How I Tested That Dan Olsen | How I Test With Vibe Coding
Feb 18, 2026
Dan Olsen, product management author and consultant behind The Lean Product Playbook, explains vibe coding and practical prototyping. He discusses how rapid, low‑effort prototypes unlock learning. They cover cross‑functional collaboration, avoiding premature high‑fidelity builds, user research’s rising importance, and how AI can spark ideas but not replace judgment.
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Prototype To Learn Not To Ship
- Use prototypes to learn not to ship; prefer front-end prototypes over asking engineers to build unvalidated features.
- Dan warns teams without prototyping resources often default to building and silently incur technical debt and constraints.
High Fidelity Can Mask The Real Problem
- High-fidelity visuals can hide deeper UX and product-market mismatches; visual polish isn't proof of value.
- Dan uses an iceberg metaphor: information architecture and interaction design lie under the waterline while visuals are visible.
Sketch Before You Polish
- Don't rush to high fidelity unless the team has already resolved mental models, flows, and info architecture.
- Sketch or wireframe first when unsure of conceptual layout so prototypes test the right questions.
