Stop Dreaming. You Can't Vibe-Code a CRM System in a Weekend.

And Other Coding Fantasies That Need to Go

Let’s get one thing out of the way.

If you think you can launch a full-featured CRM system — the kind that tracks leads, manages users, generates reports, and even sends cute little reminders to your customers — by “just vibing” with code over the weekend…
 I have a bridge in Sentosa to sell you.

🤔 Wait, What Even Is “Vibe-Coding”?

Let me explain it in the most Singaporean way possible.

“Vibe-coding” is what happens when someone opens up VS Code (or Notion… or Bubble… or ChatGPT) with nothing but feels, some startup hype, a cup of kopi peng, and pure belief that the system will “just come together”. Like magic.

No clear specs. No user flow diagrams.
 Just… “Let’s wing it, bro. We agile.”

And look, I get it. I’ve been building web apps, mobile apps, and custom software for clients in Singapore for over 15 years. I’ve vibe-coded too. Sometimes it works.
 But not for serious systems.

Not for CRMs.
 Not for inventory platforms.
 Not for ERP systems that need to handle 27,000 different “exceptions”.

💻 The Rise of the Vibe-Coder Army

Lately, I’ve been getting DMs, emails, and even Carousell messages from people who sound like this:

• “Hi bro, can I make a CRM using Notion and Zapier?”
• “Can ChatGPT write my backend for a real estate CRM?”
• “I saw a TikTok where someone built a POS in one night using Bubble.”

Yes, it’s true. You can prototype something cute and functional with no-code tools.
 But calling that a full CRM is like calling an IKEA table “custom woodwork.”

I’ve seen startups proudly launch their “CRM MVP” — which is basically a Google Sheet with 17 tabs, a Forms integration, and 7 Zaps held together by duct tape and hope.

Then three months later, they’re calling me saying:

“Eh bro, system hang again when more than 3 people log in. Can help?”

🧃 A Real-Life Anecdote (With Actual Juice)

A client once told me he built a “CRM system” over the weekend using Airtable, Integromat, and a Shopify plugin. I said, “Wah, serious? You’re the next Elon lah.”

Fast forward 2 weeks.

His system was sending the same follow-up email 18 times to every lead.

Why?

Because one of his Zaps triggered a loop.
 And because there was no audit trail or database sanity check.

This is not a CRM. This is a Customer Rejection Machine.

🎓 Serious Systems Need Serious Planning (Not Just Feels)

CRMs are more than just “Name, Email, Notes”.

They need:

• Multi-user roles with permission layers
• Data validation and sanitization
• Audit logs (because someone will mess up)
• Scalability when your user base grows
• Backups (not just Ctrl+Z)
• Compliance (PDPA ring a bell?)

You don’t just “vibe” your way through that.
 You architect it.

It’s like saying you can build a HDB flat just by stacking cardboard boxes and believing in feng shui.

⚠️ No-Code Tools Are Great… Until They’re Not

Don’t get me wrong — I LOVE no-code tools.

They’re perfect for:

• Testing ideas
• Internal dashboards
• Prototypes
• Weekend hackathons
• Impressing your co-founder over kopi

But once you’re dealing with paying clients, sales teams, support tickets, and business-critical operations, you need something sturdier.

Would you run your bank on a Notion page?
 (Actually… please don’t.)

💡 What You Should Do Instead

Here’s the unsexy but real advice — from someone who’s helped dozens of SMEs and startups rebuild their “vibe-coded” dreams:

✅ 1. Start With a Real Requirements List

Write it down.
 Yes, with your fingers. On a keyboard. Like it’s 2005.

What exactly do you need the CRM to do?
 What fields? What features? What reports?

✅ 2. Prototype — But Don’t Stop There

It’s OK to use Airtable, Glide, or even a PowerPoint mockup.
 Just don’t treat that as your final product.

✅ 3. Hire a Real Developer (Even Part-Time)

You don’t need to break the bank.
 Plenty of freelance devs in Singapore (like myself 👋) do affordable builds or hybrid solutions.

✅ 4. Think Data First

How will your customer data grow?
 How will you export it? Back it up?
 Can you even retrieve it if your Zap account gets banned?

✅ 5. Get Feedback Before You Scale

Before launching to 1,000 users, test it with 5.
 Break it. Fix it. Then scale.

😂 Funny Things I’ve Actually Seen in Vibe-Coded CRMs

• A CRM where deleting a customer also deleted the sales team.
• A “lead tracker” that sent email notifications to the client every time the sales team updated a note.
• A support ticket system that assigned every ticket to the CEO, even at 3am.

And once…
 A system that sent blank invoices to 400 customers.
Because someone deleted the “template” from Google Drive.

🧠 Why the Myth Persists

Because social media makes vibe-coding look easy.
 You see 30-second videos of people dragging blocks and saying:

“I made this full CRM in 5 hours.”

But what they don’t show you is:

• The 14 hours they spent debugging a single automation
• The angry users when the system crashes
• The cold emails to developers like me asking for help fixing the mess

🇸🇬 From the Singapore Trenches: My Honest Take

We’re in a culture of “fast, cheap, now”.

But in software, that usually means slow, buggy, and broken later.

I’ve worked with everyone from hawkers digitising their order system to SMEs building custom dashboards. And the ones who succeed?

They don’t rush.
 They don’t “just vibe.”
 They plan, build, test, and then iterate.

They treat their systems like an investment — not a weekend art project.

🎤 Final Thoughts (And Some Sarcasm)

Look, you wouldn’t trust someone who built a bridge with paper clips and positive energy.
 So why would you trust your entire business operation to something you coded in a caffeine-fueled daze at 2am?

Your CRM is not a vibes-only affair.
 It’s your customer’s experience.
 It’s your sales backbone.
 It’s your business engine.

So please, put down the mood board and get real.

💬 What Do You Think?

Have you tried vibe-coding a serious system?
 Did it go great… or explode in spectacular fashion?

Share your stories below — I’d love to hear them (and maybe secretly laugh a bit).

And if you want real help building something solid — 
 you know where to find me.

Thanks for reading. If this made you laugh, nod, or sigh in painful recognition — give it a clap, share it, or tag that one co-founder who still thinks “we can just hack it over the weekend.” 😅