Spec-Driven Development: The Waterfall Strikes Back
8 days ago
- #Agile Methodologies
- #AI Programming
- #Spec-Driven Development
- Spec-Driven Development (SDD) revives heavy documentation before coding, reminiscent of the Waterfall model.
- SDD aims to guide AI-driven programming but may hinder agility with excessive Markdown documentation.
- Popular SDD toolkits include GitHub's Spec-Kit, AWS's Kiro, Tessl, and BMad Method (BMM).
- SDD shortcomings include context blindness, excessive Markdown, systematic bureaucracy, and double code reviews.
- SDD may not effectively remove developers from the process, requiring both business and technical expertise.
- Agile methodologies offer a better approach by focusing on adaptability and iterative development.
- Natural Language Development is proposed as an alternative, emphasizing simple, incremental improvements.
- Coding agents should be used to empower developers rather than replace them, similar to the evolution of combustion engines.