Reid Hoffman discusses vibe coding and its place in the future of productivity tools during his podcast, emphasizing that it won't eliminate traditional software.

Reid Hoffman on Vibe Coding: It Won't Wipe Out Productivity Software! 🎉

LinkedIn cofounder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman had quite a bit to say on the recent episode of his podcast, "Possible." His focus? The phenomenon known as vibe coding. What might sound like tech jargon is actually a modern take on coding, where developers are nudging AIs to write code for them. Sounds nifty, right? But will it really put classic productivity software out of a job? 🤔

🧠 What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding, a term introduced by OpenAI's cofounder Andrej Karpathy, signifies a shift towards a dialogue-based interaction where developers prompt AI to generate code. This trend is gaining traction in Silicon Valley, to the point where companies are listing vibe coding as a key skill in their job postings.

🚀 The Future of Software

While many are quick to predict the demise of established tools, Hoffman has a different outlook. "Like, a classic one is when mobile started growing, people said PCs are over," he points out. Interestingly, PCs haven’t vanished; they’ve continued to evolve alongside mobile devices.

📈 Productivity Software is Here to Stay

Hoffman explains that instead of replacing productivity software, vibe coding will actually enhance it. "What I think you'll see is productivity software will continue, and then vibe coding is going to add on to it," he asserts. So, fear not, friend! Those trusty tools won't go away anytime soon.

🤝 The Coexistence of Technologies

In Hoffman’s viewpoint, new technologies can coexist with older ones, enhancing their functionalities rather than obliterating them. "It's not going to be like suddenly productivity software is going to go away. That's the pattern that people need to understand," he emphasizes.

💼 Investor Insights

From an investor's stance, Hoffman highlights the typical patterns seen in tech evolution: "I want to bet on mobile, or I want to bet on, maybe, vibe coding... But it’s a very standard pattern that what happens is, it persists for a while. And then, by the way, when it dies, it dies very quickly," referring to the unpredictable fate that many tech fads face.

🎤 Join the Discussion!

Have thoughts on vibe coding? Are you excited or skeptical about its impact on productivity tools? Join in on the conversation and let’s see where these tech trends take us!

🗓️ Published on: August 21, 2025

Representatives for Greylock Partners did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.