Good enough software has always existed. Vibe coding just made it nearly free to produce.
A working definition
Good enough software is software that stops being developed the moment it becomes useful.
The barrier to creating software is basically gone. You can get something working from a single sentence.
So the real question is no longer can we build it. It is how much does it matter if it is wrong?
Where the line sits
| Software | If it fails | Good enough? |
|---|---|---|
| A custom web app with an itinerary for your next vacation | You miss a restaurant booking | ✅ Yes |
| A budgeting tool for your household | A few numbers are off | ⚠️ Probably, if you double-check the math |
| An airplane's autopilot system | People get hurt | ❌ Absolutely not |
Rule of thumb
The cost of failure sets the bar, not how easy it was to build.
Easy to build does not mean safe to ship.
Commentary
The hard part has moved. Building used to be the filter that kept half-checked software away from anything that mattered. Now that filter is gone, and deciding what "good enough" means for a given piece of software is a judgment call we have to make on purpose.
Where would you draw the line?