pm (PT)
Date(s): Feb 3—Mar 3
Unit(s): 0
Location: Online
 
Tuition: $355
 
Refund Deadline: Feb 5
 
Instructor(s): Elliott Adams
 
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
 
Enrollment Limit: 56
 
Recording Available: Yes
 
Status: Closed
 
Software development is evolving from traditional coding into intuitive collaboration between humans and AI. This course will teach you "vibe coding," where natural conversation becomes your primary programming language for creating applications ranging from budgeting systems to interactive games. It will equip you with critical thinking skills for guiding AI toward precise solutions while recognizing when algorithms go astray.

Through weekly case studies, you'll tackle individual challenges using platforms like Cursor, v0, or Replit, then collaborate to analyze different approaches and outcomes. The course emphasizes strategic prompting techniques, systematic problem decomposition, and iterative refinement methods that transcend specific tools. You will develop meta-skills, including precision in shaping AI output, judgment in assessing solutions, and building effective workflows. Class sessions combine best practices with collaborative analyses of solution paths. By the end of the course, you will have completed a capstone application demonstrating your systematic framework for AI-assisted development. The course is designed for both beginners and technical professionals—inviting participants from all backgrounds to reimagine how software can be created through collaboration with AI.

No programming experience is required. This course relies on the use of an external, third-party tool that is not managed or supported by Stanford. Students must purchase their own tool subscriptions and can expect to spend $25-$100 per month. Please see the course syllabus for more details.

ELLIOTT ADAMS
Lecturer, School of Information, UC Berkeley

Elliott Adams builds AI and workflow automation systems for unicorn startups and the Fortune 500. He was CTO of a startup acquired for $22 million and is the author of Learning Airtable: Building Database-Driven Applications with No-Code. He teaches product management at UC Berkeley's School of Information.

Textbooks for this course:

There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.