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spec-driven
A checkable spec before generated code. Shorter than the chat, harder than a vibe.
What is spec-driven?
Spec-driven work writes “what” as something a machine and a human can mark right or wrong: tests, types, OpenAPI, a state table, a checklist. Code is one solution of that spec.
Why does spec-driven matter when vibe coding?
Threads drift. Fifty turns in, nobody remembers the first sentence. The spec is the page nailed to the repo. The model reads that, not your mood.
How do you do spec-driven?
Open a file: objects, fields, actions, failing examples. Pin the examples with tests or types. The prompt says “implement this spec.” New rules go into the spec first, not into the chat.
How do you ask a model for spec-driven?
Write the spec file, not the feature. Objects, fields, actions, two failing examples. I will edit the spec. Then implement. The file is source of truth. Do not invent rules.
What goes wrong with spec-driven?
A spec written as marketing. “An elegant experience” cannot go red. A spec has to be able to fail.