Teen Siblings Master Vibe Coding at Cursor Hackathon

The family's journey into artificial intelligence began with the father, Asif Saleem, who works at Google as a financial services go-to-market lead for Japan and Asia Pacific. He became curious about the tools on the market after learning about vibe coding, which involves prompting an AI to generate code. In June, he attended a local vibe coding class and by the end of the weekend, he had created a financial statement analyzer.

Usman and Shanzey, who were already interested in AI, saw what their father did and wanted to join the class. A few weeks later, both siblings signed up for the same course. The majority of attendees were seasoned executives, which initially felt intimidating.

Shanzey Asif, a 12th grader in an International Baccalaureate program, noted the experience level of the other students: "They already had kind of experienced what coding was, and some of them were like working in Google and Oracle, and even Amazon." Despite the intimidating atmosphere, Usman, the youngest person in the room, maintained a positive outlook.

Usman Asif stated, "I was surrounded by people much older than me, with more experience in technology. But I felt age is just a number." Once he started vibe coding, he described the process as "weird but fun."

Once the instructors broke down the concept, vibe coding became "really simple" and fun for Shanzey. Initially, she thought she would have to write code, but learned that prompting drives the entire process. When her space website—which helps astronomy fans in Singapore see when planets are visible—came together, she realized she didn't need to write any code.

Usman's entry into vibe coding was more challenging. He described his initial experience as bug-filled, saying, "It kind of drove me crazy because I did not know what to do." Whenever he asked the AI to fix a bug, it would generate another one. However, with practice, he learned what different bugs meant and how to get the AI to resolve them.

By the end of the second day of the class, Usman had vibe-coded an AI-powered sports coach. Both siblings emphasized the importance of prompts, which they described as the backbone of the vibe coding process.

Usman explained, "Prompts are supposed to have good details and good information. You have to instruct the AI like a teacher to a student." Shanzey added that the very first prompt determines the direction of the app and that users can use the models to help craft better prompts.

After finishing their vibe coding class, the family decided to test their skills together at Cursor's 24-hour hackathon in Singapore. The October event drew hundreds of participants, mostly adults. Shanzey stated, "Our only goal was to get out with a completed project. Whatever happens after that was part of the experience."

The trio quickly settled on an idea that began as a dinner-table conversation: choosing Shanzey's future college. Their project was an AI-powered university guidance counselor. They vibe coded for about 12 hours straight, then went home and returned the next morning to see the results.

Each person played a crucial role in the project:

• Asif Saleem drafted the first version.
• Shanzey Asif refined the interface and layered in new features.
• Usman Asif mapped out the key elements for the demo video, which Shanzey then shot.

Although they did not win the hackathon, the experience became one of the most memorable things they have done together. Asif Saleem expressed his pride, saying, "I was really, really happy with what we were able to achieve, with how Shanzey and Usman stepped up. It was great fun."

Despite the excitement surrounding AI in the household, Asif Saleem sets strict limits on its use, particularly regarding schoolwork. He stated that when his daughter is studying, she cannot use AI for the content she is creating, noting that schools will validate the output produced. The same rule applies to Usman.

The parents also manage screen time and gaming with a reward system. Asif explained, "If you want some me time or play time, that should come as a reward for achieving certain goals," such as making breakfast.

With these boundaries in place, the siblings said that coding with AI has taught them valuable lessons. For Shanzey, the biggest takeaway was the importance of structure. She found that giving the AI clear, organized instructions felt similar to managing the demands of school, such as exams and essays. She concluded that approaching things systemically often leads to success.

Usman's takeaway was about depth. Vibe coding taught him that good results come from thoughtful, detailed responses, not shortcuts. "There are no shortcuts to success," he said. "You just have to do it the hard way and learn the hard way. I could also implement this into my daily life in school."

Both siblings are confident that AI will be part of their future. Shanzey noted, "Regardless of what I end up doing, I think AI will always be a part of my life." Usman sees potential in building apps full-time, stating, "I feel like I could have a career with AI, such as AI app building. Hopefully, there's a bright future for me with AI."