Podcast Summary

Podcast: The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast with Steve Chou
Episode: 607: Will Vibe Coding Replace Shopify Apps? A Discussion With Toni Herrbach
Air Date: September 17, 2025
Guest: Toni Herrbach

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Steve Chou sits down with frequent guest Toni Herrbach to discuss the rise of "vibe coding"—the trending method of leveraging AI tools to build custom ecommerce solutions. Together they explore whether advances in no-code and AI-assisted development could disrupt the Shopify App ecosystem, how even beginners can now build tools that once required paid SaaS subscriptions, real-life examples from their own businesses, and how AI is revolutionizing efficiency in ecommerce operations and beyond.

Key Discussion Points

What Is Vibe Coding and Why Does It Matter?

Vibe coding refers to using AI to quickly build custom features or apps for your ecommerce store without relying on stacks of external plugins or expensive SaaS apps.
Interest in vibe coding is spreading quickly, especially among ecommerce owners looking to save costs and tailor solutions closely to their workflows.

"The Shopify app store is in trouble."
—Steve Chou [02:01]

Real Examples: Building a Quiz Without Plugins

Toni shares how she and her team built a quiz on a WordPress site using AI tools—without buying a plugin:
- Used Claude AI to generate the quiz logic and code.
- AI helped troubleshoot, generate answers, and even connect the quiz to ConvertKit for automation.
- Process took a weekend for both planning (questions/logic) and implementation.

"Now you can just vibe code yourself... How long did it take you guys to make that app?"
—Steve Chou [03:19]

"Probably did it in a weekend... The one thing that I think is cool was when we would put something in and it didn’t look right or work, you can ask AI to find the errors for you."
—Toni Herrbach [03:31–04:45]

The Empowerment (and Limitations) of AI-Assisted Coding

Even with minimal coding knowledge, business owners can create functioning apps.
AI is "infinitely patient," answering basic or technical questions without judgment.

"If you know a little bit about coding, like, you can pretty much become like a master coder almost overnight."
—Steve Chou [05:11]

"AI won’t judge you... as someone who doesn’t code, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you unless it was really obvious."
—Toni Herrbach [06:46]

Practical Applications: Custom Inventory and Productivity Tools

Steve shares how he built a warehouse tracking app that uses QR codes for tracking boxes—saving hundreds monthly on potential SaaS solutions.
Built employee productivity and order fulfillment dashboards to better understand team capacity and identify bottlenecks.

"I vibe coded in like literally four hours... you just scan it, and then everything is completely tracked."
—Steve Chou [11:02–11:47]

"I started implementing tracking of all that stuff... I was just shocked by the variability in production."
—Steve Chou [15:44–15:53]

Both hosts agree: Understanding workflow capacity is key, especially during promotions:

"The warehouse actually couldn’t keep up with the shipping... what's the capacity of the warehouse? We need to know that on the marketing side."
—Toni Herrbach [17:37–19:00]

AI in Creative and Visual Workflow

Toni mentions illustrators now use AI to produce images in days instead of months, improving efficiency.
Steve praises Google’s new image editing tool, Flash Image Generation Exp 2.5 (aka "Nano Banana"), for effortless on-the-fly image modifications.
Both highlight the growing obsolescence of traditional graphic tools like Photoshop for basic editing.

"It allows you to take any image and alter it however you want... I just uploaded the image to Google and said, can you just change all this stuff and make it 2025? And it did."
—Steve Chou [23:47–24:27]

The Future of Shopify Apps and Paid Plugins

Many plugins that solved simple problems (quizzes, basic inventory, loyalty programs) can now be replaced by custom AI-built tools.
The switch isn't always seamless for non-technical store owners, but the threshold of accessibility is lowering quickly.

"I could probably put that thing out in a weekend, maybe even less, and not have to pay any fees whatsoever."
—Steve Chou [26:09–26:56]

"I think especially some of the real simplistic apps…are 9.99, 29. I mean, I think the less they do, the quicker they're going to be out of business."
—Toni Herrbach [28:16]

Will Apps Disappear? Who Should Still Buy Them?

Toni contends that non-technical, busy storeowners may still prefer to subscribe to apps rather than build their own, simply due to time constraints.
Steve argues that barriers are falling and eventually, even beginners can build what they need.

"But now that some of this stuff can be done fairly easily... I agree with you. I think it's going to put... some of the real simplistic apps out of business."
—Toni Herrbach [27:59–28:16]

Practical Tips for Getting Started with AI Coding

Break your app concept into small, defined pieces ("scaffolding").
Use AI to help brainstorm features, write code for each function, and debug.
Communicate as clearly as possible—treat AI as a junior developer who needs specifics.
Start with simple projects, like quizzes or trackers, using beginner-friendly platforms (Lovable, Replit).
Use prompts in ChatGPT/Claude like, "Explain what components I need," and "Give me the pros and cons" for more balanced and useful answers.

"Spec out in a document what exactly you want done and pretend like you’re a user... then use AI to code each small part one by one."
—Steve Chou [42:34–43:53]

Tools and Platforms Mentioned

Claude AI: Used for generating code, content, and troubleshooting.
ChatGPT (esp. v4, v5): Writing, coding, step-by-step guidance; Steve prefers v4 for writing.
Lovable: Great for quick, simple web apps.
Replit: Recommended for app projects involving databases and logic.
Google Flash Image Generation 2.5 ("Nano Banana"): Powerful and accessible image manipulation.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

[02:01] Steve: "The Shopify app store is in trouble."
[03:45] Toni: "...when we would put something in and we would see it and it didn’t look right or it didn’t work right, you can ask AI to find the errors for you."
[05:11] Steve: "If you know a little bit about coding...you can pretty much become like a master coder almost overnight."
[11:02] Steve: "But this thing I vibe coded in like literally four hours."
[15:44] Steve: "I don't know how annoying I am. You're annoying." Toni: "I'm gonna tell you right now, it's gonna be annoying."
[19:45] Steve: "It's true, you know, although you could argue, you know, you Just apologize profusely."
[24:44] Steve: "It's. I think it's going to put Photoshop out of business."
[28:16] Toni: "The less they do, the quicker they're going to be out of business."
[34:47] Steve: "And then I also have it rank all the answers it gives me on a scale of 1 to 10."
[42:34] Steve: "Even if you do not know how to code... just ask it to create something for you that you might need... just prove to yourself how easy it is."

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00 – 03:19: Introduction, definition of vibe coding, and what's at stake for app ecosystems.
03:19 – 06:56: Toni's story of building a quiz app using AI (Claude), problem-solving and connecting to ConvertKit.
10:00 – 17:32: Steve's real-world examples: warehouse tracking, productivity apps, employee performance tracking—all built quickly via AI.
23:32 – 26:56: AI in creative workflows—image editing with Google Nano Banana, replacing traditional design tools.
26:56 – 30:44: The future of Shopify/WordPress apps, who will still pay for SaaS, and the declining technical barrier.
30:44 – 35:12: Real talk about store owners' willingness to code; practical advice for building with AI.
36:09 – 38:31: AI in content creation: Madlibs-style prompts; emotional, logical, humorous scripts.
41:20 – 43:53: Cautions about connecting AI to sensitive data; best practices for AI project scoping.
43:53 – End: Takeaways and encouragement for everyone to try building with AI.

Final Takeaways

AI-powered vibe coding represents a major power shift in ecommerce: custom apps are now accessible to "non-coders," threatening the traditional plugin and SaaS model, especially for simple use-cases.
Store owners are empowered to experiment and problem-solve efficiently—creating custom tools instead of subscribing to myriad apps.
Although total technical entry is still a process, the gap is shrinking fast. The future may be personalized, AI-built apps for all.
Both hosts encourage listeners to try simple projects, use AI as a collaborator, and realize that “if you can describe it, AI can probably build it for you.”

For more information and Steve’s free ecommerce mini-course:
Visit mywifequitherjob.com
Tickets for the 2026 Seller Summit: sellersummit.com

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points

What Is Vibe Coding and Why Does It Matter?

Vibe coding refers to using AI to quickly build custom features or apps for your ecommerce store without relying on stacks of external plugins or expensive SaaS apps.
Interest in vibe coding is spreading quickly, especially among ecommerce owners looking to save costs and tailor solutions closely to their workflows.

"The Shopify app store is in trouble."
—Steve Chou [02:01]

Real Examples: Building a Quiz Without Plugins

Toni shares how she and her team built a quiz on a WordPress site using AI tools—without buying a plugin:
- Used Claude AI to generate the quiz logic and code.
- AI helped troubleshoot, generate answers, and even connect the quiz to ConvertKit for automation.
- Process took a weekend for both planning (questions/logic) and implementation.

"Now you can just vibe code yourself... How long did it take you guys to make that app?"
—Steve Chou [03:19]

"Probably did it in a weekend... The one thing that I think is cool was when we would put something in and it didn’t look right or work, you can ask AI to find the errors for you."
—Toni Herrbach [03:31–04:45]

The Empowerment (and Limitations) of AI-Assisted Coding

Even with minimal coding knowledge, business owners can create functioning apps.
AI is "infinitely patient," answering basic or technical questions without judgment.

"If you know a little bit about coding, like, you can pretty much become like a master coder almost overnight."
—Steve Chou [05:11]

"AI won’t judge you... as someone who doesn’t code, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you unless it was really obvious."
—Toni Herrbach [06:46]

Practical Applications: Custom Inventory and Productivity Tools

Steve shares how he built a warehouse tracking app that uses QR codes for tracking boxes—saving hundreds monthly on potential SaaS solutions.
Built employee productivity and order fulfillment dashboards to better understand team capacity and identify bottlenecks.

"I vibe coded in like literally four hours... you just scan it, and then everything is completely tracked."
—Steve Chou [11:02–11:47]

"I started implementing tracking of all that stuff... I was just shocked by the variability in production."
—Steve Chou [15:44–15:53]

Both hosts agree: Understanding workflow capacity is key, especially during promotions:

"The warehouse actually couldn’t keep up with the shipping... what's the capacity of the warehouse? We need to know that on the marketing side."
—Toni Herrbach [17:37–19:00]

AI in Creative and Visual Workflow

Toni mentions illustrators now use AI to produce images in days instead of months, improving efficiency.
Steve praises Google’s new image editing tool, Flash Image Generation Exp 2.5 (aka "Nano Banana"), for effortless on-the-fly image modifications.
Both highlight the growing obsolescence of traditional graphic tools like Photoshop for basic editing.

"It allows you to take any image and alter it however you want... I just uploaded the image to Google and said, can you just change all this stuff and make it 2025? And it did."
—Steve Chou [23:47–24:27]

The Future of Shopify Apps and Paid Plugins

Many plugins that solved simple problems (quizzes, basic inventory, loyalty programs) can now be replaced by custom AI-built tools.
The switch isn't always seamless for non-technical store owners, but the threshold of accessibility is lowering quickly.

"I could probably put that thing out in a weekend, maybe even less, and not have to pay any fees whatsoever."
—Steve Chou [26:09–26:56]

"I think especially some of the real simplistic apps…are 9.99, 29. I mean, I think the less they do, the quicker they're going to be out of business."
—Toni Herrbach [28:16]

Will Apps Disappear? Who Should Still Buy Them?

Toni contends that non-technical, busy storeowners may still prefer to subscribe to apps rather than build their own, simply due to time constraints.
Steve argues that barriers are falling and eventually, even beginners can build what they need.

"But now that some of this stuff can be done fairly easily... I agree with you. I think it's going to put... some of the real simplistic apps out of business."
—Toni Herrbach [27:59–28:16]

Practical Tips for Getting Started with AI Coding

Break your app concept into small, defined pieces ("scaffolding").
Use AI to help brainstorm features, write code for each function, and debug.
Communicate as clearly as possible—treat AI as a junior developer who needs specifics.
Start with simple projects, like quizzes or trackers, using beginner-friendly platforms (Lovable, Replit).
Use prompts in ChatGPT/Claude like, "Explain what components I need," and "Give me the pros and cons" for more balanced and useful answers.

"Spec out in a document what exactly you want done and pretend like you’re a user... then use AI to code each small part one by one."
—Steve Chou [42:34–43:53]

Tools and Platforms Mentioned

Claude AI: Used for generating code, content, and troubleshooting.
ChatGPT (esp. v4, v5): Writing, coding, step-by-step guidance; Steve prefers v4 for writing.
Lovable: Great for quick, simple web apps.
Replit: Recommended for app projects involving databases and logic.
Google Flash Image Generation 2.5 ("Nano Banana"): Powerful and accessible image manipulation.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

[02:01] Steve: "The Shopify app store is in trouble."
[03:45] Toni: "...when we would put something in and we would see it and it didn’t look right or it didn’t work right, you can ask AI to find the errors for you."
[05:11] Steve: "If you know a little bit about coding...you can pretty much become like a master coder almost overnight."
[11:02] Steve: "But this thing I vibe coded in like literally four hours."
[15:44] Steve: "I don't know how annoying I am. You're annoying." Toni: "I'm gonna tell you right now, it's gonna be annoying."
[19:45] Steve: "It's true, you know, although you could argue, you know, you Just apologize profusely."
[24:44] Steve: "It's. I think it's going to put Photoshop out of business."
[28:16] Toni: "The less they do, the quicker they're going to be out of business."
[34:47] Steve: "And then I also have it rank all the answers it gives me on a scale of 1 to 10."
[42:34] Steve: "Even if you do not know how to code... just ask it to create something for you that you might need... just prove to yourself how easy it is."

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00 – 03:19: Introduction, definition of vibe coding, and what's at stake for app ecosystems.
03:19 – 06:56: Toni's story of building a quiz app using AI (Claude), problem-solving and connecting to ConvertKit.
10:00 – 17:32: Steve's real-world examples: warehouse tracking, productivity apps, employee performance tracking—all built quickly via AI.
23:32 – 26:56: AI in creative workflows—image editing with Google Nano Banana, replacing traditional design tools.
26:56 – 30:44: The future of Shopify/WordPress apps, who will still pay for SaaS, and the declining technical barrier.
30:44 – 35:12: Real talk about store owners' willingness to code; practical advice for building with AI.
36:09 – 38:31: AI in content creation: Madlibs-style prompts; emotional, logical, humorous scripts.
41:20 – 43:53: Cautions about connecting AI to sensitive data; best practices for AI project scoping.
43:53 – End: Takeaways and encouragement for everyone to try building with AI.

Final Takeaways

AI-powered vibe coding represents a major power shift in ecommerce: custom apps are now accessible to "non-coders," threatening the traditional plugin and SaaS model, especially for simple use-cases.
Store owners are empowered to experiment and problem-solve efficiently—creating custom tools instead of subscribing to myriad apps.
Although total technical entry is still a process, the gap is shrinking fast. The future may be personalized, AI-built apps for all.
Both hosts encourage listeners to try simple projects, use AI as a collaborator, and realize that “if you can describe it, AI can probably build it for you.”

For more information and Steve’s free ecommerce mini-course:
Visit mywifequitherjob.com
Tickets for the 2026 Seller Summit: sellersummit.com

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607: Will Vibe Coding Replace Shopify Apps? A Discussion With Toni Herrbach

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Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points

What Is Vibe Coding and Why Does It Matter?

Real Examples: Building a Quiz Without Plugins

The Empowerment (and Limitations) of AI-Assisted Coding

Practical Applications: Custom Inventory and Productivity Tools

AI in Creative and Visual Workflow

The Future of Shopify Apps and Paid Plugins

Will Apps Disappear? Who Should Still Buy Them?

Practical Tips for Getting Started with AI Coding

Tools and Platforms Mentioned

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Final Takeaways

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points

What Is Vibe Coding and Why Does It Matter?

Real Examples: Building a Quiz Without Plugins

The Empowerment (and Limitations) of AI-Assisted Coding

Practical Applications: Custom Inventory and Productivity Tools

AI in Creative and Visual Workflow

The Future of Shopify Apps and Paid Plugins

Will Apps Disappear? Who Should Still Buy Them?

Practical Tips for Getting Started with AI Coding

Tools and Platforms Mentioned

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Final Takeaways