Module 3.1: Vibe Coding Setup
Reference Guide
- Time to Complete: 10-15 minutes
- Prerequisites: Modules 1 and 2 recommended, but this module is accessible to everyone — no PM experience required
- Module 3 total time: about 1.5-2 hours across five lessons (no need to do it all at once)
Start this lesson interactively: Type
/start 3 1in the Codex app to set up your build project.
Overview
The earlier modules taught you to work with files — analyzing, synthesizing, extracting insights. Module 3 is about creating something from scratch: a real, working website with a real link you can send to friends. By the end of the module you’ll have built and deployed a “What’s Your Coffee Personality?” quiz — a drink-recommendation engine dressed up as a personality quiz.
Key takeaway: This module teaches a repeatable loop you can use to build almost anything — landing pages, tools, prototypes, simple apps.
The Mindset Shift: You’re the PM, Codex Is the Engineer
You describe what you want. Codex writes the code. You don’t need to understand the code — you just need to know what you want.
Your job is to:
- Be clear about requirements
- Agree on the plan
- Review what gets built
- Tell Codex what to change
This is exactly how non-technical people work effectively with developers — and you’re about to learn that skill.
The Build Loop
Everything in this module follows one loop:
| Step | What it means |
|---|---|
| Plan | Figure out exactly what you’re building — the requirements |
| Build | Codex creates it while you watch |
| Iterate | Tell Codex what to change until you love it |
| Save | Back it up to GitHub (like Google Drive for code) |
| Deploy | Put it on the internet so anyone can visit — “going live” |
Plan → Build → Iterate → Save → Deploy. Master this loop and you can build anything.
About the Tech (You Don’t Need to Understand It)
Codex writes the project in JavaScript — the most popular language for websites — using Next.js, a popular framework that makes JavaScript sites easier to build and deploy. You don’t need to understand any of it; it’s mentioned only so the terms are familiar. Codex handles all the code.
What This Lesson Sets Up
You’ll create a single project folder — quiz-project — where all the code and files for your quiz will live. Just ask Codex to create it:
Create a new folder called quiz-projectWhere This Applies Beyond the Course
- Building a quick tool, prototype, or website
- Testing whether an idea is even possible
- Side projects, internal tools, landing pages, simple apps
What’s Next
Next up is Module 3.2: Plan — Codex interviews you about your quiz and writes a clear requirements document to build from.
Start it by typing /start 3 2 in the Codex app, or read the reference guide: