Vibe Coding #4 - Tommy Thomas - The $50K Vibe Coding Playbook
Aug 15, 2025
Tommy Thomas, founder of Opzura and creator of Keyhaven, shares how he rose to success after winning third place in a major hackathon. He discusses his unique vibe coding approach, emphasizing a PRD-first strategy and the importance of monetization from day one. Tommy delves into the development of Keyhaven's secure API management features and the challenges of running a tech incubator in Kuala Lumpur. He also explores the future of builders in a rapidly changing economy and the possibilities of Universal Basic Income.
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Winning App Was Third Try
- Tommy built Keyhaven after scrapping two previous hackathon apps and iterating under time pressure.
- He added analytics after initial work to make the product more valuable and demo-ready.
Niche Tools Need Broader Features
- API key management is niche and developer-focused, making marketing harder.
- Analytics can widen appeal because usage and cost insights matter across teams.
Match Platform To Project
- Choose the platform that fits your idea: Lovable for quick UI-first apps, Bolt for heavier logic.
- Match platform strengths to project complexity to avoid unnecessary bugs.