'Vibe coding just piles up tech debt faster until...': Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu challenges Y Combinator's Garry Tan

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu on Tuesday launched a sharp critique of the growing hype around “vibe coding,” questioning its long-term viability and challenging high-profile Silicon Valley figures promoting the trend. In a post on X, Vembu asked why companies pushing vibe-coded applications claim to threaten traditional software developers even as Zoho continues to record rapid customer growth.

“If our business would be the first to be competed away by vibe-coded apps, why are we seeing such rapid customer growth (exceeding 50%) right now?” he wrote. He also pointed out that no major “vibe coded” alternatives exist in critical categories such as email, spreadsheets, accounting or messaging.

Vembu said his personal R&D efforts are focused on combining compiler technologies with AI to deliver “a quantum leap in programmer productivity” while upholding security, privacy and compliance—areas he believes vibe coding ignores. “Without those guarantees, vibe coding just piles up tech debt faster and faster until the whole thing collapses,” he warned.

Taking a direct swipe at Y Combinator president Garry Tan, Vembu added: “Of course, for people like Garry Tan, tech debt is to be pawned off on unsuspecting acquirers.”

Ending his post with a bold challenge, Vembu declared: “Let me make a bet with Garry Tan: we will outshine and outlast his vibe coding companies!”

In a post on X, Tan claimed that Zoho's business would be the first to be competed away by people building their own custom software using multiple AI-driven coding and app-creation platforms. 

"Why pay $30/seat/month for over-bundled SaaS when soon even nontech ops ppl can vibe-code a custom solution in a weekend?" he asked. 

The remarks have sparked debate across the tech community, reigniting questions about hype cycles, sustainable engineering, and whether AI-powered shortcuts can truly replace long-term, robust software development.

"Vibe coding looks exciting, but from enterprise experience, it’s rarely a plug-and-play win. Large orgs pick ecosystems (Microsoft, Zoho) for predictable SLAs, integrations and lower long-term maintenance. Build fast but plan for scale, impact > hype," a user wrote. 

A second user commented: "Love the focus on sustainable tech and real productivity gains, this is the future of coding!"

"Finally, some homegrown co actually has a leg to stand on and challenge a Silicon Valley company, but Garry Tan means well, though," a third user weighed in.