Spec-Driven Development: Stop “Vibe Coding” and Start Building Software That Actually Makes Sense

Have you ever jumped straight into coding without a clear plan, only to realize halfway through that you’re building the wrong thing? Or found yourself constantly refactoring because requirements keep “evolving”? Welcome to what I call “Vibe Coding” – and it’s time we talked about a better way.

The Problem with Traditional Development

Let’s be honest. Most of us have been guilty of this workflow:

• 💭 Get a vague idea of what needs to be built
• 💻 Start coding immediately
• 🔄 Realize requirements aren’t clear
• 🤯 Context switch between different tools and docs
• 📝 Documentation becomes an afterthought (if it happens at all)
• 🐛 Reactive problem-solving becomes the norm

Sound familiar? This scattered approach leads to technical debt, frustrated teams, and products that miss the mark.

Enter Spec-Driven Development (SDD)

Spec-Driven Development flips the script. Instead of rushing to write code, it enforces a structured workflow that breaks development into three distinct phases:

1. 📋 Requirements Phase

Generate detailed user stories with clear acceptance criteria. No more guessing what “make it user-friendly” means.

2. 🏗️ Design Phase

Create technical designs with diagrams and schemas. Architecture decisions are made before implementation, not during.

3. ✅ Implementation Phase

Break work into trackable, sequential tasks. Each task has a clear definition of done.

Why This Matters

“Requirements are usually uncertain when you start building, which is why developers use specs for planning and clarity.”

This isn’t just about documentation for documentation’s sake. It’s about:

• Clarity: Everyone knows exactly what’s being built and why
• Maintainability: Specs become living documentation that evolves with your codebase
• Efficiency: Less time wasted on building the wrong thing
• Collaboration: Teams can work from the same source of truth

Real-World Implementation with AWS Kiro

Recently, I’ve been exploring AWS Kiro IDE, an AI-powered development environment that enforces spec-driven workflows. It automatically generates three key documents:

project/
├── requirements.md  # What we're building
├── design.md       # How we're building it
└── tasks.md        # Steps to build it

But SDD isn’t limited to specific tools. You can start implementing these principles today with your current workflow.

Beyond Just Planning

What makes SDD powerful is that it’s not a one-time planning exercise. The specs evolve with your project:

• Living Documentation: Specs stay synced with your evolving codebase
• Team Alignment: Product managers can maintain requirement specs while developers own technical design
• Clear Handoffs: No more confusion about what’s ready for implementation

Getting Started with SDD

You don’t need fancy tools to start. Here’s how to begin:

1. Before coding anything, write down what you’re building in plain language
2. Document the technical approach and key decisions
3. Break the work into specific, measurable tasks
4. Only then, start coding

For those interested in tooling, there are open-source CLI agents available:

• claude-code-spec for Claude Code users
• amazonq-spec for Amazon Q CLI

The Bottom Line

Spec-Driven Development transforms chaotic development into structured, secure, and maintainable software delivery.

It’s not about adding bureaucracy – it’s about being intentional with your development process. When you know exactly what you’re building and how, you can move faster with confidence.

What’s Next?

This is just the beginning of my exploration into Spec-Driven Development. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a series of practical posts demonstrating how SDD can be applied to real-world coding challenges.

Follow me to get notified when the next post drops, and let’s transform how we build software together!

Have you tried Spec-Driven Development? What’s your biggest challenge with requirements gathering? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear your experiences!